Sir, – When Robert Ballagh mentions “the events upon which the modern Irish State was founded, such as the Easter Rising and the War of Independence” (October 15th) he omits the State’s real foundation stone: Sinn Féin’s participation in the December 1918 elections, its big victory and the resultant establishment of Dáil Éireann. The voters’ endorsement of Sinn Féin’s campaign for a constituent assembly gave the Dáil democratic legitimacy to declare a republic, to defend that republic through the IRA and ultimately to compromise on its republican form (though not on its democratic substance) by approving the Treaty.
How does celebrating Tom Barry’s armed opposition to the Treaty differ from approving various self-styled “republican” campaigns from the 1930s to the dissidents of today? They all amount to waging war against the parliament established by the will of the people. Such activities, however daring, don’t deserve to be called heroic. – Yours, etc,