Sir, – Patrick Donohoe (November 19th) repeats the claim that the 1916 Rising was democratically approved retrospectively by the 1918 Sinn Féin election victory.
The Sinn Féin party elected in 1918 survived only four years as it broke apart on the incompatibility of democratic decision-making with the “right”, 1916 style, to impose one’s views violently.
A small majority of the votes cast in the 1918 election were for parties other than Sinn Féin. Unionist representation increased in that election.
Of the seven signatories of the proclamation only one, Connolly, had ever stood for election. His efforts to be elected to Dublin Corporation were rejected by the electorate.
All the violent organisations of the last 100 years – up to the present day – which claim inspiration from 1916 imagined or imagine that they too will be accorded retrospective democratic approval some day. – Yours, etc,
SEÁN Mc DONAGH,
The Court,
Bettyglen,
Dublin 5.