Pearse, zealotry and realism

Madam, - The views expressed by Robin Bury are hardly surprising, given his membership to the so-called "Reform Movement".

Madam, - The views expressed by Robin Bury are hardly surprising, given his membership to the so-called "Reform Movement".

Yes, Pearse was indeed a nationalist zealot, truly a man fanatically committed to the ideals of Irish nationalism. But he was also "a realistic man of his time".

Mr Bury first refers to Pearse as a "psychopath", comparing his utterances about a "blood sacrifice" to that of Islamic terror groups. This "blood sacrifice" was in the name of establishing an Irish state guaranteeing cultural, religious and civil freedom for all.

For centuries Ireland had risen up against the British, and Easter 1916 set out to encourage the people of Ireland to rise yet again. Without it, I doubt we would ever have had a republic, and the continuing process of Anglicisation would have destroyed our culture beyond recognition.

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It is funny that Bury later goes on to acknowledge the Irishmen who were serving in the British army at the time - another "blood sacrifice" that the British insisted was for the liberation of small countries throughout Europe, but was really an imperial war between two related monarchs. Democracy, freedom, tyranny, had nothing to do with it. If it did, why did Britain still hold a small nation like Ireland hostage?

The Proclamation of 1916 offered real democracy and freedom, and was very radical for its day. It offered equality of rights between men and women and an economic system that took care of the least able in society. Are these the ideals of a psychopath?

Mr Bury goes on to speak of civilian casualties during the Rising. Sadly, this is a by-product of war. But there were no deliberate civilian casualties. The same cannot be said for the actions of the British administration in this country, both before and after partition.

Pearse was no psychopath. He was a republican, an educationalist, and an architect of our nation. Without him and others like him, we might never have achieved even partial independence, let alone a republic. - Yours, etc.,

SHANE HOLDEN,

Killiney,

Co Dublin.