Madam, – I wish to commend Stephen Collins’s fine article (Opinion, April 16th).
It is a timely reminder that a democratic tradition had been established in Ireland before 1916 due to the efforts of O’Connell, Parnell, Redmond and others.
As we approach this significant anniversary, and pay rightful tribute to those who sacrificed their lives to further our independence, we must also recognise that the blood sacrifice came at a cost, the price for which has passed down the generations to this day. This is not to denigrate any tradition but to accept an uncomfortable truth.
It is ironic that we will again this week marvel at the physical and mental courage of Tom Crean, the iconic explorer, without mention of his loyalty to the crown and the fact that his brother, an RIC sergeant, was ambushed and killed by the IRA in 1920. It is high time that proper recognition is given to those RIC men who were killed during the War of Independence. They were Irish too and many gave their lives in service to their society.
It is often said that we Irish are the prisoners of our history. If so, we have often been our own jailers. We must take the opportunity of the 1916 centenary to finally come to terms with all of the traditions in our history, North and South, respect the integrity of their argument and accept that we can cherish our independence while condemning the use of violence as an instrument for political advancement. At least let us show that we have learned from our history. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I have no idea what went through the minds of those who blew up PSNI Constable Ronan Kerr. Your Political Editor, Stephen Collins thinks the 1916 Rising did (Opinion, April 16th). On this basis he wants an “honest” and a “mature” examination of the Rising that will, if it agrees with Collins’s spurious reasoning, undermine a positive assessment of the Easter 1916 Rebellion.
If he wants to question the killers of Ronan Kerr, Mr Collins should not try to link them to, as a means of reversing, a generally positive view of the struggle for independence. He will fail to reverse it and, consequently, the people who will welcome his linkage are the killers of Ronan Kerr. – Yours, etc,