Sir, - Talk about the politics of the last atrocity! Donal O Morain (May 10th), seems intent on persisting with the history of the last atrocity. His reference to "the burning alive of, at least 100 Wexford Protestants in a Wexford hayshed" presumably refers to the massacre of over 100 (Catholic as well as Protestant) loyalists at Scullabogue on June 5th, 1798, in the wake of the battle of New Ross and government atrocities there. As I'm sure his mentors, Professors Moody and Dudley Edwards, would have agreed, context is important: over 30,000 people were killed in the course of the 1798 insurrection, the vast majority insurgents or civilian victims of a government inspired reign of terror. Nevertheless, Mr O Morain's request for an erudite examination of this particular atrocity is timely, particularly in the light of its subsequent use, and abuse, as a device to detach radical Presbyterians from the revolutionary republican project. He need not wait too much longer: the forthcoming autumn issue of History Ireland will carry an article on this oft cited but little explained atrocity by Daniel Gahan (University of Evansville, Indiana).
In the meantime Richard Roche's original point (May 6th) that the insurrection in Wexford has for too long been misrepresented in purely sectarian terms, is well made. It is gratifying for those of us interested in popularising the full complexity and diversity of our history (and I'm sure Mr O Morain would want to be numbered among us) to note the activity of Comoradh 98 and its associated bodies in Wexford. Other parts of the country are not far behind: this summer Bantry will be commemorating the failed French landing there in 1796; for many years Killala has had its Humbert Summer School; and Belfast has its Society of United Irishmen Commemoration Committee.
But my question is this: what is happening in the other pole of the original north/south revolutionary axis - Dublin? The intended Rising in the metropolis failed to materialise but a knowledge of the circumstances of its collapse is vital to understanding the big picture of the 1798 insurrection. Full credit to the people in Wexford in their preparations for the forthcoming bicentenary but they cannot be allowed to hog the proceedings entirely! Yours, etc.,
Joint Editor,
History Ireland,
PO Box 695, Dublin 8.