Sir, - Kevin Myers kicks off his "Irishman's Diary" of April 15th by admitting he was wrong about the Unionist-SDLP-Sinn Fein accord. Prematurely he asks forgiveness for ever doubting them. Not perceiving any inconsistency or need for reserve, he immediately reverts to type by attacking the 1916 Rising and what followed; and also the 1798 Rebellion; and as a novelty, he lumps these two together with the IRA violence of the past 25 years.
He is obsessed to the point of lunacy with the "immorality" of Irish rebellions. Is there any Irish rebellion at all he doesn't regard as immoral? All too often he treats us to a eulogy on Irish involvement in the first World War - not this time, mercifully. Does Myers consider life to be completely meaningless? That seems to be the only explanation for his eulogy of Irish involvement in the first World War and his attacks on the "immorality" of Irish rebellions.
Many more Irish were killed in WW1 than were killed in the Civil War and the 1916 Rising put together. The problem which occasioned the first World War still gives rise to violence. A consensus of Irish historians holds that most of those who joined in the 1916 Rising did so to prevent the British introducing conscription. In that, they were successful. Democracy can't make right what is wrong. Universal suffrage didn't exist here until the first Dail and the Free State Constitution introduced it. The 1916 people were, in Jacques Maritain's phrase, "a prophetic shock minority", like the French Resistance in the second World War. Thousands more Irish would have been killed had conscription been introduced. Decisively parting company with the British Empire was the only way to withdraw from periodic imperialistic slaughter. The Irish RC hierarchy condemned the 1916 Rising. The Pope didn't.
I belong to the first generation born after the 1949 declaration by John A. Costello of an Irish Republic. My generation of Southern Irish are proud beyond words to have been born into a State with complete political independence from Britain. In the past few years we have achieved economic independence. Whether this Good Friday Agreement is accepted or not, in 15 years we will have a united Ireland. In the meantime we are re-assessing our cultural independence. We have nothing but contempt for Myers's attitude of "kissing the hand that scourges you". We are not crying on the Englishman's grave! - Yours, etc.,
Seamus de Barra
Beaufort Downs, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.