The 1916 rising, a dark stain on our history

Charrychar

Now first of all I am not completely against “celebrating” the 1916 rising so long as it is done in a way to remind us that violence is never the answer. I think we have come a long way since then and nowadays take more of a sobering look at the events of 1916.

To be fair I think most of us apart from the usual armchair republicans down the pub no longer glorify the actions of 1916 and see it as mindless completely unnecessary violence.

We are now a modern, western civilized society, we don’t celebrate 1916 like we used to anymore, it’s little more than a historic event to remind us that violence is never the answer. The 100 year anniversary of 1916 was a good example of how far we have come, we didn’t celebrate it, we used it to remind ourselves of horrific violence and to make sure it never happens again.

This was much to the disgust of republicans like Gerry Adams who was outraged at the centenary where he said in the Dail “Taoiseach, can you explain to the Dáil why the video which launches ‘Ireland 2016’ makes no mention of the Easter Rising or of the signatories of the Proclamation? Instead, we are treated to images of Facebook, Google, Bob Geldof, Bono, David Cameron and the English Queen. Is this what the Government believes the 1916 Rising was about?”

Fortunately the government went about the centenary the right way and avoided celebrating violence and avoided upsetting our closest neighbor and ally on the world stage who overwhelmingly applauded how we went about the Centenary, much to the disgust of good Republicans like Adams.

https://www.thejournal.ie/gerry-adams-1916-rising-1787910-Nov2014/

The centenary video didn’t even feature anyone from the rising, it actually starred bob geldof who had rigorously criticized 1916 and described them as terrorists who carried out mindless violence. I think it’s a great example of how times have changed.

whisky_galore

Commemorating is not the same as 'celebrating'.

Stephen_Maturin

Meh, that just sounds like it’s coming from a place of national inferiority complex

Plenty of modern countries had their start point with an armed insurrection of some form or another, it’s nothing unique to Ireland in the slightest so give over.

You wouldn’t see this kind of handwringing from the French on Bastille day

cj maxx

Complete B..... It started the greatest thing we ever done. Free ourselves from slavery. The War of Independence and what followed was a template for other countries.

Charrychar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119056540#Comment_119056540

Completely different as was shown during the centenary of 1916 a few years ago. It wasn’t celebrated whatsoever like it was in the past.

The centenary video actually didn’t even feature anyone from the rising, it actually starred bob geldof who had rigorously criticized 1916 and described them as terrorists who carried out mindless violence. I think it’s a great example of how times have changed. Much to the disgust of good Republicans like Gerry Adams.

Our government received overwhelming praise from our closest ally and neighbor the UK for how we handled the centenary.

NedsNotDead

How long before we reckon this thread gets closed.

riffmongous

Nonsense,you'd probably also be suggesting the Ukrainians are bringing all the destruction on themselves by resisting.

0ph0rce0

What a flute

Close this nonsense. It'll be SF v The Government by page two, just like all the other **** threads.

After hours is for fun and there's nothing fun about this garbage.

Charrychar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119056582#Comment_119056582

Not at all similar.

Strumms

Poor wind up effort.

Allinall

OP has form.

Charrychar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119056590#Comment_119056590

I see the armchair republicans are moving in quickly trying to get this thread closed. Facts are we are now a modern, wealthy, Western European country who would no longer celebrate this sort of crap.

As was shown by how our government went about the centenary a few years ago we no longer celebrate this. Wise words from Bob Geldof who starred in the governments 1916 centenary video describing them as lunatics wisely saying there was no need for violence.

RoboRat

I don't know of Irish person who views it as a dark stain on our history. It was a necessity driven by the situation we were in, and whilst the participants were vilified at first, we came around to see their actions as selfless and heroic. It was the rising, and more importantly the subsequent executions, that turned the majority of the Irish public towards the concept of a fully independent Irish Republic.

I'm no armchair Republican before you use that retort. I am a realist, and at the time, we had no voice and were under the control of the biggest global empire. It's not dissimilar to the situation in Ukraine at the moment, some will shake their heads and say that violence isn't the answer... newsflash, sometimes violence is the only answer, especially when one side has a superiority complex and treats the other with distain.

Ten of Swords

Op is there a question or salient discussion point in all of this because if so I'm not seeing it.

Charrychar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119056668#Comment_119056668

You don’t know of any Irish person who views it as that? Did you not see how we went about the 1916 centenary in 2016? We went about in a very modern way much to the disgust of good Republicans like Gerry Adams.

0ph0rce0

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119056659#Comment_119056659

Plenty of people Irish celebrate and or remember the people of 1916 every year though and have done so for over 100 years to this day.

Edit: I've just seen the other threads by this user. I took the bait. I'm the bigger fool. Good Luck.

corner of hells

My great grandfather was a doorman/porter in the GPO in 1916 , he didn't go to work the day of the rising , that being his biggest regret in life.

My great grandmother's biggest regret was that he didn't go to work that day and grab the contents of the safe.

Charrychar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119056668#Comment_119056668

The families of the signatories of 1916 were disgusted with the centenary, especially that the centenary videos main star was Bob Geldof who described 1916 as mindless violence and an act of terrorism. It also featured the Queen and David Cameron, no mention at all of any of the signatories. The government like most of us nowadays in Ireland are completely embarrassed by 1916.

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058245725/the-1916-rising-a-dark-stain-on-our-history

violence is almost always the answer when it comes to a country escaping out from under an oppressor

Mad_maxx

the Queen of England visited the Garden of Rememberance in 2011 , she bowed her head , she and people like her understand and know that armed combat is and always has been a part of politics , point is the Brits themselves dont judge us for 1916 so neither should we

Charrychar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119056713#Comment_119056713

Gerry Adams, is that you? Always trying to justify violence.

RoboRat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119056688#Comment_119056688

I assume you are talking about the bord failte style video with the diddley eye soundtrack. Shock horror, the government put out a non political video to show we are a progressive country to attract businesses and tourists rather than a sombre video depicting how Irish volunteers were slaughtered by a professional army.

There were plenty of events that marked the event that would be considered political, and which honoured those who gave their lives, you have just chosen to look at one that didn't.

EmmetSpiceland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119056659#Comment_119056659

It was the violence of the British, when they executed the leaders of the Rising, going so far as to tie, the great, James Connolly to a chair, that sparked the change in the “mood” of the Irish people.

It would be far more accurate to say the British, themselves, were the lunatics.

Ten of Swords

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119056724#Comment_119056724

Mod - Really?

You're a timesink op, start another thread like this, or your previous few, and you'll be banned from AH

Thread closed