Lest We Forget 1916 and the Irish Independent views of the men who fought for Irish freedom then. Little has changed since
The editorial in the first issue of the Irish Independent after
the rising in 1916 that had included Michael Collins, headlined with this:
‘Criminal Madness.’ It continued: “No terms of denunciation would be too strong
to apply to those responsible for the criminal and insane rising
of last week.”
By the 9th of May of that year, the British had
already executed 13 leaders of the rising and James Connolly lay gravely
wounded while waiting for his own execution, and Sean Mc Diarmada was still a
prisoner, the Irish Independent called for more blood to be spilled, Irish
blood:
“ If these men are treated with too much leniency they will take it as
an indication of weakness on the part of the Government (A British one)…Let the
worst of the ringleaders be singled out and dealt with as they
deserve.”
Two day later the Irish Independent wrote this: “A certain few of
the leaders remain undealt with, and the part they played was worse than that
of those who have paid the extreme penalty. Are they, because of an indiscriminate
demand for clemency, to get off lightly, while others who were more prominent
have been executed?
The next day the Irish Independent freedom of the press wishes were granted: James Connolly
and Sean Mac Diarmada were shot the at the break of dawn. Michael Collins survived a little longer.
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