“A Last Desperate Attempt To Save Irish Nationality From Obliteration”

I CAN’T QUITE put my finger on why this image caught my attention; not yet anyway. It’s a shot of the Irish Air-Corps doing a fly-by in PC-9 aircraft  over the Spire during the 91st Easter 1916 commemoration ceremony at the GPO on O’Connell Street yesterday.

It was a very low key affair with only a turn out of approximately 7000 folks watching the proceedings; possibly intentionally mind you because this event was not particularly well advertised in advance for some reason. Also confusing (to me anyway) is the idea that this  is held on Easter Sunday, when the event being commerated happened on Easter Monday on 24th April in 1916.

Still, that image there is haunting me for some reason this morning, and I don’t think it’s related to any September 11 references or current day events. I did some digging around on the ‘Net for an appropriate reference back to the Rising itself and ended up selected a single paragraph from a document entitled “The Significance Of 1916” by Garret Fitzgerald which was written back in 1966.

I believe this text still echoes strongly today in our modern lives, our fast paced soundbite driven world, our conveniently selective recall and politically correct amnesiac infested existence. This life we enjoy today – with all it’s good and bad points – didn’t just happen by default. It was paid for in blood and sacrifice and we should never forget that.

Take a few seconds out of your busy life to read this paragraph, and think about those who have gone before you to pave the way for freedoms we all enjoy today in Ireland. Read more