John Gilroy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Tomorrow, 24 April, marks the 99th anniversary of the Easter Rising and it is appropriate that this House should acknowledge that fact. Saturday, 25 April, marks the commemoration of ANZAC day, which saw 3,000 Irish men and boys dying on the shores of Gallipoli. Those 3,000 people are as Irish as the heroes of the 1916 Rising.

The complexity of our history is illustrated nicely, or tragically perhaps, by Commandant Mike Malone, commander of the Irish forces who opposed the British at Mount Street Bridge. He rightly takes his place among the pantheon of Irish heroes. It is interesting to note that Michael Malone's brother was killed the year before, in 1915, during one of the pushes by the Dublin Fusiliers in France. This nicely illustrates the complexity of the birth throes of our nation. In the weeks, months and years ahead, we would do well to remember the complexity of our history. Instead of pigeonholing one side or the other into goodies and baddies, it is important that we have a balanced view and recognise that within our State at the time, and probably still today, there was and is probably two traditions or two nations equally deserving of our respect.