New York -- University of Limerick Professor Ruan O'Donnell drew more than 40 to O'Lunney's Times Square Pub on Thursday to issue a resounding rebuttal -- some would argue refutation -- of the recent critics of the 1,700 who went out on Easter Monday 1916. Directly challenging former Irish PM John Bruton and Senator David Norris, O'Donnell pointed out, in part, to those who argue that the Rising was inherently undemocratic as well as destructive that a fraction of the population of Ireland in 1916 had the vote under British rule, and changing that reality was not in prospect with any of the Home Rule measures detractors of the Rising hold forth as a peaceful path to eventual Irish sovereignty.