Comment by Neil F. Cosgrove on October 8, 2014 at 10:12am

Dr. O'Donnell spoke to an even larger crowd earlier in the week at Hibernian House in Pearl River.  His talk was excellent, his points well made and based on historical facts as opposed to the wistful speculation of those who believe that Home Rule was anything more than a canard.  I would encourage the Wild Geese could reach out to him and encourage him to do an article.

Comment by Micheal O Doibhilin on October 8, 2014 at 11:22am

As we have seen repeated again in the recent Scottish vote on Independence, the promises made were just so much hot air. This is a repeat of what was on offer in 1914 and beyond - leopards don't change spots.

Comment by Frank walsh on October 8, 2014 at 5:04pm

I've been waiting for some time for some authorative person to speak out against Bruton's views. Now I can say that everyone in 1916 know that Home Rule was a sham and a number of well intentioned Irish statesmen were fooled by this British ruse for a goodly number of years. No wonder the IRB and later the IRA members (not the least of whom was Michael Collins) realized early on that violence was the last and only solution to British subjugation and machinations. As Tom Barry said "the British descended into Hell and down after them we had to go" As for Mr. Bruton's claim that the Irish temperament was changed by the War of Independence to a violent nature he forgets about the years of humiliation, subjugation, disenfranchisement, and starvation on a population level visited upon the Irish population by their British masters. I can't believe that Bruton is unaware of all of this. What a load of tomfoolery.

Comment by Neil F. Cosgrove on October 8, 2014 at 5:14pm

Frank

Mr. Burton and those like him, who selectively edit history and look at it through the prism of their own agendas, are proof of the observation of the author Saul Bellow “A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.” 

Comment by Frank walsh on October 9, 2014 at 5:23pm

Neil:

Well said and to the point - ignorance and illusion aplenty but I have to wonder as to the capacity to make the investment.

Comment by Jim Goulding on October 19, 2014 at 10:22am

Ditto to Neil Cosgrove's suggestion above that the WG reach out to Professor O'Donnell to do a piece for us on this webpage. I second the motion.

Comment