Éiri Amach na Cásca 1916
Éiri Amach na Cásca 1916- é a cheiliúradh?
Níl lá a théann thart anois nach mbíonn scéal éigin faoi Éiri Amach na Cásca sna meain go léir. Is cnámh spairne é i measc óg agus aosta. San aiste seo, beidh mé ag díriú isteach ar an cheist achrannach úd: an cóir dúinn Éiri Amach na Cásca a cheiliúradh an bhliain seo?
Rugadh agus tógadh mé i mBaile Átha Cliath mar sin is 'Dub' ceart mé go smior na gcnámh. Nach minic a fheicim Ardoifig an Phoist inar thosaigh an tÉirí Amach agus gach uile uair a fheicim é, tuigtear go soiléir dom gur siombail chathréimeach é sin do ghníomhartha gaile is gaisce ár laochra náisiúnta a sheas suas go cróga in aghaidh ansmachta agus éagóra ar an Luan cinniúnach úd céad bliain ó shin. Bhí na laochra sin in aghaidh saoirse teoranta an bhille ar tugadh 'Rialtas Dúchais'. Bhí saoirse iomlán agus neamhspleáchas polaitiúil iomlán ag teastáil ón Phiarsach agus ó lucht eagraithe an Éirí Amach. Bhí a bParlaimint féin ag teastáil ó na ceannairí Gael. Mar sin sílim gur cóir Éirí Amach na Cásca a cheiliúradh in 2016 ar bhealach mór galanta mar murach Éirí Amach na Cásca, bheadh Éirí i bhfad níos difriúla inniu, agus níl aon dabht faoi sin.
Is cuid tábhachtach dár stair é an tÉirí Amach. Ní thuigfeadh daoine as tíortha eile tábhacht ná brí an imeachta lárnaigh sin i stair na hÉireann mar ní thuigfidís taithí náisiúnta ná oidhreacht pholaitiúil mhuintir na hÉireann. In Éirinn fós bíonn ceist an náisiúnachais á plé an t-am ar fad. Fiú inniu, tá an t-oileán beag seo deighilte fós agus is iarsma den stair choilíneach na trioblóidí uile a tharla, agus a tharlaíonn, i dTuaisceart na hÉireann.
Is uafásach an scéal, dar liomsa, nach dtuigeann a lán daoine óga in Éirinn inniu tábhacht agus torthaí na n-imeachtaí móra a tharla i dtosach na haoise seo caite. Ní mhór dúinn, dar liomsa, níos mó eolais a chur ar fáil i gcuraclaim staire na scoileanna mar chuid den ullmhú riachtanach don cheiliúradh mór an bhliain seo. Mar mura bhfoghlaimíonn aos óg na firicí faoin aimsir sin bheadh an dainséar i gcónaí ann go mbeidh siad ar nós cuma liom maidir leis na himeachtaí go léir a chuirfear ar siúl in onóir laochra 1916 an bhliain seo.
Thug Éirí Amach na Cásca neamhspleáchas polaitiúil dúinne. Ní raibh muid saor leis na céadta bliain agus den chéad uair tugadh seans úr dúinn saol nua a chruthú don phobal Éireannach. Bhí polaiteoirí na Breataine Móire ag tochras a gceirtlín féin le blianta fasa agus is cinnte dearfa nach ar mhaithe le muintir na hÉireann a bhidís choíche. Buíochas le hiarrachtaí agus le híobairtí réabhlóidithe 1916, d'éirigh muidne, muintir na hÉireann, freagrach as ár dtodhchaí féin agus inniu seasann muid go bródúil i measc náisiún uile an domhain inár dtír neamhspleách nua-aoiseach. Nach bhfuil bród orainn go léir as a ndearnadh ar ár sonsa?
Creidim go háirithe gur rud cróga a rinne said mar ní raibh tacaíocht ach fiú ón chuid is mó dá lucht comhaimseartha, ach mar sin féin rinne siad an rus ceart in ainneoin sin agus uile.
Mar sin óna bhfuil ráite agam is léir go gceapaimse gur ceart Éirí Amach a cheiliúradh le bród inár gcroí. Buíochas leis an Éirí Amach, bhí rialtais na hÉireann ábalta, bliain ina dhiaidh bliana, an Ghaeilge agus cultúr na Gaeilge a chaomhnú san Gaeltachtaí agus ar fud na tíre i gcoitinne. Inniu bíonn daltaí ar fud na hÉireann ag foghlaim na Gaeilge ar scoil agus nárbh é Pádraig Mac Piarais a thuig tábhacht na teanga dúchais nuair a chuir sé Scoil Éanna ar bun amuigh i Rath Fearnáin- an chéad scoil lán-Ghaeilge. Is iomaí saoire a chaith an Piarsach é féin i gConamara ag iarraidh feabhas agus foirfeacht a chur ar a chuid Gaeilge. Thuig seisean go maith tábhacht na Gaeilge i bhfuascailt na tíre ó ansmacht na nGall nuair a dúirt sé a mhana cháiliúil: ''Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam''.
Thaispeáin Éirí Amach na Cásca dúinn go léir, má chuirimid uile le chéile, is féidir linn mar thír, deacrachtaí ar bith a shárú- nach fiú mar sin teacht le chéile mór stairiúil na tíre seo a cheiliúradh agus é a cheiliúradh ó chroí agus ar bhealach mórtasach groí galánta an bhliain seo.
Translation:
There isn't a day that passes now where there isn't some story about the 1916 Easter Rising in all the media. It's a bone of contention aong the young and the old. In this essay, I will be focusing in on this intricate question: should we celebarte the Easter Rising this year?
I was born and raised in Dublin so I am a true 'Dub' to the bone. Isn't it often I see the GPO where the Easter Rising started and everytime I see it, I understand it clearly as a symbol of battle of the gallant acts and achievements of the national heroes that stood up bravely against the tyranny and injustice on that fateful Monday a hundred years ago. These heroes were against the limited freedom the bill of Home Rule gave. Pearse and the organisers fo the Easter Rising wanted complete freedom and complete political independence. The Gaelic leaders wanted our own parliament. Therefore I think The Easter Rising should be celebrated in a big fancy way because if it wasn't for the Easter Rising, Ireland would be a lot different today, and there's no doubt about that.
The Rising is an important part of our history. People from other countries don't understand the importance or the meaning of these central evens in the history of Ireland because the national exerience or political heritage of the people of Ireland is not understood. In Ireland still the question of nationality is discussed the whole time. Even today, this small island is divided still and there are remnants of colonial history from the Troubles that happened, and are happening, in the North of Ireland.
It's a terrible story, I think, that a lot of young people in Ireland don't understand today the importance and the results of the big events that happened at the start of the last century. We should, I think, make more information available in the history curriculum in schools as part of the necessary preparations for the big celebration this year. Because if the young people don't learn the facts about this time, there would always be a danger that they wouldn't care about the all the events that will be held in honour of the heroes of 1916 this year.
The Easter Rising gave political independence to us. We weren't free for hundreds of years and for the first time a fresh chance was given to create a new life for the Irish community. The politicians of great Britain were furthering their own ends for years and it's certain that it wasn't for the good of the Irish people they were doing it. Thanks to the attempts and the revolutionary sacrifices of 1916, we became, the Irish people, responsible for our own industry and today we stand proud among other nations of the world in our independent, modern country. Aren't we all proud of what was done on our behalf?
I especially believe that they did a brave thing because they didn't have support even from the most part of the peers, but they did the right thing despite this and all.
From what I have said, it is clear that I think we should celebrate the Rising with pride in our hearts. Thanks to the Rising, the Irish government was able, year after year, to preserve Irish and the Irish culture in the Gaeltachts and around the country in general. Today students all over Ireland are learning Irish in school and wasn't it Padraig Pearse who understood the importance of the native language when he founded Scoil Éanna in Rathfarnham- the first all-Irish school. Pearse himself spent many a holiday in Connemara trying to improve and perfect his own Irish. He well understood the importance of Irish in the awakening of the country from the British tyranny when he said his own famous mantra: ''A country without a name is a country without a soul''.
The Easter Rising showed us all if we work together, we as a country can overcome any difficulty- even in coming together as a country to celebrate the history of this country and celebrating it from the heart in a proud vigorous way this year.
