Jim Carroll - 24 May 16 - 07:00 AM

Maths has nothing whatsoever to do with it.

Irish Volunteers/IRB Supreme Committee consisted of 11 men who had insisted that any rising was only to take place IF it stood some chance of success. Having colluded with the Germans the Supreme Committee were expecting a shipment of arms aboard a German ship called the Aud. The "magnificent seven" formed in secret a group called the Military Council and they planned their "Rising" in such a way as the other four members knew nothing about it - the second they did find out about it the sent out orders to stop it, they reconfirmed that order when they found out that the Aud had failed to land the promised German weapons.

it was 1,600 rebels (facing up to 20,000 British troops) who took part in the rebellion.

Of those who turned up, most thought they were just drilling, the majority of them like those with de Valera in Boland's Mill played little or no part in the fighting at all.

Of the leaders you had vastly differing views, Connelly with his Workers Republic and Pearse expecting the next King of Ireland to be one of the German Crown Princes who of course would have to become fluent in Gaelic (Sort of on the job training)

The Rebellion was recognised as an act of sheer patriotic heroism within weeks of the event and have been ever since.

Only by those as daft as you Jim. To any sentient human being it was at best an idiotic and pointless gesture that was guaranteed to fail from the outset by a man who sought death and believed in blood sacrifice.

Now let us get onto the last bit of your latest travesty of "fact"

"Sign within 3 days or else it's war" - doesn't come any plainer than that.

Obvious to all - the Irish, well at least nine of them had decided to start a war, and having succeeded in fighting it to a stalemate peace negotiations were arranged and a truce was established in June 1921. Peace negotiations continue until both parties sign them - if that doesn't happen then quite naturally hostilities resume - so the "3 days or else it's war" was not the threat of a declaration of a new war but the resumption of the one the Irish had started.