I agree with your comments on Connolly and his influence on the rising and I agreee that Pearce did seek martyrdom. However I think that quite often he is written off as being a self centred unfeeling academic. I think that he (Pearce) had a great influence on people and that he was a great motivator orator and writer. I feel too that some of the other rebel leaders tend to be forgotten because they were'nt great speakers like Connolly and Pearce. Men like Eamon Kent, Thomas Clarke and of course Joseph Plunkett played an equally important part in the rising. Joseph Plunkett and Grace Quigley what a story. Do you think the men and women of the rising were a product of their time or did they define the time. It's unique in history to find so many strong and courages people gathered together in one place at one time.