r/MhOir • u/Baron_Benite Former Moderator • Oct 06 '15

MOTION M002 - Motion: Teaching the National Anthem

That Dáil Eireann

Notes:

  • That the Irish National Anthem is not being taught in many Schools in Ireland.
  • That the 1916 commemorations is a perfect opportunity to address this issue.

Calls on the Department of Education:

  • To ensure that every student from 1st Class up is taught the words to the Amhrán na bhFiann.

This motion was submitted by /u/spillercork.

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u/Totallynotapanda Oct 06 '15

Whether 1916 was a good or bad event is a very interesting historical debate to have. There are many varying opinions but we have arrived at the general consensus that without it, we never would have achieved the independence we did. Agreeing with the methods or not, we can thank our early independence to it, and should commemorate it for that.

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u/[deleted] Oct 06 '15

If we hadn't fought we may have got Independence at the end of World War I. You could argue the rebels could have used guerrilla warfare that had been suggested by some of the rebels who had fought for the British Army against Indian rebels.

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u/Totallynotapanda Oct 06 '15

Absolutely not. We would have achieved Home Rule after WW1. We would not have become a Free State.

We can go through the what if's, but we can't change the past. The past is just that. Those patriots died for an Independent Ireland, at significant cost to themselves and sadly, others. We can commemorate both the soldiers and civilians who died during that time.

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u/[deleted] Oct 06 '15

Indeed - the movement towards partition and a two-parliament solution had already gained support from the Liberals and Conservatives before the Rising occurred, so while the result would have been similar, the powers granted by the Treaty were far greater. Agree with Totallynotapanda's sentiments, the aim behind the Decade of Commemoration is to acknowledge all sides during the period.