“The Irish staging an insurrection during time of war was vile treachery.”
Spoken like a Brit. It is only treachery only if you were a British subject. If you were occupied by the Brits as the Irish were, its smart timing. You might notice that Britain and France were in almost constant war in the decades before and after the American revolution.
We essentially staged OUR insurrection during time of war as well.
Occupation? Then it was one fomented by the Papacy, since it was Pope Adrian IV who gave English King Henry II lordship of Ireland in the twelfth century (reconfirmed by Alexander III). Even under the Kingdom of Ireland, the English King was recognized as Ireland’s king.
And the majority of Dubliners regarded the Rising as “vile treachery” too; what swayed public opinion the other way was the summary execution of the rebels. Thing is, some of these rebels would have instituted a reign of terror in Ireland if they had gained power over the island.
Another significant difference between Ireland and the USA is that Ireland had the very thing that the USA did not, which was the first grievance of colonial Americans when stamp duties came into effect, that being representation in Westminster. Irish MPs had the power to direct the course of the British Empire. They possess no such power over the European Union.
Very true.