Editor:
On Easter Monday 1916 Patrick Pearse stepped out of the General Post Office and read aloud the Proclamation of the Irish Republic.
In that moment he didn’t just declare a dream. He signed his own death warrant.
Like John Hancock’s bold signature on the American Declaration of Independence, Pearse’s reading was a fearless public act of revolution.
Though many brave men and women contributed to the Easter Rising and deserve commemoration, Pearse stands uniquely as the voice of the Republic that day.
A poet, teacher, and leader, his role was both symbolic and profound.
He once wrote: “Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam” — “A country without a language is a country without a soul.”
His belief in the cultural and spiritual revival of Ireland went hand in hand with the political struggle.
May 3rd marked 109 years since Pearse was executed by firing squad.
Yet outside the GPO — the very site where his words changed history — there is still no statue to honor him.
Surely that is a gap we should now seek to fill.
The Patrick Pearse Commemorative Association, whose work I commend, supports a campaign to erect such a statue on O’Connell Street.
If you would like to contribute, more information is available at https://www.thepearsecentre.ie/events/a-weekend-of-revolution.
Phil Boyle, Hartford, CT
