In his feisty memoir of the Independence referendum in Scotland, former SNP leader Alex Salmon recalls an interview with the ‘Morning Joe’ show in the US where the host adopted a tactic rather different from the hostility of the BBC: “Why would anyone in Scotland not want to be independent of England?”.

Having listened and watched a series of vacuous programmes about the Easter Rising of 1916, I feel Mr Salmond’s pain. What I really want to hear is a commentator ask, “Why would anyone in Ireland not be proud of the Easter Rising?”

After all, this was a group of visionaries — many poets, playwrights and polemicists — largely unskilled in military tactics and armed with antiquated Mauser rifles who took on the most powerful Empire the world had ever seen. What’s not to admire about the valour, the heroism and the patriotism of the band of men and women who struggled bravely against the battle-hardened troops, professional officer corps, Lewis machine guns and warships of the British.

No wonder the rebels of Dublin inspired feedom-loving people around the world to rise up against their colonial masters.

So, today, 100 Easters on from 1916, let’s salute the heroes of Easter Week and pledge to create the Republic they dreamt of.

That Dream, for sure, will never die.

Beannachtaí na Cásca oraibh uilig.