I see the signatories to the Proclamation as heroes. Their bravery and courage is beyond question. I don’t think any of them believed that they would live to seize power. They marched into a battle that they couldn’t, by any stretch of the imagination, win… in the belief that the war would be won pursuant to the principles established. Of course, one can (and, in the interests of healthy debate, should) question the rationale to some extent. Pearse, for example, was an advocate of Home Rule so it seems fair to ask if they believed they could achieve anything that wasn’t already on the table. The eventual establishment of the Free State, limited to 26 counties, swearing allegiance to the Crown and relinquishing control of ports and borders arguably added no more than a little word play to home rule.
Connolly, in my mind, was a truly great man. Throughout his life he put his commitment to championing the rights of working men, including immigrant workers, before himself. The fact that the taxi rank at the train station named in his honour is predominately worked by immigrants often strikes me as a fitting tribute.
Mentioning de Velera always promotes healthy debate. He was a devout Catholic so there is no way in the world that he would honour any commitment to Government free of religious interference. He became a traitor in the eyes of many Irishmen the day he refused to accept democratic ratification of the Free State Treaty by his own Government. There are even some who believe he became a British spy to save himself from martyrdom. However, there are few who would disagree that self-promotion and self-preservation are what really made him tick, (lack of) principles passed on through generations of FF leaders.