Madam, - I would like to draw attention to the continued misinterpretation by politicians and others of the phrase "children of the nation" as used in the 1916 Proclamation.
The term "children" is in fact used on four occasions in the course of the Proclamation in paragraphs 1,2,4 and 6. In paragraph 1 Ireland summons her children to her flag; paragraph 2 refers to the "exiled children in America"; while paragraph 6 speaks of "the readiness of its (Ireland's) children to sacrifice themselves". It is quite clear that in all these instances the term "children" does not mean people under 16 or whatever, but embraces people of all ages.
That brings us to paragraph 4 where the much quoted and misinterpreted phrase "cherishing all the children of the nation equally" occurs. This is often latched on to as a requirement for social justice for poor and deprived children. This interpretation is, I suggest, incorrect on two grounds. Firstly, the term "children", having been used to mean people of all ages in three instances in the Proclamation, must be held to have the same meaning in this instance also.
Secondly, the phrase "cherishing all the children of the nation equally" is followed by what appears to be a qualifying phrase "and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past". So that in the context in which it is used, the phrase "cherishing all the children of the nation equally" really envisages a nation where Catholics and non-Catholics would be equally cherished, rather than a call for social justice for every citizen, a matter which has been dealt with earlier when the Proclamation guarantees "equal rights and equal opportunities" for all the citizens. The signatories of the Proclamation had, of course, in mind a 32-county nation. - Yours, etc,
PATRICK FAGAN, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.