What began in 1916 is still going on, but the form of that battle has altered to fit the times. To gain a better understanding of where the process began and how it's changed over the decades, read Katie Hanrahan's powerful novel A Terrible Beauty. Then you'll realize how sensational this announcement is.
The long road to liberty is about to take an interesting turn.
Martin McGuinness of peace process and IRA fame has thrown his caipin into the ring and is now running for the Presidency of Ireland.
The public face of the nation, the President is the one to greet honored visitors from foreign lands. So might that President spend a little face time in making the case for a united Ireland?
The successors of the original IRA will be pitted against the successors of those who favored the 1922 treaty that divided Ireland. The Irish people will once again have a chance to express their opinion on a solution that gave rise to The Troubles, although few saw that coming back when the treaty was signed.
Fine Gael waged a civil war against the IRA nearly one hundred years ago, and this upcoming political election will be no less violent---although it will be a war of words this time around. Actual shooting of bullets is frowned upon in these modern times.
Even so, an otherwise dull election is about to get very, very hot. And very, very interesting.
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