SNIPPET: Per Joost AUGUSTEIJN, Lecturer in European History, Leiden University -- "Patrick PEARSE was an educationalist, writer, and revolutionary. Although best known as leader of the rising of 1916, PEARSE's nationalism was initially more cultural than political. He became involved with the Gaelic League as a teenager and edited their journal, 'An Claidheamh Soluis,' from 1903-1909. He also lectured in Irish at University College, Dublin. Influenced by continental practices in bilingual education he founded St Enda's in 1908, a bilingual secondary school which fostered all things Irish. Initially a supporter of home rule he became convinced that Britain would never voluntarily grant Ireland autonomy when faced with unionist opposition and began to favour the use of force. He was involved in setting up the Irish Volunteers and became their director of operations. He joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood and was co-opted onto the supreme council and the secret military council. His graveside oration at O'Donovan ROSSA's funeral in 1915, ended with the much quoted line, 'Ireland unfree shall never be at peace,' was influential in the build-up to the rising. He became commander-in-chief of the volunteers during the rising and president of the Provisional Government. As such he signed the unconditional surrender, and was subsequently court-martialled and executed. PEARSE wrote extensively in Irish and English. In his writing he described bloodshed as a cleansing and sanctifying thing, and stated that a blood sacrifice was needed to awaken the Irish nation. In his eyes slavery was more horrible than bloodshed. This thinking has often been described as unbalanced or even insane, but is now also seen as a tactical response to the realization that a successful rising was unlikely." The following poem was written at his mother's request, just before he and his brother went out to fight in the rising of 1916.. THE MOTHER I do not grudge them; Lord, I do not grudge My two strong songs that I have seen go out To break their strength and die, they and a few, In bloody protest for a glorious thing. They shall be spoken of among their people, The generations shall remember them, And called them blessed; But I will speak their names to my own heart In the long nights; The little names that were familiar once Round my dead hearth. Lord, thou art hard on mothers: We suffer in their coming and their going; And tho' I grudge them not, I weary, weary Of the long sorrow -- And yet I have my joy: My sons were faithful, and they fought. It was Padraig PEARSE who said: "We have the strength and the peace of mind of those who never compromise."