The most important things to know about the Easter Rising were that it marked the return to violent rebellion in Ireland and the way that the English dealt with it started the turning the sympathies of the Irish at large against the English and the idea of home-rule as part of the Empire. Those two things are very well demonstrated in Rebellion, from the brutal dealing of the British military with both the rebellion and Irish civilians, the complete lack of due process for those arrested and executed, creating martyrs and setting the stage for the War of Independence and the Irish Civil War.

I loved this series. Highly addictive, compelling with some amazing tension throughout. Brilliantly written and superb acting throughout. As someone who's not particularly academic I've always struggled to learn about history the conventional way, through books, so am always grateful when TV teaches me something new. This series had my scurrying to the history books afterwards to find out more. The characters were all really easy to identify with and there was a much more realistic representation of the lower classes than is usual in period dramas. There was some wonderful dialogue-free sequences throughout the series which were just mind-blowingly good. I cant wait for season 2.

I saw this on Netflix and it starts in 1914 where we meet a group of Dubliners, some of whom are still loyal to an ever distant British Crown and others who are confined by the bonds of a colonial power that has abused and neglected its closest colony for hundreds of years – rebellion is in the air.This has many of the real people at the time being portrayed including Padraig Pearse and James Connolly to name but two. But it is really told through the eyes and experiences of three women – a touch I liked very much. We have five succinct episodes that chart the road to the 1916 uprising and the consequences and I have to say I thought it was excellent.Now there are some critics who say this is a trivialised account by the state owned RTE television company and as such has airbrushed a lot of the important details. It may well have done but there is still enough here to give a real flavour of what the times were like.It is a big budget affair too with some stellar performances including Brian Gleeson and Ruth Bradley but no one does a bad job at all. I loved the period detail and the use of Gaelic in parts added to the authenticity and made me realise my Gaelic is sorely rusty. The action scenes are excellent too with all the tense atmosphere and raw emotion pouring off the screen. Historical licence aside this is still an ambitious and well realised TV series. My only real complaint is I wanted it to go much farther and would love a second season or maybe even a third – truly recommended.

If you have ever read any of Morgan Llywelyn's Irish historical fiction, this miniseries is going to feel awfully familiar. In fact, given the overall tone and storyline, I would suspect Llywelyn may have a case for plagiarism here.The one thing this series did accomplish well, in much the same way as Llewellyn does in her fictional tomes, is to whet the appetite for anyone wanting to know more about what actually happened. The other thing this series did that apes Llywelyn's efforts is it set the audience up for a sequel - because the Irish Republic didn't not emerge fully-formed after the events of 1916. I suspect there will be a series of television miniseries, much like Llewellyn's "1916", "1921" and "1949" novels, that will continue the story arc of Ireland's gradual independence. (The series has already planted the seed in the last episodes with the introduction of Collins and deValera's characters as well as the impending birth of an illegitimate child who will grow into adulthood throughout the balance of the story.)Here's hoping that efforts like this provide a jumping off point for many to begin understanding the complex series of events that created modern Ireland. Because if their efforts end here, they really won't go away with much.