I am 85, I was not there, but met Irish (Republic) people in 1949 in Bradford UK, who had relatives alive and emotionally in this historic event. I was 18 (and from a small community) I was forever imbued by the emotions I witnessed, and the varied descriptions. The programme literally had me saying prayers, I was captivated, excited and horrified with the poverty depicted, which I was personally familiar with, being moved about during the WW11. This is a highly enthralling programme, I was very disappointed to learn that episode 5 is the last one. For me the realism was total, the emotions entirely believable. Casting and acting magnificent. I watched the 5 episodes on Netflix.

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.

I quite enjoyed this mini series and look forward to another season. It started slowly and the characters were a little wooden but soon got interesting until I couldn't wait to watch more and missed out on sleep! It all looked very good - costumes, hair and sets but it seemed a little like a student play with freshly made costumes until the action started. The relationships got more complicated as the series developed and that saved the show from being a boring historical drama. The main actors were great. Loved the Liz wears her wedding dress the whole series! Surprised to discover Brian Gleeson is only 28. His perpetual frown made him look so much older.

There is a shot of the GPO being bombed at the end of episode 3. You can hear aircraft flying over, and the subtitles read "Flying Aircraft." now off course they had aircraft, but none that would sound like that, and none that would drop bombs. Also, can anyone tell me if aircraft were even deployed to the Easter Rising?All in all a very enjoyable show. Apparently, according to a few Irish reviewers, it didn't do the Rising justice. I definitely sympathize. It was spread a little thin, trying to cover a dozen relationships and character developments. But for someone who knows less than i should about Ireland, it was very intriguing and got me reading. I did find the acting and script impressive at times. It would have done much better cutting a character or two, looking more at the intrigue and scale of the thing, all spread over going for 8 or 10 episodes.