This stamp was also a part of the commemorative stamp series of 1956. The stamp series itself was not only dedicated to the leaders of 1916, but also to previous iconic leaders in Irish history, such as Theobald Wolfe Tone. Wolfe Tone is considered to be the leading Irish revolutionary figure and was also a founding member of the United Irishmen. He is widely regarded as the father of Irish republicanism. One of the reasons he is so widely remembered today is related to the way he died. Wolfe Tone was a leader of the 1798 Rising and he was sentenced to death. He was hung for his traitorous behavior against the British crown. He is reported to have requested an honorable execution, one by firing squad as was customary for soldiers, yet he was denied. The story goes that he committed suicide in his jail cell by slitting his throat in an effort to cheat the hangman[1]. As the phrase on the bottom of the stamp says, Wolfe Tone is best remembered for his urging of the Irish people to break the connection with England and he stressed the fact that as long as Ireland was under the control of England, “….this country will never be free or happy.”[2]
[1] “Wolfe Tone and the Culture of Suicide in Eighteenth-century Ireland,” History Ireland, 2013, http://www.historyireland.com/18th-19th-century-history/wolfe-tone-culture-suicide-eighteenth-century-ireland/
[2] Regan, Stephen. Irish Writing: An Anthology of Irish Literature in English 1789-1939. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004., 13-16.