1916 Rising

Question 1

What were the causes of the 1916 rising?

Answer 1

• The Irish Republican Brotherhood started organising a strike after WW1 broke out as ‘Britains difficulty was Irelands opportunity’
• They set up a secret military council with members such as Padraig Pearse and Joseph Plunkett
• They believed in blood sacrifice
• The IRB showed the Irish volunteer army a forged letter saying the British planned to disarm the volunteers
• The Aud bringing ammunition was taken down by the British and the volunteers figured out the castle document was a forgery, but the rising was still to go ahead

Question 2

What was the course of the 1916 rising?

Answer 2

• The military council decided to go ahead with the rising on the 24th April 1916
• The rising was mostly in Dublin because of the short notice
• 1500 volunteers took over building in Dublin such as the four courts and the GPO where Pearse read the proclamation of the Irish republic
• The British responded by sending more soldiers and the gunboat ‘Helga’ to shell the city
• Dublin City was destroyed and many civilian deaths had occurred so Pearse surrendered

Question 3

What were the consequences of the 1916 Rising?

Answer 3

• 500 mostly civilians lost
• Damaged city
• 3000 sent to British prisons
• 15 leaders of the rising were shot in Kilmainham Gaol, including the Military council members
• Sinn Féin popularity surged