Irish History - 1916 Rising Flashcards
Home rule party
Founded by Parnell
Made to establish a small government in Dublin that handles issues such as:
• education
• healthcare
Led by John Redmond in 1891
3rd Home Rule bill
General election was called in 1910. Results:
• liberals - 275
• conservatives - 273
• home rule - 71
Home rule had the balance of power
Parliament act 1911
House of Lords could not veto a bill for 2 years, so the 3rd home rule bill was brought about by Asquith in 1912
3rd home rule bill would be passed in 1914 after the House of Lords reject it
Effects of outbreak of world war 1
- Home rule postponed til after he war
- Redmond (woodenbridge speech) urged volunteers to join British army
- “England difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity” - IRB
Split of the volunteers
170,000 joined Redmond (National volunteers). 25,000 of which joined British Army
Remaining 11,000 led by Eoin Macneill (Irish Volunteers)
IRB
- Led by Tom Clarke and Thomas MacDonagh
* saw the war as an opportunity to stage a rising
Macneill’s position on a rising
Not in favor of a rebellion
Believed that the volunteers should only use violence if:
• Britain tries to disarm them
• attempted to impose conscription in Ireland
Military Committee in the rising
Formed by Clarke and MacDonagh to plan a rising
Only included men they trusted, including:
• Patrick Pearse
• Joseph Plunkett
• Eamonn Ceannt
Planning of the 1916 rising
In January, 1916, Connolly and his Irish Citizen Army joined the military committee.
The plan was:
• to be held on Easter Sunday 1916 (originally planned for August 1915)
• the arrival of the German weapons with Roger Casement would signal for the rising to take place
• Ireland would be declared a republic and a provisional government appointed.
MacNeill was not willing to support the rising
German weapons
Were to arrive off the coast of Kerry between Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday (20 - 23 April) on the Aud.
Arrived on the 20th of April. No volunteers to meet it as they believed it would arrive on the Sunday.
Casement was arrested shortly after he arrived and the Aud was captured by the British navy
Castle document
The military council forged the castle document on the 20th April:
Said that leaving volunteers members were to be arrested
This caused MacNeill to call on his Volunteers to be ready for the rising
MacNeill realized he had been fooled and cancelled his orders the following day.
MacNeill was told about the German wearing and realized that the British would start arresting volunteers anyway.
Again, he issued orders for the volunteers to rise on Easter Sunday.
Issued a cancellation order once again when he realized the arms had been captured
Start of the Easter Rising
- less than 1,300 men and women turned up
- the volunteers occupied the GPO during Midday
- Pearse read the Proclamation or the Irish Republic.
Rising leaders and posts.
GPO (Headquarters) - Pearse Four Courts - Daly South Dublin Union - Ceannt Jacobs factory - MacDonagh College of Surgeons - Mallin Boland’s Mill - Eamonn de Valera
Key moments of the Rising
Volunteers led by Sean Connolly attacked Dublin Castle but were unable to capture it.
Martial law was quickly declared
General Maxwell was in charge of the British
The Helga was sent down the Liffey and shelled the GPO
The civilian casualty rate was very high
Pearse, after being forced into Moore street, send Elizabeth O’farrell to surrender to General Lowe.
Some groups of rebels continued fighting until the Sunday.
Rebellion outside Dublin
Macneills multiple orders caused much confusion so there wasn’t much of a rebellion outside Dublin.
In Ashbourne - volunteers led by Richard Mulcahy siezed RIC barracks
In Galway - failed attack on RIC barracks led by Liam mellows
