April - 1916 AD - 2
"1916 Irish Easter Rising."
1916 AD April:
The
I.R.B.
/ Irish Republican Brotherhood
had by now received a captured
British
Imperial Coalition Government "document," that revealed the fact that all of the
Irish Associations
were
now under
"threat" by the Dublin Castle authority (Devil's Half Acre) and this was then circulated also to
"all" of the
members of the
Irish Volunteers, and fully
realising the serious situation that they now faced
Patrick Pearse
decided it was time to get on with it and begin the movement for
Irish Independence / Freedom and as the
"Director of Operations" of the Irish Volunteers, he sent out orders to all of their
Volunteer Brigades to
engage in field manoeuvres.
The day he chose for this to occur, was naturally the one set down for the
1916 Irish Easter Rising,
Sunday,
April
23rd, and this massive outward show of Irish
physical strength worried
Eoin Mac Neill,
the "Chief of Staff," of the Irish Volunteers who was for "defensive" operations only
against the British Coalition Government if
attacked, until he
was reassured personally by
Patrick
Pearse
and
Thomas Mac Donagh,
that they had
"no"
aggressive action planned against the
British
Imperial Government authorities in the Dublin Castle (The Devill's 1/2 Acre.)
April 9th:
Those in charge of the
British
Imperial Coalition Government
forces in the Dublin Castle The Devill's 1/2 Acre), should have become more aware
of what was occurring at this time as they were able to seize an Irish motor
vehicle containing "weapons and
ammunition" at
College Green in
the heart of
Dublin
itself.
April 19th: Professor Eoin Mac Neill, the Irish Volunteers "Chief of Staff," who was originally from Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province, and a scholar and a linguist, who had co - founded the Gaelic League, and also it's first "President," due to his particular outlook of "non - aggression" unless the Irish Volunteers were provoked, had not been informed about the "real plans" of the I.R.B. / Irish Republican Brotherhood for their coming 1916 Irish Easter Rising, as they knew that he was "against" the use of any force, unless "provoked" in the first place. Despite this Bulmer Hobson, who was the Secretary of the Irish Volunteer's, and of the same outlook became "aware" to the fact that something extra was now going on with the Irish Volunteers that was out of the ordinary.
April 20th - Thursday: Bulmer Hobson, advised Eoin Mac Neill, that he should put a "stop" to the Irish Volunteers' activities that were being planned for the coming "Sunday" in Dublin that was being organized by the I.R.B. / Irish Republican group,
April 23rd, Eoin Mac Neill as the
"Chief of Staff" of the
Irish Volunteers then began to "cancel" all of the "manoeuvres"
for that day, which was only to lead on to untold "turmoil" among the ranks
of the Irish Volunteers, and
because of this intervention by
Eoin Mac Neill
as the "Chief of Staff" of the Irish Volunteers, the
I.R.B. /
Irish Republican Brotherhood
Military Council, had a hurried meeting at the
Liberty Hall in Dublin,
and among
them were
Patrick Pearse,
James Connolly, Tom Clarke
the Old
Republican,
Thomas Mac Donagh,
John Mac Dermot
/ Sean Mac
Diamada, Eamonn Kent / Ceannt and
Joseph Plunkett
who had also invited
Eamonn de Valera, the staid school teacher and
Irish Volunteer
Brigade
commander, who did "not" show up anyway, as he was
"against" all
"Secret Societies," as they were "castigated" by the
hierarchy of the "Catholic Church."
Those who were present there decided,
that it would be a "dishonor" to the existing generation of
Irishmen,
if they were not to take this opportunity and call off the
1916 Irish Easter Uprising
now,
as they would only be remembered as
"Tin Soldiers,"
if they did.
Thomas Mac Donagh and
John Mac Dermot
/ Sean Mac Diarmada went to see
Eoin Mac Neill
the "Chief of Staff"
of the Irish Volunteers
to try and get him to change his mind against "calling off" their manoeuvres
for Sunday 23rd, and in desperation they were then forced to
"inform" him of the expected "arms" supplies that were coming in from
Germany.
(Sir
Roger Casement, had previously volunteered to go
to Germany to obtain arms
to be
used towards the struggle for Irish Independence / Freedom.) The
I.R.B.
/ Irish Republican Brotherhood had not been too sure that he
would have any success, so they also had also sent over their own representative.
Robert Monteith,
who was then able to obtain
20,000 old
Russian rifles, which had been
organized by
John Devoy
from the
Clann na Gael / The Organization
in
America. As the plan by the
I.R.B. / rish Republicans
had by now gone "too far," especially with the arrival
soon of the "arms" to which
he knew the British Imperial
Coalition Government
authorities in Dublin Castle would react immediately, he decided to
"reissue" the orders for the manoeuvres on the Sunday,
and collaborate with the I.R.B / Irish
Republicans, now purely as a
"defensive" measure.
The "Aud" / Libau, the supply ship, under the "Norwegian" flag, was to arrive today 3 days "ahead" of schedule into Tralee Bay, off the coast of Co. Kerry in the south - west of the Munster Province, with 20,000 rifles and ammunition from Germany. Sir Roger Casement personally was not too happy with these particular arms, as they were "too old," and he also believed that they were still not enough to ensure any sought of reasonable success against the Military might of the British Imperial Empire. He had also arrived separately, by "submarine," in an endeavour to try and stop the Aud from entering the port, after he had come to realise that it would be arriving ahead of schedule, and on coming ashore, he was "captured" by the Dublin Castle's (The Devill's 1/2 Acre) R.I.C. police, near Ardfert at Mac Kenna's Fort in Co. Kerry, were he had arrived in a small boat, while his 2 companions had previously gone ahead onto Tralee, to inform the Irish Volunteers there, that the arms consignment wouldbe arriving "earlier" then expected.
April 21st - Friday: The "Aud" had been "sighted" by a British Imperial Navy vessel, and was ordered into Cobh / Queenstown Harbour, were Captain Spindler, on the "Aud" was forced to "scuttle" the ship with the rifles and ammunition still on board.
April 22nd: Saturday:Eoin Mac Neill, the "Chief of Staff" of the Irish Volunteers, was informed, that the British Imperial Government's authorities in the Dublin Castle (the Devill's 1/2 Acre) were once again "not going" to re - act to the activities carried out by the I.R.B / Irish Republicans so far, and he then "reversed" his decision to allow the Irish Volunteers to go along with the I.R.B. / Irish Republican activities for the next day,
April 23rd - Sunday: Eoin Mac Neill sent out contrary "orders" this time by "personal" letters to the various Irish Volunteer Brigades at Belfast in the Ulster Province and Cork and Limerick in the Munster Province and called in Patrick Pearse to advise him of his decision, to once again "stop" the overall Irish Volunteer manoeuvres, planned for "today," who never the less told him that the I.R.B. / Irish Republicans were still "determined" to go ahead with the 1916 Irish Easter Uprising although he had "countermanded" the original orders, and Eoin Mac Neill then informed him that he would do everything in his power to try and "stop" their Uprising plans.
Eoin Mac Neill,
as the "Chief of Staff
"of the Irish
Volunteers, "advertised" the change to
the orders in the
"Sunday"
Independent
paper, calling
off all of the
Irish Volunteer activities, and informed
Eamonn de Valera not to allow any of his
Irish Volunteer Brigade
carry out any of the
planned manoeuvres, who then advised him back, that he would
"only" take
direct orders from
Thomas Mac Donagh,
who was
the
Irish
Volunteer Brigade's overall commander,
and
Bulmer Hobson,
the Secretary of the
Irish Volunteers, who would also have nothing to
do with any intentional "violence" unless the
Irish Volunteers
came under attack, was then put under "restraint" by some of the members of the
I.R.B. / Irish Republican Brotherhood to keep him out of the way.
Although
Eoin Mac Neill
was
the "Chief of Staff"
of
the Irish
Volunteers,
Patrick Pearse, as the head of the
I.R.B. / Irish Republican Brotherhood,
was the one
now who was really in "control," and he had
previously sent out the code word "Howth" for "go"
to all of the
Irish Volunteer
commanders.
Augustine Birrell, the
British Imperial Coalition Government's Chief Secretary
in the
Dublin Castle
(The Devill's 1/2 Acre),
had
been informed of the arms aboard the
"Aud," and therefore was now well
aware of
the "real intentions" of the I.R.B. /
Irish Republicans,
so Patrick Pearse
and the
others, then decided to set a "new date" and time for the
1916 Irish Easter Uprising,
and they
chose the following day
Easter Monday
the
24th.
Augustine
Birrell the British Government's Chief Secretary in
Ireland, was even more confident now that the the
"Aud"
was
scuttled, and
Sir Roger Casement
was locked away safely in jail, so he was sure that there would be no further trouble
with the Irish
population now
who were also
involved in any plan to further resist the ongoing British Imperial
occupation of Ireland. With
1200 British
Military Forces still stationed in
Dublin alone, he was to feel secure enough to allow their officers,
on the following day, to go to the "Fairy House
Racecourse," 10 mile from
Dublin,
and only had
a
6
British Military Force
stationed in the
Dublin Castle itself, whose
guns were also only loaded with blanks.
April 24th - Easter Monday: Thomas Mac Donagh, the overall Irish Volunteer Brigade commander, ordered the 4 Irish Dublin Brigades to assemble in their heather green uniforms at 10 a.m., and they then proceeded on with their journey into Irish History, James Connolly the socialist Labour leader with his Irish Citizen's Army, who were now all resplendent in their their "dark green" uniforms, were marching out boldly in front, while Patrick Pearse who was now 36 years of age, as the overall I.R.B. / Irish Republican Brotherhood Commander marched on his right side, and Joseph Plunkett, from the I.R.B. also, who had left his hospital bed where he was being treated for "tuberculosis," was on his left hand side, followed by Tom Clarke the Old Republican. They were then followed into history by Michael Collins, John Mac Dermot / Sean Mac Diarmada the physically challenged I.R.B. / Republican, Sean O Kelly, who would one day also become the "President of Ireland" in his own right, and Roddy Connolly, the young 15 year old son of James Connolly the socialist leader, with Winifred Carney as the "only" woman in their group, as she too set out to make her mark in Irish History with her 150 Irish comrades, who were endeavouring somehow, against all the odds, to bring about Irish Independence, and Irish Self - Determination, with the removal of the never ending "oppressive dominance" of the British Imperial Governments, after 750 years, while Countess Constance Markievicz nee Gore Booth was to be the second in command of a Citizen's Army Irish Volunteer group at "St. Stephen's Green" with Michael Mallin, where they barricaded it off, and were able to secure 14 buildings there. The 1st Irish Dublin Volunteer Brigade under the command of Ned Daly, was left to also secure the north - west of Dublin, including the "Four Courts" / Riley's Fort, "North Brunswick St," "Church St" and the north of "King Street" while the 2nd Irish Dublin Volunteer Brigade, under Thomas Mac Donagh, was to secure the southern end near "Jacob's Biscuit Factory," and the 3rd Irish Dublin Volunteer Brigade under Eamonn de Valera, was to secure the south east of Dublin and "Boland's Flour Mill." The 4th Irish Dublin Volunteer Brigade, commanded by Eamonn Kent / Ceannt, included Charles Burgess / Cathal Brugha, who was to secure the south - west of Dublin, including the "South Dublin Union," while Sean Heuston, M.W.O Reilly and James Sullivan commanded their other forces who raided the magazine fort in "Phoenix Park," were they were able to obtain a few more rifles.
Due to
Eoin Mac Neill,
the "Chief of Staff" of the Irish
Volunteers, "countermanding"
Patrick Pearse's
orders only
200 of the
Irish Volunteers turned up out of a possible
1,000
that were originally organized for the Dublin
area, but this particular movement
towards
Irish
Independence and
Irish Freedom had begun
so the
I.R.B
/ Irish Republican Brotherhood under their leader,
Patrick Pearse, ran
up the Green Flag
of the
Irish Republic
and posted up their
Republican Proclamation at the
Dublin
"Post Office," and also sent
out hand bills "proclaiming" the
Irish Republic
itself.
They then took over the "Post Office," intending to use it as their
"G.H.Q." with the
added fatalistic comment by
Patrick Pearse, that,
"We shall fail, but others will
follow and succeed." Although
Eoin Mac Neill, the
"Chief of Staff" of the Irish Volunteers, had
previously countermanded the orders, some of the
Irish Volunteers never the less, were to
still "turn
out" in preparation in Co.
Galway in the Connacht Province and
in
Co. Wexford
in
Southern Leinster
while
Tuesday - April 25th:
The Irish
Volunteers, at the
"Four
Courts," were able to capture
24 of the Dublin Castle's
R.I.C.
police members at the rear of their
building, who they then allowed to leave "unharmed,"
and
Michael
O Rahilly
/
The O Rahilly,
who had been "against" the
Easter Uprising
originally,
had nevertheless, turned up to also give a hand, but he was to be subsequently
"killed" in the fighting
at the
Post Office,
while
Sean Lemass, (Another future
Prime Minister of Ireland) who was
now only
16 years of age, was also
there among the fighting, together
with
William T. Cosgrave,
(who would become the "first"
Prime Minister of Ireland).
Sean Hurley, who had previously been the
Secretary of the
I.R.B. /
Irish Republican Brotherhood
in
England,
and a close friend of
Michael Collins was another of those to be
"killed" during
the
conflict as the
British Imperial Military Forces closed in on the "whole" of the
Dublin area, putting
"artillery" into their base at
Trinity College,
with more British Military Forces arriving into
Kingstown under
General Sir
John Maxwell, the new
British Imperial Government Commander - in - Chief,
and they
then began an all out "artillery
bombardment" on the
Irish forces, and a
British Imperial gunboat,
the
"Helga," was sent up the
River
Liffey in Dublin to further attack other
Irish
positions.
April 26th - Wednesday:
Michael Malone, another of the
Irish Volunteers
was "killed" at Haddington Road,
while under the command of
Eammon de Valera, who then promoted
Joseph O Connor to the position of
vice - Commandant there, and altogether
234 British Imperial Military Forces were either
to be "killed or
wounded" in the conflict, with half of the
casualties being
from the
British "Sherwood Foresters," while the
Irish
defenders at the
"Four Courts,"
were also able to capture
40 unarmed
British Military Forces
in a barracks nearby
April 27th - Thursday:
The
British Military Forces
now began hand to hand combat, and
James Connolly the socialist Labour
leader, was
severely
"wounded" in the
thigh during his command at the
"Post Office," and
Michael Collins, who was now an
Irish Volunteer
Staff Captain there,
as a sign of
things to come, was
terribly "upset" over the
lack of any "real" organization previously being carried out there.
April 28th - Friday:
The British
Imperial
Military Forces began "shooting" anything or anybody that moved, which included many
Irishwomen and
Irish children randomly,
and
also "deliberately", as they went throughout the various homes in the area, and the
increasing numbers of the
British "Staffordshire Regiment"
and
their British "Sherwood Foresters"
surrounded all of the
Irish held positions
at the "Post Office," which was
by now well and truly on "fire," and the Irish
defenders at the Post Office
now gathered up their
wounded leader
James Connolly,
and
withdrew to
King's Street
near the "Four Courts,"
were the "final" battle was to be fought against a
5,000
British Military Force who had "armoured cars and artillery," but despite this
imbalace it was still
to be another
28 hours before the last
200
Irish defenders were to surrender.
April 29th - Saturday:
The British
Imperial
Military Forces' strength was by now up to
12,000,
(if they were needed,) and they continued to carry out an
"artillery bombardment" on the
"Four Courts"
at dawn, where only
8
of the Irish
defenders
were by now still "surviving"
there under the leadership of
Jack Shouldice
who sent
Patrick O Flanagan
out
to obtain more arms who was also soon "killed," so they left the building
there altogether,
and another
60
of the
Irish Volunteers then tried to retake it, but they were unsuccessful, and
feeling that the
Irish forces were
now out of
ammunition the
British Military Forces
made a "bayonet" charge, with disastrous results for both sides.
Father
Augustine,
who was taking care of all the "wounded" at
Father Mathew Hall in
Dublin,
asked for
permission to take the wounded to hospital, but was "refused permission" by the
British
Military commander there.
Patrick Holohan / Hoolahan
/ Ua
hUallachain, an
Irish Volunteer leader, was in charge of the
"Four Courts" area, so
Father
Augustine then
went to see him
instead at great personal risk to achieve a "cease fire," to take away the wounded and he
"agreed" and it was to last from
Saturday 7.30 p.m. until
Monday 10 a.m.
(The Irish
nurses during the conflict had been assisting the
Irish
defenders who were wounded.)
Patrick Pearse, the overall Irish
Republican / I.R.B. commander,
realised that they had all by now, done as much as they were all physically capable of
doing under the circumstances, to promote their cause for
Irish
Independence and
Irish Self - Determination
so he
sent
Elizabeth
O Farrell, who was one of the
Irish nurses, to the
British
Imperial Government's commander,
Brigadier General
Lowe,
to discuss "surrender terms," who
then demanded an "unconditional" surrender.
(Patrick Pearse was to tender their surrender at approximately
3.30 p.m. and
Elizabeth O Farrell,
who
was from the
"Cuman na mBan," then took his decision to all the various
Irish Volunteer
Brigade commanders, including
Eamonn de Valera who was in charge at
"Boland's Flour Mill,"
who was not sure
whether it was genuine or not, as it had not been countersigned by
Thomas Mac Donagh,
who was the overall
Irish Volunteer Brigade
commander in
Dublin.
Both
James Connolly
and
Thomas Mac Donagh
shortly thereafter issued "orders" to the
Irish Volunteer
Brigades to surrender, and the staid
Eamonn de Valera was then to be the "last" of the
Irish commanders to surrender.