Latest / The History of Ireland: Rebellion, Empire, and Independence — Fexingo History / The Easter Rising: Dublin's 1916 Rebellion and its Aftermath
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've covered a lot of ground in this series — the Famine, the Land War, the 1798 rebellion, the United Irishmen. But there's one event that really changed everything in the 20th century, and that's the Easter Rising of 1916. Luna: That's the one where they took over the Post Office in Dublin, right? Lucas: Exactly. On Easter Monday, April 24, 1916, about 1,200 men and women from the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army seized key buildings across Dublin. Their headquarters was the General Post Office on O'Connell Street. And from the steps of the GPO, Patrick Pearse read out the Proclamation of the Republic, declaring Ireland's independence from Britain. Luna: And that was a huge deal — but I remember reading that at first, most Dubliners weren't really on their side. Lucas: That's right. The Rising was actually quite unpopular at first. Many Dubliners were angry about the disruption and destruction. The British had about 20,000 troops in the city, and they brought in artillery, even a gunboat called the Helga that shelled the city from the River Liffey. After a week of fighting, the rebels surrendered. Fifteen of their leaders were executed by firing squad in Kilmainham Gaol, and one more, Roger Casement, was hanged in London. Luna: Fifteen executions — that seems like it would backfire. Lucas: It did. The executions turned public opinion dramatically. People saw Patrick Pearse, James Connolly — who was so wounded he had to be tied to a chair to be shot — and the others as martyrs. And that's when support for Irish independence really began to swell. It directly led to the War of Independence just a few years later. Luna: It's interesting how a failed rebellion can be more powerful than a successful one, in a way. Lucas: Absolutely. And you know, it's a bit like how this show exists because of listeners like you who support it. If you've been enjoying our deep dives into Irish history, from the Flight of the Earls to the Easter Rising, we'd love it if you could buy us a coffee to keep the show ad-free. That's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, every bit helps us keep researching and sharing these stories. Lucas: So the Rising was planned by the Irish Republican Brotherhood, a secret society that had been around since the 1850s. They brought in the Irish Volunteers — who had been formed in 1913 to support Home Rule — and the Irish Citizen Army, led by James Connolly, a socialist. The military council included Pearse, Connolly, Thomas MacDonagh, Joseph Plunkett, and Seán MacDermott. They were all executed. Luna: What about Éamon de Valera? I know he wasn't executed. Lucas: Right. De Valera commanded a battalion at Boland's Mill. He was sentenced to death but reprieved, partly because of his American citizenship. He went on to become a major figure in Irish politics. Another notable participant was Countess Markievicz, who fought in St Stephen's Green. She was sentenced to death too, but commuted because she was a woman. Luna: And the Proclamation — it's a really important document, isn't it? Lucas: It is. It proclaimed a republic with guarantees of religious and civil liberty, equal rights, and equal opportunities for all citizens. It's interesting that it addressed 'Irishmen and Irishwomen' — quite progressive for its time. The Proclamation was read by Pearse outside the GPO, and copies were distributed. It's still read aloud every year at Easter commemorations. Luna: So the British response was really harsh — not just the executions, but mass arrests. Lucas: Yes. Over 3,000 people were arrested, and about 1,800 were interned in camps in England and Wales. This included many who weren't even involved in the Rising. The British also imposed martial law. But the real turning point came when the executions began. At first, they executed the leaders one by one over several days. They stopped after fifteen, but the damage was done. Luna: It's like they created the very thing they were trying to suppress. Lucas: Exactly. Before the Rising, the Irish Parliamentary Party had been winning Home Rule through constitutional means. But after the executions, support shifted to Sinn Féin, a republican party that had not even been directly involved in the Rising. In the 1918 general election, Sinn Féin won 73 seats, and they set up their own parliament in Dublin, Dáil Éireann. That led directly to the War of Independence. Luna: So the Easter Rising is really the birth of modern Irish republicanism. Lucas: In many ways, yes. It was a military failure but a political success. The leaders knew they would probably die, but they believed their sacrifice would inspire others. And it did. The Rising also had international dimensions: Roger Casement had tried to get German weapons, but the ship, the Aud, was scuttled. And the British execution of Casement, who had been a respected diplomat, caused outrage. Luna: What about the ordinary people in Dublin? How did they experience that week? Lucas: It was terrifying. The fighting was street to street. The British used artillery, and the rebels were outgunned. Many civilians were caught in the crossfire. About 260 civilians were killed, and over 2,000 were wounded. The city centre was devastated. Food ran short. There's a famous story of a woman named Mrs. O'Leary who ran a shop near the GPO and was killed by a stray bullet. It was chaos. Luna: And the British army used the gunboat Helga to shell the city, you said. Lucas: Yes. The Helga came up the Liffey and fired on the GPO and other rebel positions. That was the first time a British warship had bombarded a British city. It really shocked people. The shelling set fire to much of O'Connell Street. The rebels had to evacuate the GPO, and they moved to nearby Moore Street. That's where they finally surrendered. Luna: I've heard about the surrender — Pearse gave the order to avoid more civilian deaths. Lucas: Exactly. Pearse issued the order to surrender on April 29, saying 'to prevent the further slaughter of Dublin citizens, and in the hope of saving the lives of our followers now surrounded by a vastly superior force, the members of the Provisional Government have agreed to an unconditional surrender.' It was a very dignified statement. Luna: And then came the trials and executions. Lucas: The trials were held in secret, by court martial. The leaders were executed by firing squad at Kilmainham Gaol. James Connolly was so badly wounded that he had to be carried to the execution yard on a stretcher, then propped up in a chair to be shot. Pearse was executed on May 3, Connolly on May 12. The last of the sixteen executed was Roger Casement, hanged in London on August 3. Luna: It's hard to imagine the impact of seeing those men shot one by one. Luna: So the Easter Rising is really the catalyst for everything that followed. Lucas: It is. And it's worth remembering that the Rising itself was not just about Dublin. There were actions in other parts of Ireland, like in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, where rebels took over the town for a few days. But the main event was in Dublin. And the legacy is still felt today, in the annual commemorations, in the Proclamation's ideals, and in the ongoing debates about Irish identity and sovereignty. Luna: I think that's a good place to leave it — a moment that changed everything. Lucas: It really did. From the GPO to the Dáil, it's one of those hinge points in history. And we'll explore more of that story in future episodes.