Known as one of the most controversial events in modern British history, rebel groups gathered for the Easter Rising of 1916 in an attempt to overthrow British rule and set up the Republic of Ireland. As the most significant uprising in Ireland since the 1798 rebellion, it was brutally squashed and resulted in at least 450 deaths, and more than 2,600 wounded – with both sides affected. Soon after, in a very controversial move, the British government executed sixteen of its leaders in May 1916.
Its legacy endured though, and this is where the conflict lies. As Lacquer once wrote, “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” and even today, historians and politicians debate the importance and legitimacy of the Easter Rising.
Nationalists, many of whom were Catholic, were the majority across Ireland and believed the country would be better off having its own government, seeking independence from the UK. However, many others, known as unionists, who were Protestants, particularly centred in the northeast of the country, protested against it. Unionists feared they would become a minority in a mainly Catholic Ireland. Atrocities were undeniably committed by both sides.
Events leading up to the 1916 Irish Easter Rising
In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Ireland became part of the UK, annexed to Great Britain to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. However, from fairly early on, many Irish nationalists who opposed the union and believed they lacked adequate political representation and were unhappy with how the government handled Irish issues such as the Great Irish Famine from 1845 to 1849.
By 1885, the UK Prime Minister proposed giving Ireland Home Rule, allowing them the power to make their own laws but remain part of the UK. While popular among Nationalists, Unionists (typically Protestant) were worried about being ruled by a Catholic-majority government and continued to oppose the move, with different factions forming to support each side.
By 1914, Ireland appeared to be on the brink of a Civil War. However, that same year, the UK government passed the Home Rule Act. But, with the outbreak of World War One, the UK government suspended the legislation to focus on unity during the war, deferring Home Rule for one year, with the power to suspend it until the war ended.
How Events Unfolded Between 24-29 April 1916
Realising the British were focused on their efforts fighting Germany in World War One, the Supreme Council of the Irish Republican Brotherhood decided it would be a perfect time to stage an uprising. Joining together with other nationalists, they debated the timing of the plan – while most agreed with the idea of a rising in principle, some felt a rising should only occur if the British government attempted to suppress nationalists or tried to introduce conscription in Ireland. Eventually, together, several nationalist groups agreed they would launch a rising at Easter regardless.
On 24 April 1916, Easter Monday, the President of the Provisional Government of the Irish Republic (Pádraig Pearse) read a proclamation declaring the establishment of a republic outside Dublin’s General Post Office. This event marked the beginning of the Easter Rising, mostly confined to Dublin.
At first, the authorities had only 400 troops to confront over 1,000 insurgents and the number of rebels expected by the British onslaught did not materialise. This was partly because there was confusion just before the Rising started, with some groups outside Dublin believing it had been called off. However, as the week progressed, the fighting grew more intense and several prolonged street battles followed. By Friday, 28 April 1916, between 18,000 and 20,000 soldiers fought against 1,600 rebels. The following day, Pearse and the rebels surrendered. Overall, during the week, at least 450 people died and 2,600+ were injured.
The Legacy of the 1916 Irish Easter Rising
Short-term Consequences
General John Maxwell, a British Army Officer, swiftly arrested those he believed responsible for the rising. In total, he arrested 3,530 men and 79 women and a series of courts-martial began on 2 May. As a result, courts sentenced 90 of these individuals to death, including all those who signed the Proclamation. Over a period of two weeks, a firing squad executed 14 of them at Kilmainham Gaol, and two others, Roger Casement, executed in London, and Thomas Kent in Cork. About 1,800 were sent to interment camps or prisons in Britain.
Although the rebel forces did not win, and there was a lack of overwhelming support for the Rising at the time they planned it, when it comes to political implications, the Easter Rising went as hoped. The brutal government-backed suppression of rebel forces destroyed their credibility and exposed the oppressive nature of British rule, undermining the plan for Home Rule altogether. The events of Easter 1916, including the brutal executions afterwards, transformed public opinion. Within a year and a half, republicanism became the most important movement in Ireland.
Long-term Consequences
Since the 1880s the Irish public had supported the Irish Parliamentary Party, a political organisation that aimed to gain Home Rule for Ireland. However, Sinn Féin’s aim of a republic grew more attractive after the events of 1916. In December 1918, when the British Parliament held their next elections, Sinn Féin won an overwhelming majority in Ireland. However, instead of representing Ireland in the British Parliament, they announced the establishment of a new Irish government in Dublin.
In Dublin, on 21 January 1919, Sinn Féin’s elected politicians proclaimed Irish independence and established Dáil Éireann, a new Irish parliament. Together, they set about deciding upon a Prime Minister, establishing a new government, a police force, and a court system.
On that same day, two members of the Irish Volunteers, later known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA), killed two members of the Royal Irish Constabulary, the existing police force backed by the British Government. While the new government did not order this attack, because the Irish Volunteers gave their support to the Dáil, many saw them as the army of the new Irish Republic.
The events of 21 January 1919, inspired by the 1916 Irish Easter Rising, led to the Irish War of Independence, also called the Anglo-Irish War. During this two-year war the rebels used guerrilla tactics to disrupt the British administration. The war ended in 1921 when leaders from Sinn Féin and the British government agreed to peace and established the Irish ‘Free State.’
This legislation acknowledged Ireland’s right to have its own government, ending British rule. However, the UK monarch retained some authority in the new Free State. Importantly, it also split Ireland into two with a newly created border where parts of the country in the North, where the majority were Unionists, remained in the UK but with its own self-government.
Not everyone in the Dáil was happy with this agreement and a civil war broke out among those who supported the Treaty and those against it. Eventually, those in favor of it won with support from the British Government. It wasn’t until 1937 though, when the Irish Free State became known as Éire, that they removed most links to British rule.
In 1949, the Dáil officially established the Republic of Ireland, ending Ireland’s status as a British dominion. In 1973, the Republic of Ireland joined the European Union.
The decision to split the country in two remains a controversial move – between the late 1960s and late 1990s, a period of conflict broke out in Northern Ireland, known as ‘The Troubles’ between Unionist and Nationalist groups.
That conflict ended, almost entirely, with the signing of The Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, so named as it was signed on Good Friday, 10 April 1998. It’s made up of two closely related agreements, the British-Irish Agreement and the Multi-Party Agreement. It led to the establishment of a system of devolved government in Northern Ireland and the creation of many new institutions such as the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive, the North South Ministerial Council and the British-Irish Council.
The Good Friday Agreement (GFA) was overwhelmingly approved by referendums held in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland on 22 May 1998. Holding a poll on removing the border, in other words undoing partition, forms part of the GFA. It is the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who will decide when that poll will be organised.
Tensions between the nationalists and unionists persist in Northern Ireland, mostly without resorting to physical violence, exacerbated by Brexit when the majority voted to remain in the EU and only the unionist political parties campaigned to leave. The future of Northern Ireland remains to be seen but you can follow updates in the media today to keep an eye on what’s happening.
Sites to Visit
In Dublin:
- Kilmainham Gaol – The place where a number of rebels were executed.
- General Post Office – HQ of 1916 Rising
- Four Courts – Nearly destroyed during 1916 Rising, you can still see bullet holes outside it today.
- Garden of Remembrance – In the heart of the city, the Garden of Remembrance commemorates those who gave their lives in the pursuit of Irish Freedom.
- Arbour Hill Cemetery – Resting place of the 14 people executed following 1916 Rising.
- Glasnevin Cemetery – The burial site of a number of key figures in the Rising.
- National Museum of Ireland in Collins Barracks – Depends on the exhibits at the time, they may be hosting one on the 1916 Rising.
- Pearse Museum & St Enda’s Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin – site of school where leader Padraig Pearse established school
- 1916 Walking Tour – Lorcan Collins, author, historian and podcaster takes you to the relevant sites as the complexities of Irish history are explained in an accessible and concise fashion. Book online: www.1916rising.com
Film & TV
- The Rising: 1916 (Directed Kevin McCann)
- 1916 The Irish Rebellion (Directed by Ruan Magan)
- RTÉ Centenary Concert 2016 – produced by Ireland’s national broadcaster to mark the 100-year anniversary, directed by Cillian Fennell, watch on youtube.
Radio & Podcasts
- Series of radio documentaries on Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ – www.1916.rte.ie
- Hundreds of programmes on Irish history, including 1916 – www.irishhistorypodcast.ie
Author: jonathan
Jonathan is the publisher of Irishtopia.net, Anglotopia.net, and Londontopia.net. He's passionate about travel and learning about other cultures. He's been to Ireland several times, and uses his travel expertise for Irishtopia!
