Charles Townshend, ‘Easter 1916: The Irish Rebellion

The Easter Rising marked the beginning of a new era of Irish nationalism. During that rebellion a small number of mainly young people rose up against the English government. Their purpose was to establish an Irish Republic. However, this revolt was doomed from the start. The rebellion had little impact outside Dublin except for a few counties, one of which was Co. Galway. Even here it was a small rebellion. Irish people observed this revolt as a youth act of defiance. Most important was the view of the rebellion as a German plot. They believed that German planned the Rising as first step of a German invasion of the island. The next pages we will discuss the Rising in Galway in reference to the Dublin, although of the people towards the rebellion impact the Rising. Also, the impact of the Rising on the Irish Party will be addressed. The origins of the Easter Rising The aim of the men who participated in the Eastern Rising not only was to proclaim an Irish Republic. According to Michael Laffan the majority of the conspirators were young people planning for a successful revolt. Nevertheless, their main concern was to make a heroic and principal gesture, to rescue the remnants of Ireland's tarnished honour, to end the country's passivity and its submissive acceptance of British rule. 1

2016

A look at the conflict between history and commemoration in the context of the 1916 Rising in Ireland, with particular reference to the 'republican socialist' tradition.

The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism, 2019

This entry focuses on the Easter Rising in Ireland (1916), its causes, and its impact nationally and internationally. As such, this is a study of the development of resistance to British colonial rule in Ireland, the beginnings of Irish republicanism, its challenges to existing power structures such as the Catholic Church, the landowning, and emerging capitalist class and the British Empire, and the resulting tensions and conflicts which emerged within the Irish population and between it and British political and strategic interests. It also discusses the legacy of the Rising and its aftermath in relation to Ireland’s place within the world, the continuing uncertainty and unresolved issues around conflict, and peace within Ireland and Anglo-Irish relations today.

The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland in 1916, mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire, including many Irishmen, were heavily engaged in the First World War. Organised by the military wing of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, with significant contribution from Patrick Pearse of the Irish Volunteers and James Connolly of the Irish Citizen Army, the Rising lasted from the 24th April, Easter Monday, to 30 April 1916. The rebels managed to seize key locations in Dublin, and optimistically declared an independent Irish Republic . The Rising was suppressed after seven days of fighting and its leaders were court martialled and executed, but the rebellion succeeded in bringing confrontational republicanism back to the forefront of Irish minds.

The Easter Rising in Ireland in 1916 -- with the declaration of an IRISH REPUBLIC in Dublin, independence from Great Britain, then the world's largest Empire and in the midst of war with Germany -- was a truly extraordinary event. The article presents ideas and links for introducing and teaching the Easter Rising in the Bulgarian EFL classroom, especially with a comparative focus on parallels in Irish and Bulgarian national history, and links to its centennial recently in the Irish Republic. The Easter Rising in April 1916 has its counterpart in the Bulgarian Rising in April 1876 against Ottoman rule, almost exactly 40 years to the day earlier, its 140th anniversary recently commemorated across Bulgaria.

Ó hAdhmaill F. (2019) The Easter Rising (1916) in Ireland and its Historical Context: The Campaign for an Irish Democracy. In: Ness I., Cope Z. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism. Palgrave Macmillan, ChamSocial Science Research Network, 2019

This entry in the The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism focuses on the Easter Rising in Ireland (1916), its causes, and its impact nationally and internationally. As such, this is a study of the development of resistance to British colonial rule in Ireland, the beginnings of Irish republicanism, its challenges to existing power structures such as the Catholic Church, the landowning, and emerging capitalist class and the British Empire, and the resulting tensions and conflicts which emerged within the Irish population and between it and British political and strategic interests. It also discusses the legacy of the Rising and its aftermath in relation to Ireland’s place within the world, the continuing uncertainty and unresolved issues around conflict, and peace within Ireland and Anglo-Irish relations today.

This article was written for the Irish military history magazine 'Reveille' in a special commemorative issue published for the Centenary of the Easter Rising in 2016.