1916 Worksheet - Collins Barracks

The 1916 Rising
Military Organisations
In 1913, James Connolly formed the Irish Citizen Army in Dublin to protect men on strike from
police brutality and to work towards a socialist republic. In the same year, another nationalist
force, the Irish Volunteers, was formed in Dublin in response to the Ulster Volunteers, who were
against Home Rule. Many members of the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood, also called Fenians)
joined the Irish Volunteers. Britain
tolerated the formation of these
armies, perhaps hoping they would
never really fight, or at least that they
would be ready to fight for England.
In 1914 World War I began. The

British Government decided to
postpone Home Rule for Ireland. The
Irish Parliamentary Party encouraged
Irishmen to join the British Army and
200,000 did so, especially because
many were poor and they would
appreciate a soldiers pay. However,
militant republicans were angry
about the postponement of Home
Rule and they decided it was time to
fight for an independent Ireland.
They said, Britains misfortune is our
opportunity, and Burn everything British except their coal.
Discussion: Why do you think there were many dierent military organisations in Ireland? If they all
wanted independence, why did they need dierent ones?
Not Enough Guns
Many of the Irish Volunteers trained with

hurleys (the sticks used to play the traditional
Irish sport hurling) due to the lack of guns.
Eventually 1,500 rifles (old Mausers, bought in
Germany) were brought into Howth and
Wicklow on sailing boats. The most famous
one is the Asgard, in the picture you can see
Molly Childers (the wife of the boats owner)
and Mary Spring-Rice on board the Asgard
bringing guns in to Ireland.
Unfortunately for the rebels, another attempt

to import arms failed: a German ship, the Aud,
loaded with rifles and machine guns was captured o the coast of Kerry and the captain sank the
boat on purpose. This meant that the members of the Irish Volunteers still didnt have enough
guns.
Discussion: Do you think the volunteers should have cancelled the revolution because they didnt
have enough guns? What could they have used instead of guns?
The 1916 Rising
Bad Planning
The Rising was first planned for Easter Sunday, then cancelled, then ordered for Easter
Monday. In Limerick, Cork and other towns the orders were misunderstood which meant
that only in Dublin was there a serious attempt at rebellion. On 24th April, around 1,600
republicans, 250 of Connollys men and the rest Irish
Volunteers, captured the GPO (General Post Oce) and
other buildings in Dublin. They failed to capture Dublin
Castle. Pdraig Pearse, a poet and a teacher, was the
Commander-in-chief of the operation and he read the
Proclamation of the Republic outside the GPO.
At first the English military didnt react to the Rising,

mainly because that Monday was a public holiday so
there werent enough police or soldiers available.
Eventually the British Government sent in the army with
big guns and tanks. A gunship, The Helga, fired from
the Liey and damaged buildings along the river,
including Liberty Hall. Many buildings in the area were
destroyed by fires. After 5 days of fighting the GPO was
on fire and the republicans surrendered. In total, 64
rebels, 142 British soldiers and police, and 254 civilians
were killed during the Rising.
Execution
Only days after the Rising, 15 of the leaders were executed in Kilmainham Gaol. One of
them, James Connolly, was so badly hurt that he couldnt walk to the execution yard. The
British tied him to a chair and shot him sitting down. These events became a catalyst for
the independence movement - people were shocked
by the executions and their shock turned to anger
with the British.
In 1917 the British government granted an amnesty to

anyone who had taken part in the Rising. There was a
general election in 1918. The Sinn Fein party, which
was founded in 1903 as an independence party, won
a large majority of the Irish votes. Sinn Fein refused to
take their seats in the parliament in London (a
tradition that their northern politicians continue until
today) and they formed their own parliament in Ireland
- Dil ireann. From 1919 there were two
governments in Ireland: the British and Sinn Fin.
Both had their own legal and court systems, and both
collected taxes.
Discussion: Do you think the British reaction to the Rising was too extreme? Do you think they
made a mistake when they executed the leaders of the Rising?

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The 1916 Rising

In 1914 World War I began. The

Not Enough Guns

Many of the Irish Volunteers trained with

Unfortunately for the rebels, another attempt

The 1916 Rising

At first the English military didnt react to the Rising,

In 1917 the British government granted an amnesty to

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