Eamon Martin (Irish republican)

Eamon Martin was an Irish Republican who fought in the Easter Rising and chief of staff of Fianna Eireann.

Biography

He was a founding member of Na Fianna Eireann in 1909, In August 1915 he became director of organization and recruiting and commandant of the Dublin Battalion, he held these positions until Easter 1916. From 1916 to 1920 he was chief of staff of the organization. He was also a member of the Irish Volunteers Executive council, representing Fianna Eireann.

In 1914 he was involved in the Kilcoole gun-running and the Howth gun-running

On Easter Monday, the first day of the rising he and a group of about 30 soldiers attacked the Magazine Fort in Phoenix Park. They disarmed the guards and took guns and ammunition, they intended to blow up the fort, which would signal the start of the rising but the type of explosives inside the fort were not what they expected. Later on in the rising he was involved in the attempt to occupy Broadstone railway station. As they approached the station Martin was shot, he was taken to Richmond hospital, it was discovered that the bullet had passed through his arm, into his chest and out through his lung and back.

After the rising he was commandant of a special Fianna Eireann commando, with the purpose of resisting army conscription during World War I.

Legacy

His great grandson, Eamon Murphy is an amateur historian. He has a blog titled "The History of Na Fianna Eireann" and is currently writing a book on Eamon Martin's life.