User:MFIreland/Easter Rising

Build-up to Easter Week

On St. Patrick's Day, Friday, 17th March 1916 the Dublin and Cork Battalions of the Irish Volunteers held a field day in both Dublin and Cork cities. In Dublin the different sections paraded in the morning at various city churches, and later the whole force assembled in College Green in the centre of the city, where they marched past Eoin MacNeill. Most of the Volunteers carried rifles and bayonets, and whose numbers on were estimated at 2,000. While the inspection was in progress the pipe bands of the 2nd and 3rd Dublin Battalions discoursed music, and among the large crowd of spectators leaflets were distributed containing "Twenty plain facts for Irishmen". This demonstration in the centre of Dublin on St Patrick's Day was the first time the Irish Volunteers had taken aggressive action in daylight, but on several occasions previously they had conducted night manoeuvres and practised street fighting in open spaces, and one night their operations consisted of manoeuvring around the entrances to Dublin Castle. The police on each occasion were eye-witnesses of the operations, but did not interfere with the movement of the Volunteers.

The affray at Tullamore

In Tullamore, King's County (modern day County Offaly) at a hurling match on Sunday, 19th March 1916, an attempted was made to remove a flag from an Irish Volunteer, who retaliated by drawing a revolver. The following morning, Monday, 20th March, at Tullamore Railway Station, a body of Volunteers on the platform held a demonstration at members of the Leinster Regiment. That same evening at a Sinn Fein Hall in William street a number of people carrying a Union Jack singing songs in front of the hall stated throwing stones and the windows of the hall were smashed. The volunteers inside retaliated by firing revolvers. A large force of RIC proceeded to search the hall for arms. Revolvers were fired at the RIC and several of them injured. Several men were arrested and charged the next morning with having fired at the RIC. (Courts-martial).

The Mansion House Meeting

On Thursday, 30th March 1916, at the Mansion House, in Dublin, a meeting was held, under the presidency of Alderman Corrigan, for the purpose of protesting against an order for the deportation of organisers of the Irish Volunteers. The principal speakers were Eoin MacNeill and two Roman Catholic clergymen. A resolution was adopted saying, "This public meeting of Dublin citizens in the Mansion House, Dublin, asks all Irish people to join in opposing the Government's attempt, unanimously condemned by national opinion last year, and now renewed; to send Irishmen into banishment from Ireland." After the meeting, a number of people marched through the streets, and revolver shots were fired in Grafton street, and opposite the Provost's house at Trinity College. One of the revolver shots pierced a pocket in the overcoat of a DMP Inspector. The following night, March 31st a public meeting at Beresford place, in Dublin presided over by Alderman T. Kelly, endorsed the resolution passed at the Mansion House meeting the previous night. Francis Sheehy-Skeffington was one of the speakers at the Beresford place meeting.

Seizure of Arms

On Sunday, 9th April 1916, the DMP seized a car in College Green, and found it contained a quantity of shot guns, revolvers, bayonets, and ammunition, which was being conveyed to Wexford. Two men in the car, who were identified as Irish Volunteers from Ferns, were afterwards sentenced to three months imprisonment. The same day a parade of the Irish Volunteers took place through the streets of Dublin away of protest against the deportion to England of Ernest Blythe and William Mellowes. About 1,300 took part in the proceedings. When the procession was passing through St Stephen's Green a tram driver attempted to take his tram through between two companies. A cyclist in Volunteer uniform placed his bicycle in front of the tram, placed his hand on his revolver and dared the driver to proceed. The tram driver at once stopped until the whole precision had passed.

Mr Justice Kenny's Remarks

On the following Tuesday, April 11th 1916, in the House of Commons the same day, Augustine Birrell, Chief Secretary, replying to Major Newman, said that it would be contrary to public interest to disclose the information in possession of the Irish Government concerning the Irish Volunteers, or the Course of action proposed to he followed in dealing with them. The activities of this organisation, however, were receiving the closest attention.

A Bogus Secret Order

A meeting of the Dublin Corporation on Wednesday, 19th April 1916 during a discussion of the police rate Alderman T Kelly read the following, document, which, he said had been furnished by Mr. Little, editor of New Ireland "The following precautionary measures have been sanctioned by tho Irish Office on the recomendation that on of the General Officer Commanding the Forces in Ireland. All preparations will be made to put these measures in force immediately on receipt of an Order issued from the Chief Secretary's Office, Dublin Castle, and signed by the Under Secretary and the General Officer Commanding the Forces in Ireland. First, the following persons to be placed under arrest; All members of the Sinn Fein National Council, the Central Executive Irish Sinn Fein Volunteers, General Council Irish Sinn Fein Volunteers, county Board Irish Sinn Fein Volunteers, Executive Committee National Volunteers, Coisde Gnota Committee Gaelic League. See list A3 and 4 and supplementary list A2. Metropolitan Police and Royal Irish Constabulary forces in Dublin City will be confined to barracks under the direction of the Competent Military Authority. An order will be issued to inhabitants of city to remain in their houses until such time as the Competent Military Authority may otherwise direct or permit. Pickets chosen from units of Territorial Forces will be placed at all points marked on Maps 3 and 4. Accompanying mounted patrols will continuously visit all points and report every hour. The following premises will be occupied by adequate forces, and all necessary measures used without need of reference to Headquarters. First, premises known as Liberty Hall, Beresford place No. 6 Harcourt street, Sinn Fein Building No. 2 Dawson street, Headquarters Volunteers No. 12 D'Olier street, "Nationality" office No. 25 Rutland square, Gaelic League Office No. 41 Rutland square, Foresters' Hall, Sinn Fein Volunteer premises in city, all National Volunteer premises in the city, Trades Council Premises Capel street, Surrrey House Leinster road Rathmines. THE FOLLOWING PREMISES WILL BE ISOLATED, AND AIL COMMUNICATION TO ARE FROM PREVENTED, PREMISES KNOWN AS ARCHBISHOP'S HOUSE DRUMCONDRA, MANSION HOUSE DAWSON STREET, No. 40 Herbert Park, Larkfield Kimmage road, Woodtown Park, Ballyboden, Saint Enda's College, Hermitage Rathfarnham and in addition premises in list 5 D, see Maps 3 and 4." Alderman Kelly said he took the responsibility of reading the document in discharge of his public duty.

"An Absolute Fabrication"

The military authorities in Dublin the same night stated that the document read by Alderman Kelly at the Corporation meeting was "an absolute fabrication from beginning to end, and does not contain a word of truth."

German Attempt to land Arms

On Saturday 22nd April, it was reported from Tralee that a collapsible boat with ammunition and three mysterious strangers had come ashore in that district, and that the Sinn Fein Volunteers had been specially mobilised the previous evening. Two arrests, which caused a considerable sensation in the town, were made the same night. News was also received from Tralee of a mysterious motor car which had taken a wrong turning and dashed over BaLlykissane quay into the River Laune. The chauffeur escaped, but three passengers in the car were drowned. The bodies of two of the passengers were recovered on Saturday evening, 22nd April, and on them was found revolvers and ammunition and Sinn Fein badges. These events were associated in the public mind with the following announcement, which was made by the Press Bureau but not until Monday evening, 24th April, at 10.25 p.m.:— "Capture of Sir Roger Casment The Secretary of the Admiralty announces- During the period between p.m. April 20 and p.m. April 21 an attempt to land arms and ammunition in Ireland was made by a vessel under the guise of a neutral merchant ship, but in reality a German auxiliary, in conjunction with a German submarine. The auxiliary sank, and a number of prisoners were made, amongst whom was Sir Roger Casement."

Manoevres Cancelled

It was known that the Sinn Fein VoLunteers were to hold Easter manoeuvres, which were to be taken part in by all the branches of the organisation in Ireland. These were unexpectedly cancelled in the following announcement signed by Mr. Eoin MacNeill on Saturday night, 22nd April, and published in the Sunday papers the following morning:— "Owing to the very critical position, all orders given to Irish Volunteers for tomorrow Easter Sunday, are hereby rescinded, and no parades, marches, or other movements of Irish Volunteers will take place. Each individual Vounteer will obey this order strictly in every particular." With this announcement Mr. MacNeill ceased to take any public part in the proceedings of the Volunteers.