The Easter Rising
1916

Cormac Cahill

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Table of Contents

Overview Video

Monday 24 April 1916

Background to the Rising

Tuesday 25 April 1916

1913 Lockout

Wednesday 26 April 1916

Irish Citizen Army

Thursday 27 April 1916

The UVF and Irish Volunteers

News Coverage

Irish Republican Brotherhood

Friday 28 April 1916

Plans for a Rising

Saturday 29 April 1916

Final Preparations

Aftermath

Video Footage

The Rising in Cork

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Table of Contents

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Stories from the Rising

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Francis Sheehy Skeffington

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The Worlds first Radio Broadcast

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Olympic Cyclists and The Easter Rising

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A Ceasefire for the Ducks

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Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford

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From Dublin to Hollywood

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Michael Collins-The Big Fella

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Table of Contents

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The Leaders of the Rising

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Other Executions

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Pádraig Pearse

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Roger Casement

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Thomas Clarke

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Con Colbert

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James Connolly

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Edward Daly

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Thomas McDonagh

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Seán Heuston

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Seán Mac Diarmada

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John MacBride

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Eamonn Ceannt

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Michael Mallin

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Joseph Plunkett

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Michael O'Hanrahan

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Women of the Rising

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William Pearse

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Countess Constance Markievicz

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Thomas Kent

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Nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell

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Dr Kathleen Lynn

The Easter Rising

Background to the Rising

In 1916 Ireland was part of the British Empire and the Union Jack flag flew from public buildings. Post boxes were painted red and many Irishmen joined the British army to serve in places as far away as India.

But there were many in Ireland who began to believe that Ireland was a country in its own right and should not be ruled from London. There was a growing interest in Ireland at the time for Irish culture, literature and sport.

There were also many people in Ireland who felt that we should remain part of the United kingdom but that we should be allowed to make our own laws. This was called Home Rule. In the North East of Ireland, a group known as Unionists did not want this and wanted to remain completely within the United Kingdom with its parliament in Westminster. At the time, however, the government in London needed the votes of the Irish members of parliament and so they agreed that Home Rule should be provided to Ireland. But then World War I started and Home Rule was removed and all decisions about Ireland were made in London.

The 1913 Lockout

Born in Liverpool to Irish parents Jim Larkin founded the Irish Transport and General Workers Union in Dublin to look after the interests of workers in Ireland. In the run up to 1913 Larkin along with James Connolly organised a series of strikes. This led to a great deal of disorder in Dublin and many of the cities employers had begun to tire of Larkin and his Union. Things came to a head in August 1913.

Big Jim Larkin

In the summer of 1913 employers in Dublin decided not to employ any man who was a member of Larkins Union, the ITGWU. Larkin reacted by calling a general strike which began on 26 August 1913. 700 tramway men walked off their trams leaving them scattered throughout the city. The employers reacted by locking their businesses to the workers. In total approximately 20,000 workers were involved.

Larkin called for a meeting on O'Connell Street for the Sunday 31 August. The police banned the meeting but Larkin, wearing a disguise spoke to the crowd from the balcony of the Imperial Hotel. The police stormed the hotel and arrested Larkin. They also baton charged the crowd killing 2 and injuring hundreds more. The day became known as Bloody Sunday.

The Lockout lasted until the early months of 1914. By this time many people were short of food and fuel. Soup kitchens were set up to feed the workers and many people in Britain sent supplies to keep people fed. By the end of January 1914 many workers had returned to their jobs. They had been starved into submission. In October 1914 Larkin travelled to the United States to raise money. James Connolly became the day to day leader of the ITGWU.