This day marked a watershed moment for the Republic of Ireland.
In 1916, as the pressure of WWI consumed Europe, the Irish Republican Brotherhood seized the advantage of Britain’s temporary distraction to advocate for their independence— by any means necessary.
On Easter Monday, April 24th, the rebels began their assault, taking control of buildings all over Dublin. The General Post Office became their central site, and the appointed leader, Patrick Pearce, stood before its doors and read the “Proclamation of the Irish Republic” out loud. It was his hope to inspire rebellion in all Irish citizens, using England’s centuries-old oppression as the reason for an independent Irish state.
England’s response was slow at first, given their occupation fighting in WW1. However, when news spread of the IRB’s rapidly growing influence, the British Army was sent in to quell the rebels. In addition to over 16,000 soldiers, they also installed cavalry and artillery units. Conversely, the Irish rebels were armed with a meager 1,500 men, homemade bombs and hunting rifles.
The streets quickly became battlegrounds: British troops fought against a combination of the Irish Citizens’ Army, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and other Irish volunteers. These numbers, when stacked against each other, were 10:1 in favor of the British. After six days of fighting, over 450 Irish were killed, with nearly all of the Irish leaders being arrested and summarily executed by the British government.
The Easter Rising would have a profound ripple effect on Ireland. Despite its apparent failure, it heavily inspired the creation of the Irish Republican Army, or IRA, which would become famous for its inexhaustible and frequently brutal tactics. From that, the Irish War of Independence was waged in 1919 and ended with the long-overdue Irish Free State in 1921.
Patrick Pearce, the man who first declared the uprising’s purpose, was executed by firing squad in London the following August on charges of high treason. Despite his tragic fate, many see him as an embodiment of both the rebellion itself and Ireland’s independent spirit.
In his final speech, a month before his execution, he said, “I have been all my life a teacher and a writer, and a student of Irish history. I have made myself a rebel because I believe that Ireland’s freedom was worth every sacrifice.”
