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Articles, photos and video of the before and after of the Easter Rising
CHAPTER 1GLOBAL CONTEXT OF THE 1916 RISING
Besides centuries of imposed imperialist rule the principal international context within which the events of Ireland’s 1916 Rising should be seen is provided by the Great War. This section introduces the early years of the War from 1914-1916 as a bloody backdrop to the Rising in Ireland.
CHAPTER 2IRELAND PRIOR TO 1916
The domestic mood in Ireland prior to 1916 was inextricably linked to the Great War being fought in Europe. While initial support had been evident across most of nationalist and all of unionist Ireland, it fell rapidly when people realised it would not be over by Christmas 1914 as promised.
Little is known about the true plans for the Easter Rising; for those who were involved it was a top secret affair. They hoped that the Rising would finally end British rule and lead to the the creation of an Ireland where all people could be free to accomplish their potential regardless of their wealth, class or religion.
CHAPTER 4THE UPRISING ITSELF
On Easter Monday, April 24 1916, approximately 1,250 men and women from the Irish Volunteers, Irish Citizen Army and Cumann na mBan under the command of James Connolly and Padraig Pearse seized key locations in Dublin and proclaimed an Irish Republic.
CHAPTER 5THE AFTERMATH OF 1916 RISING
British reaction to the Easter Rising was unrelenting across the country. Despite the fact that rebel activity had largely been centred on Dublin, martial law was proclaimed and extended across Ireland.
CHAPTER 6THE IMMEDIATE POLITICAL LEGACY
The immediate political response to the Rising was a mixture of outright hostility from a range of sources – the government, certain sections of the Catholic hierarchy, unionists across the whole of Ireland, and the home rule constituency – and an ominous silence from others.