Conditions were not right in Ireland in 1916 for throwing off British rule. A good number of potential soldiers had been mobilized, but many went of to fight in World War I. Similarly key organizers and a vital weapon shipment were both captured by the Brits. This prompted the nominal leader of the would-be revolution to call off “maneuvers” for that day in a newspaper that also made mention of the recent setbacks. This was probably the right call, generally speaking human nature errs against changing plans even when condition on the ground change so it’s hard to cut your losses.
Ultimately though the attempted at revolution happened anyways. A disparate group of Irish leaders came together and captured the Dublin Post office and were able to hold it against an initial onslaught of cavalry. Ultimately the British just sent a warship up the river Liffey and shelled the rebels from a distance. The leaders were captured and taken to Kilmainham Gaol which has quite an imposing edifice and is commonly used in films, including the original Italian job. As a practical tourist note, don’t try to take the Luas light rail line to the gaol unless you’re of a mood for a walk. It looks close on some of the tourist maps, but that is a result of inconsistent scale. Better to take the bus.
In any event, support for independence wasn’t that strong at the time of the revolution attempt, that changed when the leaders were executed. Adding insult to leg injury radical labor leader James Connolly could not stand up and so was executed via firing squad while tied to a chair. The executions were largely limited to key leaders as a result of public outcry, but by then the seeds of successful revolution were already sown. However, one thing our guide mentioned was that, with the exception of good exhibits at Kilmainham Gaol and a few other places, the Irish civil war that followed the treaty with Great Britain doesn’t tend to be as widely discussed. Score more people were executed in that conflict than were after the 1916 revolution, although in fairness the casualties were nothing like that of the potato famine which could be fairly blamed on the occupying power at the time.
I think I’ll read up on the civil war when I get the chance, I have a feeling it will be instructive regarding some modern conflicts.
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