James Connolly (1868 - 1916)

SOREVOLUTIONARY.CIALIST AND IRISH

James Connolly the socialist and Irish revolutionary was born in June 1868. For a man so linked to Irish history, Connolly was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. The area he lived in was nicknamed ‘Little Ireland’ and was one of the city’s slum areas. His parents were originally from County Monaghan and their life in Edinburgh was hard. Connolly’s mother, Mary, died early as a result of the deprivation they faced. He had two brothers and no sisters.

James Connelly attended St. Patrick’s primary school until the age of ten when he left to become a printer’s devil, a bakery hand and a factory worker. The next big step in Connolly’s life was enlisting in the British army, in order to do that he lied about his age and falsified his name. Whilst in the army Connolly served in Ireland mainly around cork.

Here he witnessed how the Irish were treated not just by the army but also by the landlords who owned the land there. It was at this time that Connolly developed a hatred of landlords. It was also in the army he learned about Economics, History, Politics and Socialism. James became very interested in socialism and politics in general and after touring Scotland and America and Canada for his socialist party he came back to Ireland and became leader of the Independent Labour Party. James also set up the Workers republic union in1 1913 for workers rights.

In February 1915, "The Worker’s Republic" was banned by the authorities in Dublin Castle. In the same year, James Connolly was appointed acting General Secretary of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union. By now, Connolly had become very militant. He paraded units of the Irish Citizens Army in Dublin and such displays alarmed those who had left the Irish Volunteers and gone to the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). They felt that such displays would attract the attention of the authorities which they did not welcome as they were making plans towards a rebellion. In an effort to bring on board Connolly and to tame his more wild displays of militancy, the IRB took him into their confidence. Connolly was told about the planned rebellion for Easter 1916. After this, Connolly took an active part in the preparations and he was appointed Military Commander of the Republican Forces in Dublin, which encompassed the Irish Citizens Army.

When the rebellion started on Monday 24th April, James Connolly was one of the seven signatories to the Proclamation. Connolly was in charge of the General Post Office during the rebellion, which had been used for the H.Q. of the rising. During the fight, Connolly was hit by shrapnel, resulting in a smashed ankle, despite this he still fought to the best of his ability.

Connolly was the last of the fifteenth rebels to be executed, the killing of an injured man resulted in the population in an outrages state and James Connolly’s status as a patriotic martyr was immediately secured.

Joseph Mary Plunkett (1887 – 1916)

Early life:
Joseph Mary Plunkett was born in November 1887; he lived with his mother and father at 42 Upper Mount Street, Dublin. When he was young he became very ill with tuberculosis in 1911, so he spent part of his youth in the warmer climates of the Mediterranean and North Africa in the hope that it would help improve his health. He was educated at the Catholic University School, and later at Belvedere College.

Before the rising:
Throughout his life, Joseph Plunkett took an active interest in Irish heritage and the Irish language; he became friends with Thomas MacDonagh. The two were both poets with an interest in theater, both were early members of the Irish Volunteers. In August 1915, he was appointed to the military council of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Plunkett was one of the original members of the IRB Military Committee that was and it responsible for planning the rising.

1916 rising:
Shortly before the rising Plunkett was hospitalized following a turn for the worse in his health. He had an operation on his neck glands days before Easter. This left him very weak and he had to struggle out of bed to take in the rising. Still bandaged and weak, he took his place in the General Post Office with several other leaders such as Patrick Pearse and Tom Clarke; although he took part this health prevented him from being terribly active. He was a signatory to the proclamation of the provisional government of the Irish republic.

Aftermath of the rising:
Following the surrender Plunkett was taken to Kilmainham gaol, where he was court-martialled and sentenced to death. Long before the rising in 1915 Plunkett fell in love with an artist and nationalist Grace Gifford and got engaged in December that year. The couple had planned to marry on Easter Sunday but was put off by the rising, which was due to begin the next day.

Day of execution:
On the 3rd of May 1916 just hours before his execution, he married Grace Gifford by candlelight in Kilmainham chapel, which was attended by two armed soldiers. At two o'clock the following morning Grace was given just ten minutes to be with her husband in his cell. Soon after Joseph Mary Plunkett was executed by firing squad.

Tomas Mac Donagh

Thomas Mac Donagh was a relative late comer in relation to the other signatories. In 1915 the IRB established a Military committee to discreetly deal in acts of war and piece, MacDonagh however, was not inducted until April 1916. Why the long wait? And what exactly was his purpose there?

He was a man of many talents, mostly in the field of arts and literature, he published many works in The Irish Review and co-edited the publication several times before it was disbanded in 1914. Mac Donagh was a lover of the Irish language, he did not necessarily have a great love of the Gaelic League, but set up a Branch in Kilkenny. His ultimate desire was to be a painter, going to Paris, where baguettes were prefered over the buscuit, to pursue his dream. Unfortunately he just did not have the talent and returned to Ireland with his mind firmly set on literary endeavours.

A strong hint towards his nationalism came with the production of his only full length play entitled When the Dawn is Come. In this he envisaged Ireland setting out for its final battle against the dominant English Army. The road to his induction into the events of 1916 officially came about in 1908 when he took a job in St Enda, along with Patrick Pearse he helped establish the bilingual ethos of the facility and became entangled in Pearses beliefs.

Although he was no orator, Marxist, felon, polemicist or Extreme nationalist like the other signatories, he did have a keen interest in military strategist and a desire to give up his own life for the well being of Ireland. He was present at the landing of guns from Erskine Childer's yacht at Howth and used his wit to help a group of Volunteers escape the gaze of H.V. Harrel, the Assistant Commissionart of Police. And through his organisation of the Volunteer parade accompanying the body of Jereniah O'Donocan to Glasnevin cemetery he proved himself more the worthy of trust.

Mac Donagh was responsible for writing up the proclamation that YOU GUYS all signed (thus establishing him as the coolest signatory among you muppets) and on Easter week he was to take a group of Volunteers and hold the Jacob's Biscuit factory, this important stratigic move left tens of British commanders without any treat to dip into their tea, thus rendering them useless in the field of urban combat. (well at least until the Helga took a detour down the liffey)

On the 30th of April order of surrender from Pearse finally reached Mac Donagh in the Jacobs Factory where his volunteers had made many strategic advances, discovering that without any milk or water based condiments cream crackers were utterly useless. He officially gave up, relinquishing arms to the British in the wake of many liberties residents .

After His court Martial and death sentence he wrote, "I, Thomas MacDonagh, having now heard my sentence of the court martial held on me today, declare that in all my acts - all the acts for which I have been arraigned - I have been actuated by one move only, the love of ny country."

On the 2nd of May he was killed, his preferred biscuit at the time was the Bourbon Cream.

Padraic Mac Piarais(1879-1916)

Padraigh Pearse was born in 1879. When attending school he received encouragement from two Christian brothers, which led to the flourish of his academic career. One of the most influential of Pearse’s academic subjects was Irish Pearse had a passion for the Irish language which was prominent throughout his life. Pearse was a modernizer and put aside his prejudices, to experience the works of such revolutionary writers as W. B. Yeats, even though these were written in English.
Pearse joined the Gaelic League at 16; he took every opportunity to improve his public specking and writing, in English and Irish. From 1903-1909 Pearse was the editor of the leagues newspaper “An Claidheamh Soluis” which when translated means, Sword of light. In this paper Pearse criticised political, educational and religious issues amongst many others.
In 1908 Pearse founded St. Enda’s boy’s school; here he spread his ideologies, views on Gaelic Ireland and Irish culture. In 1910 he made a radical decision to move St.Enda’s to the country, resulting in the transforming of St.Enda’s into a boarding school. This led to sever financial restraints on Pearse, and subsequently the development of Pearse’s fascination with martyrdom. In 1912 Pearse publically called for support in his home rule bill, (threatened revolt if not considered) Pearse was described as ‘a dangerous man; he has the vertigo of self-sacrifice’ by Dudley Edwards. After calling for public support Pearse joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). The IRB seen Pearse as a strategic, passionate, highly persuasive political propagandist, he produced political pamphlets justifying the military uprising, and also played a part in the writing of the proclamation declaring the Irish republic. Pearse was also designated commander-general and president of provisional republic. During the rising of 1916 Connolly and Pearse were both positioned in the G.P.O. , Pearse’s role was not so much as to lead the rebels but more so to produce morale boosting propaganda. On 29 April 1916 Pearse surrendered to prevent further deaths (250 uninvolved citizens killed). This was influential as Pearse had formed a fascination prior to the rebellion with martyrdom this now gave Pearse the chance to become a martyr himself. He was executed on the 3 may 1916 by firing squad in Kilmainham gaol. Pearse is remembered as a hero for his self sacrifice for the Irish republic.

Eamonn Ceannt

Early life,

He was born on September 21, 1881, in Ballymoe, County Galway. He was the son of James Kent an officer from the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). At the age of ten his family moved to Dublin. He attended the Christian Brothers School on North Richmond Street. At school he was known as one of the most brilliant students. He proceeded to University College, Dublin. After leaving university he worked for Dublin Corporation in the rates department and then the city treasury office.


Devoted nationalist,

Ceannt was a committed Irish nationalist and this belief manifested itself in a number of ways. In 1900 he joined the Gaelic League, becoming a proficient Irish speaker and he even changed his name from Edward Kent to Eamonn Ceannt. Adopting this Gaelic form of his name showed his early sign of nationalism.


Rise to become a leader,

His political career began with Sinn Fein, which he joined in 1908. He showed early signs of a leader and this led him to be enrolled in the Irish Republican Brotherhood, being sworn in by Sean MacDiarmada, and subsequently became a member of its supreme council. He then enlisted in the Irish Volunteers in 1913, and as director of communications on the headquarters staff was one of its key figures. His devotion and enthusiasm elevated him up the ranks. He played a leading role in the Howth gun running in the following summer.


1916 Rising,

By 1915 he was firmly committed to revolutionary nationalism. He was one of the few members of the small secret military council which planned the Easter rising of 1916. He was one of the seven signatories of the 'Proclamation of the provisional government of the Irish republic', and during the rising was in command of the 4th battalion, which occupied the South Dublin Union which the nationalist Cathal Brugha was second in command. After his surrender in the Easter Rising he was applauded for his efforts. A newspaper report of Ceannt's surrender noted that he was "noble, almost magnificent. Even the officers and soldiers in command of the captured rebels looked on in wonder". On 8 May 1916 he was executed by a firing squad in Kilmainham gaol, Dublin, for his role in the rising; he was buried in Arbour Hill cemetery, Dublin.

Edward Darrell Figgis an Irish writer, Sinn Fein activist and independent politician said that

"He went into insurrection looking for victory because the thought of defeat chafed his intractable spirit. He spoke with cold contempt of Padraic Pearse's slow and moving eloquence as 'green flaggery'. He would have none of it"

Thomas James Clarke

Thomas Clarke was born in 1858 to a catholic mother and a father who was a member of the church of Ireland and a British soldier. When his father retired, the Clarke’s family moved to Duncannon, co. Tyrone. The sectarian tension that was taking place in that area combined with the desire to go against his father’s values probably influenced Clarke’s early fenianist ideas.
He later immigrated to America, where he joined Clann Na gael. In 1884 he was sentenced to prison by the British court for possessing explosives in London. When he was released, he returned to America where he worked for the nationalist journalist John Devoy. Clarke then became the assistant editor of the newspaper: the Gaelic American.

Clarke returned to Ireland just as the IRB were reforming. He helped found the organization's newspaper, Irish Freedom, and helped of Patrick Pearse to achieve promiminince as a nationalist. He was Elected as a member of both the supreme and military councils of the IRB. A nationalist to the end, he was one of the only members of the council who did not want to postpone the rising after the German guns were intercepted, nor did he want to surrender during the rising. Clarke was the first signatory on the proclamation of the Irish republic, and after the rebellion, He was one of the first three rebels to be executed in Kilmainham gaol. he was shot on 3 May 1916.