Dublin’s Easter Rebellion Revisited #TuesdayTravels #Ireland #history

Tuesday Travels

My new Tuesday Travels banner.

I haven’t done a Tuesday Travels post in a while but today we’re revisiting Dublin in honor of the 102nd anniversary of Ireland’s Easter Rebellion.

The uprising began on April 24, 1916 while the United Kingdom was in the midst of World War I. Rebels from the secret the Irish Republican Brotherhood, led by Patrick Pearse, streamed into Dublin from the countryside. The armed men attacked government buildings and seized the General Post Office. After initial success, they declared Irish independence.

Dublin post office

The historic General Post Office, Dublin, Ireland.

However, the British launched a counteroffensive and the rebellion was crushed after only five days. The Irish people were initially not supportive of the rebellion, but the harsh measures meted out to the rebels stirred public resentment. The leaders of the uprising, including Pearse and James Connolly, were executed and became instant martyrs. When I visited Dublin Castle, we learned about the execution of the prisoners and visited a room dedicated to their memory.

Armed protests broke out and in 1921, a vote was held. 26 of Ireland’s 32 counties voted for independence and the Irish Republic was born. The other counties remain part of Northern Ireland, in the United Kingdom.

Statue of Michael Collins

When I was in Ireland, we took a day excursion to west County Cork where I saw this statue of Michael Collins, who participated in the Easter Rebellion and went on to be a leader of Sinn Fein and the Irish Republican Army. In Jan. 22, he became Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State until his assassination in August 1922.

Irish history is turbulent and disturbing, but quite fascinating. I’d love to see more of the Emerald Isle some day.

Linda

4 thoughts on “Dublin’s Easter Rebellion Revisited #TuesdayTravels #Ireland #history

    • It is a bit hard, though there are others that have enjoyed home rule for shorter periods than that. Many Eastern European countries, for instance, not to mention African and Asian nations. India and Israel got their independence in the late 1940s.

  1. We enjoyed Ireland very much. Had fish ‘n’ chips on the main street in Dublin, and watched an obsessive-compulsive woman doing a routine over and over on the meridian. She was middle-aged and nicely dressed. As an RN I worried about her because she was alone. Soon I relaxed…two officers were approaching her in a kind way. I proceeded to eat, and when I looked up next she and the officers had gone.

    The US Embassy there is built like a small castle. Instead of a moat, the driveway mimics one by circling around to the parking in back.

    Unfortunately, we reached the library of Trinity College at 4:01 pm, and since they closed at 4:00 they wouldn’t let us in to view the original Book of Kells. We had the same difficulty in the US when we wanted to visit the Tennis Hall of Fame because my husband was a ranked player in Southern California.

    Lovely country.

    • Sorry it took so long to approve this comment. I was in San Antonio for five days.

      I agree, Dee Ann, Ireland is a lovely country and the people are wonderful.

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