Easter Rising

Setting the scene

The Easter Rising began on April 24, 1916, when Irish republicans seized key buildings in Dublin and proclaimed an Irish Republic, seeking independence from Britain during World War I. About 1,600 rebels from the Irish Volunteers and Irish Citizen Army, led by Patrick Pearse and James Connolly, occupied the General Post Office and other sites. Pearse read the Proclamation of the Republic, declaring Ireland's independence.

What happened

The British, with 16,000 troops and artillery, crushed the rising in six days. The rebels surrendered on April 29. Initially, Dubliners resented the rebels for the destruction and disruption during wartime. But the British response—executing 15 leaders over two weeks, including the wounded Connolly who was shot tied to a chair, and arresting 3,500 people—turned public opinion. The executions made martyrs of the rebels.

Why it still matters

The Easter Rising failed militarily but succeeded politically. It revived Irish republicanism, leading to Sinn Féin's victory in the 1918 election, the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921), and the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922. The rising's leaders became national heroes, and the Proclamation's promise of religious and civil liberty shaped modern Ireland. The 1916 rising demonstrates how a failed rebellion can win through the overreaction of the occupying power and the power of martyrdom in nationalist movements.

Background

British executions radicalized Irish opinion.