The Easter Rising was a turning point in Irish history, but the rebellion did not simply go according to plan. Once the shooting in the streets and the Easter Uprising of 1916 ended, the shootings in prisons began: British backlash ensured that minor poets became leading martyrs.
Many believe that the uncompromising attitude of a hard-nosed British commanding officer ensured that the cause of Irish independence not only survived but grew. The 1916 rebellion was far from popular in Ireland, and especially in the ruins of Dublin, yet post-rebellion executions ensured that a revolutionary madness was created around the central figure of Patrick Pearse.
The aftermath of the Easter Rising
The immediate aftermath of the rebellion should have come as no surprise to anyone: the rebels were arrested, jailed, and around 200 had to face military tribunals. Of these, 90 were sentenced to death for high treason.
The entire process and the resulting sentences and sentences were to be expected. All of this was in line with current British practice at the time, where the death sentence was routinely passed by British military courts between 1914 and 1918, leading to more executions than the German army saw during the same war.
What should have been standard practice took an unexpected turn when General Sir John Grenfell Maxwell insisted that the death sentences be promptly served. The general, who had served in Egypt and South Africa previously, ordered fourteen rebels to be shot as soon as possible at Kilmainham Gaol prison in Dublin.
The unfortunate group included Patrick Pearse, Thomas MacDonagh, Thomas Clarke, Edward Daly, William Pearse, Michael O’Hanrahan, Eamonn Ceannt, Joseph Plunkett, John MacBride, Sean Heuston, Con Colbert, Michael Maillin, Sean MacDermott, and James Connolly. Thomas Kent was executed in Cork. Roger Casement, often reunited with those executed in Ireland, was hanged in London later, and only after a long trial.
Many of his fellow Irishmen viewed these men as deluded rioters at the time of their arrest, but the hasty killings were shocking. As a result, these sixteen men were almost immediately elevated to national martyrs, primarily because of Maxwell’s heavy-handed approach.
Only two rebel leaders escaped this massacre: Countess Markiewicz was sentenced to death, she was commuted to life imprisonment simply for being a woman. The second to escape was Eamonn de Valera, who could not be executed as a traitor because he was not a British citizen. He described himself as a citizen of the Irish Republic (non-existent) and would have been entitled to a US or Spanish passport because of his father. Maxwell decided to stay on the safe side here and avoided De Valera, supported by prosecutor William Wylie’s impression that De Valera would cause no more trouble.
In fact, “Dev” was one of the most uninspiring leaders of 1916, achieving later popularity mainly due to his “leader status” and almost accidental survival.
When public outcry finally stopped the executions, the damage was done: Ireland had more than a dozen new martyrs, the British were demonized. George Bernard Shaw, always the sarcastic socialist, pointed out that Maxwell’s policy of swift retribution had made heroes and martyrs of lesser poets.
Add to this the grotesque undertones of some executions: Connolly was seriously injured and had to be tied to a chair to face the firing squad, Plunkett was terminally ill and MacDermott was crippled. And William Pearse was only shot because he was Patrick’s brother.
It was their deaths, and not their actions while alive, that raised the Irish cause. Had the leaders of 1916 been allowed to live, Irish history might have taken a different course.
Remembering the Easter Rising
Every year the events of Easter 1916 are remembered in Ireland, by Republicans and (to a lesser extent) by the government. As the uprising itself was wasted, poorly prepared and poorly supported, it is seen in history not as a success, but as a spark that rekindled the flame of Irish freedom. And almost every fraction of the Irish political landscape is bound to claim “the heroes of 1916” as their own at some point.
Ultimately, the rise is remembered as what Patrick Pearse may have seen: a blood sacrifice of a few to awaken the majority. This quasi-religious view of the cause is confirmed year after year by the simple timing of the celebrations: they are not held on the actual anniversary of the rebellion, but are remembered at Easter.
After all, Easter is the celebration of voluntary sacrifice and resurrection.
The Easter Rising, despite serious planning deficiencies, was unlikely to succeed thanks to the hasty and cruel reaction of British officials.
This article is part of a series on the 1916 Easter Rising:
- Part 1 – Planning
- Part 2 – Insurrection
- Part 3 – Consequences
