User:Jdorney/Timeline of the Easter Rising
This page aims to give a chronology of the major events of the Easter Rising of 1916 in Ireland.
1912[edit]
- Third Home Rule Bill passed in the British House of Commons.
1913[edit]
- 7 July, Ulster Covenant is signed, pledging unionist resistance to Home Rule.
- The Ulster Volunteers militia is formed in the north to block Home Rule.
- August, Irish Citizen Army formed, originally as a trade union militia during the Dublin Lockout.
- 25 November, The Irish Volunteers are formed in response to the Ulster Volunteers to guarantee the passage of Home Rule.
1914[edit]
- 24-25 April Larne gun running, Ulster Volunteers import up to 35,000 rifles at Larne.
- 26 July, Howth gun-running, Irish Volunteers import 900 rifles at Howth, near Dublin.
- British troops, the Scottish Borderers, open fire on a crowd at Bachelors Walk, Dublin killing 4, wounding 37. The crowd were jeering them at their inability to stop the Volunteers' bringing ashore arms at Howth.
- 1 August, Irish Volunteers land a further 600 rifles at Kilcoole, county Wicklow.
- August, First World War breaks out. Irish Parliamentary Party leader John Redmond supports the British entry into the war and encourages Irish nationalists to enlist in the British Army.
- 9 September, The IRB forms a military committee to plan a rebellion to take place while Britain was at war.
1915[edit]
- 17 March, The Volunteers stage a mock 'rising' in Dublin, including the proposed capture of Dublin Castle. They are not obstructed by the Police or military.
- August, The Funeral of O'Donovan Rossa in Dublin. The Volunteers mount a show of strength Patrick Pearse makes an inflamatory speech which concludes, "Ireland unfree shall never be at peace".
1916[edit]
- A riot occurs in Tullamore, including an exchange of shots at a Volunteer rally.
- 9 April, the German ship, Aud sets sail for Ireland with 20,000 rifles, ten machine guns and much ammunition for the Volunteers.
- 20 April, The Aud is discovered and scuttled off Fenit, Kerry. The local Volunteers failed to signal the ship as it was anchored off port. Five of them die in a car crash on the way to rendevous with the ship.
- 21 April, The British intercept a telegraph communication from the German ambassador in Washington (who had been in contact with Irish Republicans in the US) to Berlin informing them of the impending Rising in Dublin.
- Roger Casement lands on the U19 uboat in Kerry, with the intention of calling off the Rising since there is not going to be a German expeditionary force. He is accompanied by four men with guns and ammunition. He is arrested when discovered by British troops.
- Bulmer Hobson and Eoin McNeill, respectively leaders of the IRB and the Volunteers learn that the IRB military council has organised a rebellion for the following day. The plan had been kept secret from them up to this point.
- April 22, Eoin McNeill issues an order countermanding the Volunteers order to assemble for a Rising.
- April 23, McNeill publishes the countermanding order in the Sunday Independent.
- April 24, The Rising begins, Volunteers assemble at Liberty Hall Dublin and several other locations around the city. They proceeed to take over important public buildings in the city centre, The GPO, St Stephen's Green, South Dublin Union, The Four Courts, Bolands' Mill and several outlying posts. At the GPO, Patrick Pearse proclaims the Irish Republic to be in existance.
- A Citizen Army group makes an attempt to rush Dublin Castle and shoot dead a policeman. However the gates are closed and they are unable to get nside the complex. they retire to City Hall, where they exchange fire with British troops from the rooftop. Sean Connolly, leader of the detachment is killed by a sniper.
- Joseph Plunkett, of the IRB military Council, informs the Catholic Achbishop of Dublin, through his secretary, that the Rising is about to begin.
- A bomb is planted in the Magazine fort in Dublins Phoenix Park, in an attempt to blow up the British Army's ammunition reserves. The bomb goes off but the ammunition dump is not destroyed.
- April 25,
- April 26, Volunteers in Wexford take over the town of Enniscorthy.
- There is heavy fighting as British troops advance on the Volunteers' position in and around the Four Courts and North King Street.
- South Dublin Union, held by Volunteers under Cathal Brugha is attacked and changes hands several times. There is heavy fighting in the building itself and at nearby Marrowbone Lane. Among the casualties is Cathal Brugha, who is hit 25 times.
- British reinforcements land at the port of Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire), Dublin. They march up towards the city centre, but at Mount Street Bridge, on the Grand Canal, they encounter a strongly held outpost of the Volunteers' Bolands Mill garrison. Although the Volunteers have only 12 riflemen at Mount Street (located in Clanwilliam House and in several houses on Northumberland Road), they repeatedly catch the inexperienced Sherwood Foresters in a crossfire, inflicting very heavy casualties on them.
- April 27, The British renew their assault on the Volunteer position in Mount Street, shelling also sets the buildings on fire. The Volunteers eventually abandon their position after most of them are killed or wounded. A total of 18 British officers and 215 NCO's and men are killed or wounded in the action.
- In Boland's Mill, A Volunteer, apparently cracking under the strain, shoots a comrade before himself being clubbed.
- Eamon De Valera orders neaby Westland Row railway station to be burnt, but then changes his mind and orders the fire to be put out.
- The Volunteers in O'Connell street abandon their position on the west of the street due to it coming under shellfire. A squad of 12 is sent to re-take it, of whom five are killed.
- James Connolly is badly wounded in the ankle by ricochet bullet in Middle Abbey Street, besdie the GPO.
- April 28, 50 Volunteers in north County Dublin under Thomas Ashe and Richard Mulcahy attack and take Ashbourne RIC barracks. They ambush an RIC patrol sent to re-take it, killing 11 policemen after a five hour gun battle.
- Clery's Department Store and the Imperial Hotel on O'Connell Street collapse after having burned for several days. They had been hit by British shellfire.
- There is heavy fighting in the North King Street area, British troops, the South Staffordshire regiment, advance only 150 yards from King St to Linenhall St, having to clear rebel barricades and taking 5 officers and 11 men killed and 28 wounded. Ned Daly, the Volunteer commander in the area, orders the military barracks there burnt but then gets his men to try to put out the blaze, which is spreading.
- General Maxwell arrives. Dublin is formally put under martial law and the civil authorities are put under Maxwell's authority.
- The GPO garrison ,with the building on fire from shelling, have to evacuate to Moore Street. A sortie of 30 men clears the way, of whom 21 are killed or injured, including the O'Rahilly, who is mortally wounded. The Rising's leaders, principally James Connolly and Patrick Pearse, set up their final HQ in 16 Moore Street.
- April 29, The Volunteers' leaders in Moore street decide to surrender. Pearse surrenders to Genral Lowe after first opening negotiations via a female red cross worker. Connolly surrenders on behalf of the Citizen Army.
- Ned Daly, still holding out in North King Street, surrenders to De Courcy Wheeler. After the ceasefire, a total of 15 civilains are killed in the North King Street area by British troops under Colonel Taylor. Taylor reports that Lowe had ordered him not to take prisoners.
- April 30, Thomas Ashe in Ashbourne surrenders after Richard Mulcahy slips into Dublin to meet personally with Pearse.
- The Four Courts/Church Street position under Sean Houston surrenders.
- Eamon De Valera surrenders in Bolands Mill.
- May 3, Patrick Pearse, Thomas MacDonagh and Thomas Clarke are executed. All the rebel leaders were sentenced to death. Of the commandants, only Eamon De Valera is reprieved. With the exception of Thomas Kent and Roger Casement, all of those executed are shot by firing squad in Dublin, mostly in Kilmainham Gaol.
- May 4, Ned Daly, Willie Pearse, Michael O'Hanrahan and Joseph Plunkett are executed.
- May 5, John McBride is executed.
- May 8, Eamon Kent, Michael Mallin, Con Colbert and Sean Houston are executed.
- May 9, Thomas Kent is executed in Cork.
- May 12, James Connolly and Sean McDermott are executed.
- May 18, A British Royal Inquiry into the Rising is set up in London.
- August 3, Roger Casement in executed by hanging in London.
Appendix[edit]
Deaths by date[edit]
| Year | No. |
|---|---|
| January 1919 | 2 |
| February 1919 | |
| March 1919 | 1 |
| April 1919 | 3 |
| May 1919 | 2 |
| June 1919 | 4 |
| July 1919 | 1 |
| August 1919 | 1 |
| September 1919 | |
| October 1919 | |
| November 1919 | |
| December 1919 | 1 |
| 1919 | 15 |
| January 1920 | 1 |
| February 1920 | |
| March 1920 | 5 |
| April 1920 | 8 |
| May 1920 | 3 |
| June 1920 | 7 |
| July 1920 | 86 |
| August 1920 | 36 |
| September 1920 | 24 |
| October 1920 | 38 |
| November 1920 | 83 |
| December 1920 | 29 |
| 1920 | 312 |
| January 1921 | 23 |
| February 1921 | 86 |
| March 1921 | 106 |
| April 1921 | 38 |
| May 1921 | 89 |
| June 1921 | 54 |
| July 1921 | 41 |
| August 1921 | 20 |
| September 1921 | 7 |
| October 1921 | |
| November 1921 | 30 |
| December 1921 | 6 |
| 1921 | 510 |
| January 1922 | 5 |
| February 1922 | 62 |
| March 1922 | 58 |
| April 1922 | 40 |
| May 1922 | 93 |
| June 1922 | 52 |
| July 1922 | |
| August 1922 | |
| September 1922 | |
| October 1922 | |
| November 1922 | |
| December 1922 | |
| 1922 | 310 |
Total for 1922 and 1923: 639-795.
With additional statistics – fatalities by county available for: Cork 180, Kerry 185, Sligo 54, Offaly 21. Anti Treaty combatants killed in Clare: 28 (no reliable statistics for pro Treaty/Civilians) [1]. Pro/Anti Treaty combatants killed between January-June 1922, 9, - 2 in Clare.[2]
Additions,: Kerry + 78, Cork + 120, Sligo + 39, Offaly + 19, Clare + 27, January-June clashes + 7 = 290
Revised total: 929-1085*
A range is given where casualties are reported but not confirmed.
*this is not a definitive total, but rather what could be found in this article.
Status of those killed[edit]
| Deaths by status of victim | |
|---|---|
| Status | No. |
| Civilian* | 86 |
| Pro-Treaty | 346 |
| Anti-Treaty | 596 |
| unknown status | 30 |
| Total | 1,058 |
*