by Andrew White
The Irish Revolution in 1916-1921 was a major turn in Ireland's history. The revived Irish Republican Brotherhood along with support from the Gealic league with other organizations were a major part of the revolt. There were a few major events that happened during this revolt. One of these events is the Easter Rising. The Finian Force with leaders like Michael Collins, Eamon De Valera, and others lead the revolt.
The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB)
This was an organization that was reorganized for the revolt by Thomas J. Clarke from 1907-1919 (Carty, 147). Later on it took Bulmer Hobson and Sean MacDermott as it's leaders in Dublin. This organization spread across Ireland. It grew in popularity and was supported by the gealic league and other organizations that were popular. It was also backed by the Republic and Roger Casement (Carty, p147).
Other resources
http://homepages.iol.ie/~saoirse/record/irb.htm
http://www.somemothersson.com/cmp/histch9.html
http://shrike.depaul.edu/~sconneel/dev.html
The Easter Rising
This event happened on Easter in 1916. Followers of the Irish Republican Brotherhood along with some citizens armies attack and took over the capital of Ireland. The post office was a major building that was taken. They were shelled until the building gave way and the IRB along with the survivers surrendered (Carty, 158). The leaders gave an unconditional surrender to the British army that had defeated them (Carty, 158). This event was the beginning point of the revolution and was the catalyst for what was coming.
Other resources
http://homepages.iol.ie/~saoirse/record/irb.htm
http://shrike.depaul.edu/~sconneel/col.html
http://shrike.depaul.edu/~sconneel/new5.html
The Finian Force
The founders of the Finians were Charles J. Kickham, John O'Leary, and Thomas Clarke Luby (Carty,29). It was supported by a group of Irish men in the United States and in Germany. The finian force was around way before the Revolution. The finian grew and then changed in to an organization called the Irish Republican Brotherhood. They sold bonds ot support there cause and later were supported by Irish in America and Germany named the Clan Na Gael (Carty, 31).
Other resources
http://homepages.iol.ie/~saourse/record/irb.htm
http://www.somemothersson.com/cmp/histch9.html
Michael Collins
Collins was born in Clonakilty, Ireland on October 16, 1890. He worked for the gealic league when he was fifteen(Shrike*). This is were he became acquanted with the Irish community. He soon was appointed treasurer of the IRB(Shrike*). After he got out he was appointed the Director of Intellegince for the IRB (Carty, 207). He was captured and sentenced to death but "avoided execution but he spent several long months in the Frongoch internmint camp along with many other Irish Rebels."(Shrike*) After he got out he was appointed the Director of Intellegince for the IRB (Carty, 207).
"Michael Collins became the president of the IRB in December of 1920" (Shrike*). He later became the "Commander in Chief of the Irish National Army" (Shrike*). Collins died on August 22, 1922 while trying to stop the civil war in Ireland.
Other resources
http://homepages.iol.ie/~saoirse/record/irb.htm
http://shrike.depaul.edy/~sconneel/col.html
Eamon De Valera
Eamon was born on October 14, 1882 in New York City. He was a school master and had a simular view as that of Pearse. He joined one of the first armies to exist in Ireland since 1867 (Manus, 18). "Within a few months he had attained the rank of captain" (Manus, 18). He studied street fighting and had a great capacity for leadership (Manus, 19). In 1915 with hesitance he joined the IRB with the provision that he was to follow what they said and not to make the decisions (Manus,22). He commanded less then a hundred men in the Army of the Irish Republic (Manus, 26). After the rising he was put on trial and sentenced to death and later "commuted to penal servitude for life" (Manus, 32).
Other resources
http://homepages.iol.ie/~saoirse/record/irb.htm
http://shrike.depaul.edu/~sconneel/dev.html
http://shrike.depaul.edu/~sconneel/new 5.html
http://shaw.iol.ie/~dluby/history.htm#Revolution
