So much has been
written about the Easter Rising and I've included many excellent links
on this site, so I will only give brief details here. The revolution
was planned mostly by scholars and artisans,involving many members of
the Irish upper classes such as Joe. The Rising lasted six days. Several
public buildings in the center of Dublin were occupied by the Patriots
to declare their dedication to a free Ireland. The leaders and participants,
which included the Irish Volunteers and James Connolly's Irish Citizen
Army, knew that defeat was almost certain and death was eminent for
many of then, either as a result of the fighting or by execution afterwards.
Some hoped for
imprisonment, but most felt execution was most likely. By declaring
their willingness to die for a long-cherished dream of Irish independence,
they believed that defeat would lead to eventual victory for their beloved
country. As the Irish are known to do, Padraic Pearse injected humour
into a grim situation by once telling Joe and Thomas MacDonagh that
the Rising would "if nothing else, rid Ireland of three bad poets."
(In truth, all three were considered brilliant poets by their contemporaries
and future generations.)
The Easter Rising
of 1916 was a brave outpouring of love for Ireland and her people. Eastertide
and the ultimate sacrifice that it honors was a well-chosen time for
this "holy war" to begin. Devout people of both Protestant
and Catholic backgrounds were involved. Nellie Gifford, Grace's sister
and a strong Labour supporter, was among the women who stayed with the
troops to provide meals and medical attention. Joe's two brothers, George
and Sean, also took part in the Rising.
As Chief Strategist, Joe
was stationed at the General Post Office (GPO), which became the command
post for the combined forces that James Connolly named The Irish Republican
Army. Having recently had another surgery on his neck glands, most of
Joe's time was spent on a makeshift cot. On the sixth day, British troops
were closing in. Much of Dublin was looted and burned; innocent citizens
of all ages were being shot by British forces. Joe and the others (including
Padraic, his brother, Willie, and a badly wounded James Connolly) left
the GPO and sought shelter in a shop on Moore Street.
After seeing a couple
and their young daughter gunned down by British soldiers, Padraic made
his last decision as Commander in Chief. During the final moments of
the Rising before Padraic's surrender, some of the men knelt together
and said the Rosary.
Grace and Muriel had watched
the start of the Rising from a hotel balcony. Both Joe and Thomas were
sworn to secrecy about the plans, so neither of the women knew when
the battle would begin. But, within days, they knew how it would end.
After speedy trials, all leaders of the Rising were condemned to death
by firing squad and taken to Kilmainham Gaol.
