Witnesses: Inside the Easter Rising

232 Pages·2005·11.641 MB·English

by  Annie Ryan, seán o'keeffe (editor)

Introduction by Margaret Mac Curtain
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Inside the Easter Rising

WITNESSES
INSIDE THE EASTER RISING
ANNIE RYAN
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CONTENTS
Author’s Acknowledgements and Publishers’ Note
Map of Dublin Locations Associated with the Rising 9
Glossary of Organisations 11
Dramatis Personae 13
Chronology 19
Foreword 25
Introduction 29
‘The Wrong Hip’ 35
‘Something Serious in the Wind’ 45
‘Some Men I Could Trust’ 56
‘The Whole Thing Broke Up’ 64
‘Certain Big Events’ 72
‘Something Must Be Done’ 85
‘We Strike at Noon’ 94
Men and Women of the Citizen Army 104
ONNNBWHND
Occupying the Buildings i)
‘All in Good Spirits’ 123
‘We Got It Hot’ 13
Inside the GPO 151
The End: Executions 166
The Aftermath: Internment 181
From the Other Side 193
‘This Lamentable Disturbance’ 198
The Castle Document and Other Controversies 208
Conclusion 215
Suggestions for Further Reading 217,
The Witnesses 218
In memory of my father
AUTHOR’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Grateful thanks to the following: Dr Margaret Mac Curtain and
Prof. Donal McCartney, whose help was invaluable; Colette O’Daly
of the National Library, whose resources, both personal and
professional, were always available; Prof. Risteard Mulcahy, for
granting permission to quote from his his book Richard Mulcahy: A
Family Memoir; my brother Michael, who read, discussed and
informed. My husband Brendan was as ever an unfailing support. I
am especially indebted to the staff at the National Archives, and to
the custodians of the Military Archives in Cathal Brugha Barracks.
A special word of thanks to my publishers, who are truly amazing.
PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
All quotations from the Bureau of Military History 1913—21 wit-
ness statements ate reproduced courtesy of Military Archives,
Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines, Dublin 6. Extracts from the
witness statements have been reproduced verbatim, with the excep-
tion of minor editorial amendments, given in square brackets, and
occasional stylistic changes, which have been made silently.
(Editorial insertions on the part of those who compiled the archive
appear in round brackets.) The publishers would like to thank
Military Archives, the UCD Archive Department and _ the
Independent Newspaper Group for granting permission to use
photographs from their collections, and Commandant Victor
Laing, Commandant Pat Brennan and the staff of the Military
Archives, and Seamus Helferty and Orna Somerville of the UCD
Archive Department, for their assistance. The extract, used in ‘the
Foreword, from Derek Mahon’s poem ‘A Disused Shed in Co.
Wexford’, from his Collected Poems, is reproduced by permission of
The Gallery Press, Loughcrew, Oldcastle, County Meath. Finally,
the publishers would like to thank Daibhi Mac Domhnaill for the
map that appears on page 9.
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MAP OF DUBLIN LOCATIONS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE RISING
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General Post Office Buildings held by rebels V
The Four Courts
British military bases . _@-
Mendicity Institute
South Dublin Union
British military cordons =a mc cm
Jacob's Factory
St Stephen's Green
College of Surgeons
Boland's Mill
Dublin Castle
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