PROFILE CATHAL BRUGHA A very complex patriot

Fergus O’Farrell on the republican who refused to surrender

ATHAL BRUGHA was centrally involved in all of the major events of Ireland’s struggle for independence. Despite this, he remains C one of the least understood personalities of the revolution. There is no dedicated English language biography of this complex and important Irish patriot. Born in in 1874, Brugha was a gifted sportsman as well as an active member of the Gaelic League, IRB and . Though not on the military council of the IRB, he was considered important enough for the leadership to reveal its plans for rebellion to him in the weeks before the Rising. During Easter week, Brugha was second-in-command of the garrison at the South Dublin Union, led by Éamonn Ceannt. Those who fought alongside Brugha remarked on his daring bravery, his silent Cathal nature, his devout Catholicism and his Brugha steely determination. On Thursday, 27 arrives April, Brugha led a charge toward a British to Dáil position through the warren of rooms Éireann on around the Union. He sustained up to 25 his bike in wounds and, cut off from his unit by the December, heavy fighting, could be heard shouting, 1921. “Come on, you cowards, ’til I get one shot GETTY before I die. I am only a wounded man. Éamonn, Éamonn (Ceannt), Come here crisis, Brugha led a handpicked team ministerial authority over a decentralised On July 5, surrounded by Free State and sing ‘God Save Ireland’ before I die.” of IRA assassins to London, where he IRA. troops in a burning hotel on present The rebels mounted a rescue mission planned to execute the British Cabinet if He was strongly opposed to any actions day O’Connell Street, he ordered his and found Brugha propped up against they introduced conscription in Ireland. which might involve civilian casualties, men to lay down their weapons and a wall in a pool of his own blood, still The mission was aborted when the threat and clashed with Michael Collins on many give themselves up. Characteristically, clutching his Peter the Painter revolver. of conscription passed. He returned to issues, including Collins’s plan to shoot Brugha refused to surrender. There are Joseph Doolan, who fought with Brugha Ireland just in time to be elected to the British intelligence officers, in what later several accounts of what happened next, during the Rising, later recorded that, first Dáil as TD for West . became known as . Brugha but the result was that Brugha was shot “It was the greatest, bravest and most Brugha presided over the first meeting removed some names from the hit list as and mortally wounded. Before exiting inspiring incident of that glorious week.A of the independent legislature on 21 he believed that there was not sufficient the hotel, he told a female comrade that wounded man, alone practically, holding January 1919, and became Minister for evidence against them. his death would shock the country into the forces of England at bay for an hour, Defence in April. During the War of Unlike many rebel leaders, he evaded ending the civil war. He died in hospital taunting them with cowardice and Independence he strove to assert his capture throughout the war. He sometimes on . proclaiming to them that he was only a disguised himself as an Anglican minister, Brugha has been remembered as wounded man.” SNAPSHOT never slept at home, and was always an uncompromising republican who Delirious from blood loss, Brugha was CATHAL BRUGHA armed. He was always prepared to fight favoured war over politics. However, this removed from the garrison, under the to the death rather than surrender or be interpretation is too simplistic, and belies Red Cross flag, to a hospital in Dublin Born: 18 July 1874, Dublin captured. He ran his ministry from an Brugha’s inherent belief in politics and Castle. He underwent recovery in various Educated: office above his candle-making business, his complex attitudes towards violence. hospitals until autumn, by which time the Lalor’s, on the North Quays. As this Decade of Centenaries progresses, order for his detention had expired. From Affiliation: IRB/Irish Volunteers Brugha opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty, perhaps a more rounded portrait will his hospital bed, he began reorganising Career: Candle salesman, working hard to maintain unity within the emerge. what was left of the Irish Volunteers. His President of the Dáil, Minister IRA in the months before the outbreak of wounds never fully healed and he walked for Defence the Civil War in June 1922. Once the war Fergus O’Farrell recently completed with a limp for the rest of his life. had begun, he joined the anti-treaty forces his MA thesis on Cathal Brugha at the In the midst of the 1918 conscription Died: 7 July 1922 in the rank of private. UCD School of History

LEARN MORE part in the rebellion in the GPO History Show special on (RTÉ, 1965), http://bit.ly/1lTexuC the Rising’s defining READ... document (RTÉ 2014), Q Eamonn Ceannt, by Mary CHECK OUT... http://tinyurl.com/jj2fr9a Gallagher (16 Lives Series, Q Eamonn Ceannt’s last letter O’Brien Press) in the UCD archives, VISIT... Q Cathal Brugha — As I Knew http://bit.ly/1TnCbfU Q Many of the sites of the 1916 Him, by Sceilg [JJ O’Kelly] garrisons still exist. The South (Dublin, 1922) LISTEN TO... Dublin Union is now St James’ Q A Terrible Beauty, Poetry Q The Week to Come. An Hospital, part of the Jacob’s of 1916, selected by RTÉ documentary made by Factory is DIT Aungier Street, Mairéad Ashe FitzGerald Proinsias Mac Aonghusa in 1966 part of Boland’s Mills is the (Dublin 2015) from archive recordings of those Nama HQ. The GPO museum who took part in the Rising, closed in March 2015 but a new WATCH... http://tinyurl.com/hj3k5en visitor centre, GPO Witness Q Seán Nunan describes taking Q The 1916 Proclamation.A History, will open in March 2016.

14 | Irish Independent 1916 Collection Irish Independent I 10 December 2015