6 A HISTORY OF THE IRISH REBELLION OF 191 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/historyofirishreOOwell 6 A HISTORY OF THE IRISH REBELLION OF 1 9 1 BY WARRE B. WELLS AND N. MARLOWE «.T?fTrr kll NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS 1917 OV J0B . DUBLIN , IRELAND. PREFATORY NOTE The purpose of the Authors is, first, to present an account of the Rebellion in its relation to the European War, which shall be accurate and com- prehensive, and may serve, it is hoped, as a stan- dard record of this episode in Irish and European History, and, secondly, to exhibit, not to criticise, conflicting ideals in present-day Ireland. V \ CONTENTS CHAPTER I. PAGE Distinguishing Features of the Rebellion—Its Association with Germany—Its Military Gravity—The Strategic Importance of Ireland—As Illustrated in Anglo-Irish History—Peculiar Significance in Anglo-German War—Ireland's Flank- Position—Her Natural Harbours—Germany's Appreciation of the Value as a European Factor—First Hint of Possible Identity of Irish and German Interests—Casement's Re- markable Article before the War—Germany and the Revival of Physical Force Movement in Ireland—German Govern- ment's Efforts to turn this Movement to Account in the European War 1—23 CHAPTER n. The Theory of Sinn Fein—The Labour Movement in Dublin—Opposition in Ulster to Home Rule—Formation of Ulster Volunteers—The Nationalist Volunteers—Ques- tion of their Control—The Gun Running at Howth . 24—44 CHAPTER III. r. Redmond's Attitude towards the War—His Authority disputed by a Section of the Volunteers—" Home Rule on " the Statute Book —Position of the Irish Volunteers— Recruiting in Ireland— Ireland Exempted from Compulsory Military Service—The Spread of Discontent—Critical Days—The Affray at Tullamore—A Famous Document 45—66 ! — 1 CONTENTS CHAPTER IV. PAGE Reflections on the Character of the Rebellion—Analogy of the '48 RisingJ—Literary Influences—Biographical Notes on the Nationalist Leaders—P. H. Pearse, his Writings and Educational Work—Professor McNeill—Sir Roger Case- ment and his Irish Policy: the Impressions of an Eye Witness,—Thomas Clarke—Thomas McDonagh, Poet and Literary Critic—William Pearse, Joseph Plunkett, Edward Daly and Michael O'Hanrahan—Major McBridc—Eamonn Ceannt— Cornelius Colbert, Michael O'MaUin and J. J. Heuston—Sean MacDearmada—James Connolly and his Influence—Other Leaders 67—102 CHAPTER V. A New Factor— Influence of Irish-American Organisations on the Volunteer Movement—Casement in the United States— His Earlier Relations with Germany—An Intermediary with the Irish-American Extremists between the Irish Volunteers and the German Government—Volunteers' Engagement with Germany—Proceedings of the Clan-na-Gael—Casement in Germany—Intrigues in the Prison Camps—Attempt to raise an Irish Brigade 103—114 CHAPTER VI. Development of Seditious Movement in Ireland—Its Military " Organisation—Xhe " Citizen Army Attitude of the Authorities— Ineffective Measures—Drilling and Arming of the Volunteers—Methods of Obtaining Arms-^lnade- quacy of Rebel Armament ..... 115— CONTENTS xi CHAPTER VII. PAGE The Rebels' Military Plans—Germany's Co-operation—A Well- conceived Design—Scheme of a General Rising—Its Success Dependent on Ample Supply of Arms—Deficiency to be made good by Germany—Concerted Operations of Rebels with Germany—Effect of a General Irish Rising on British Home Defence—Diversion of British Strength to Exposed Flank in Ireland—Opportunity for a German Stroke across the North Sea—Casement's Expedition a Vital Factor in the Plan of Campaign 128—134 CHAPTER VIII. The Expedition from Wilhelmshaven—The Aud : Capture of Casement—Decision of Irish Executive—Volunteer Coun- cil—Action of Mr. John MacNeill .... 135—146 CHAPTER IX. Proclamation of Republic —'Character of the Fighting—Defence of the Post Office—Trinity College—Lord Wimborne's Proclamation—Attitude of the People—Second Day of Rising—Mount Street Bridge—Arrival of Sir John Maxwell —Surrender of Rebels 147—177 CHAPTER X. The Rebellion in the Provinces—hauses of its Failure —A Sporadic Rising—Events in the Vicinty of Dublin— frustrated Attack on Skerries—Desperate Encounter at Ashbourne—The Wexford Rising—Seizure of Enniscorthy— Surrender of Wexford Rebels—The Rising in Galway— Attack on Galway City—^isbandment of Galway Rebels— Other Southern Counties Affected-^Lffects of Miscarriage of Casement Expedition—Precautions in Ulster—Operations of Mobile Columns—Measures of Pacification—Surrender of Arms—Military, Civilian and Rebel Casualties . 178—201 xii CONTENTS CHAPTER XI. PAGE The Aftermath of the Rebellion—Causes of Re-action in Rebel favour—Execution of the Leaders—Arrests and Deporta- tions—Revulsion of Popular Feeling—Attitude of Irish- Americans—Mr. Asquith's Visit to Ireland—Movement toward Settlement—A Propitious Moment—Mr. Lloyd George's Scheme—Causes of its Failure—Reconstitution of Dublin Castle—An Unanswered Question . 202—217 ArPENDICES 219—271 6 A HISTORY OF THE IRISH REBELLION of 191 CHAPTER I. IRELAND'S STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE The Irish Rebellion of 1916 was invested with a peculiar gravity and significance by twx> cir- cumstances which distinguished it from earlier insurrections in the modern history of Ireland. The first was the German connexion. The national instinct of Ireland has been, historically, francophile, and the German name, throughout the last century, was chiefly associated in the mind of Nationalists with mercenary troops employed to combat the rising of '98. The French tradition dated back three centuries to the time of the rebellion of the great O'Neills of Tyrone. It was continued in the community of arms of Irish and French in the days of St. Ruth and Sarsfield, in the deeds of the Irish Brigade under the French flag at Fontenoy, Blenheim, and Ramillies, when Irishmen by the ten thousand died in the service of France on the battlefields of Europe, and later in Humbert's invasion of Ireland. It persisted even to 1870, when, while Great Britain preserved a frigidly correct neutrality, Irish sympathy took visible form in the de- spatch to France of an Ambulance Service, and of a combatant Compagnie Irlandaise that, but for the restrictions upon volunteering imposed A 2 THE IRISH REBELLION OF 1916 under the British neutrality laws, might have ex- panded into a modern Irish Brigade. The idea of German-Irish friendship was not, however, altogether new. An attempt, though not a very extended one, to " educate " Ireland in this sense had been in progress for several years. Observers in America noted the increase of social intercourse and intermarriage among the two stocks of immigrants.* Two causes had contri- buted to the decline of French popularity in Ireland : first, the anti-clerical and sometimes anti-Catholic policy of the Third Republic; secondly, the entente with England. The entente, however, affected mainly those extremist Irishmen who continued to believe in physical force and wished to establish connexions with that country, whatever its name, which, in the event of a Euro- pean war, would most likely be found threatening Imperial interests. At the outbreak of the war the general body of the Irish people found itself still to some extent affected by historical memories older than those of the quarrel between the Church and the Third Republic; the appeal of Fontenoy and the Irish Brigade helped considerably to pro- mote a pro-Ally sentiment throughout the country. The Ultramontane attitude in politics is not char- acteristic of modern Ireland, and the considera- tions which told at the Vatican in favour of the * The Parliamentary Party endeavoured after the outbreak of war to prevent their Irish -American supporters from going into alliance with the Germans of the States, and the United Irish League of America finally adhered to Mr. Redmond's policy of supporting the Allies. But, as illustrating the influence on events of the German-Irish social rapprochment, one may mention the withdrawal towards " neutrality " of one of Mr. Redmond's most prominent supporters in the States, the President of one of his Leagues. This man had married a German wife ; he did not go over to the Clan-na- Gael or any of the pro-German Irish organisations, but merely withdrew from politics for the period of the war. — STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE 3 Central Powers carried very little weight with the most Catholic people in Europe.* It remains true, therefore, broadly speaking, that it was historically unnatural to find a body of Irishmen * Formerly it was different. We recall how little sympathy Ireland (so far as she was vocal) extended towards Garibaldi and the Italian patriots in their struggle against the Bourbons, Austria and the Papal Power. Ultramontanism in Ireland seems to have been finally overthrown at the time of the Land League. But in any case it would be difficult to credit Ireland with a principled " foreign policy." The revolutionaries in the nineteenth century looked generally to France and to America as authors of the Rights of Man. But revolutionaries were a minority of the people—in '48 and in '67 as in 1916. Of the most typical of physical force Nationalists, John Mitchel, a Frenchman (the late Emile Montegut) wrote : " He is less revolutionary than the average English shop- keeper . less versed in Liberal ideas than the most obstinate monarchist on the Continent. He is revolutionary on the surface, in his accent and expression, but not in spirit or in principle. Nor is the obstinate attachment of the Irish to Catholicism calculated to conquer the sympathies of the Radicals. In short, neither the extreme nor the moder- ate sections of society set store on Ireland, and she finds them in turn indifferent or lukewarm towards her cause. (Mitchel) applauds Mazzini, the enemy of Catholicism ; like- wise he would applaud an Ultramontane Bishop of Ireland blessing the standards of a Celtic insurrection.