1916 AND YOU 1916 AND YOU Uncovering history: how you too can use the 1916 archives The story of our nation — and your family’s role in shaping Get your it — is just waiting to be discovered, writes Paul Melia white gloves HERE’s no shortage of records available on at the which outline the role that ordinary people played in the Easter 1916 Rising. new Military TThey include Ireland’s military archives, some 300,000 pension records and witness statements taken by the Bureau of Military Archives History, a special project which started in 1947 to capture the recollections of those involved. THE Military Archives will In all, statements were taken from 1,773 move to a new home as part witnesses. As a lot of veterans were alive when of the Government’s 2016 the project began, information on the identity Centenary Programme. of leaders, their family members and even the New archives are under British Army officers involved is available. construction at Cathal Brugha Here, we outline ten ways to find out more Barracks in Rathmines, about your family’s history: Dublin, and are expected to be completed by the end of Gather as much information as possible the year and opened to the 1 about the person you are researching. Their public in advance of the 1916 name, age and address are very important. You commemorations. should also try and sketch a family tree, as you The project includes a new might not have just one relative involved. Setting building for the storage of out all you know at the start can help focus your archival material, which search. includes the Military Service Pensions Collection The first port of call is the 1911 Census. (1916-1923), Bureau of Military 2 Free to search online, you can use your History (1913–1921), the Maps, relative’s name and address to search. This will Plans & Drawings Collection, provide information on their occupation and Irish Army Census Collection ages, their religion and siblings. You can also (1922), images and copies learn what type of home they lived in, and if A www.militaryarchives.ie of magazines including An there were sheds or barns attached. search for Thomas Browne tOglach Magazine (1918–1933) brought up a detailed 38-page and Irish Volunteer Magazine Once you have identified your relative, document on the Mayo man, a (1914–1916). 3 you might be interested in finding out member of Óglaigh na hÉireann An adjoining building if they married or had children. The General will be refurbished to house Register Office in Dublin holds this offices, visitor facilities, information, and you can check if a record is STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO FINDING OUT YOUR including a reading room held at www.irishgenealogy.ie. HISTORY USING THE MILITARY ARCHIVES Watch more online at for researchers, and a conservation laboratory to Church records are also useful, as they HERE are hundreds of thousands of A synopsis of the records is independent.ie/1916 allow for the preservation of 4 may also include additional details such as Tfiles held in the Military Archives, Q highlighted, along with the records. documents and artefacts. the names of godparents, which can help paint ranging from personal accounts to In this case, it relates to Mary Browne’s At the Military Archives, Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines: (l to r) Currently, the public can a picture of your ancestor’s friends and family records of those who received a pension application for a pension in respect Pádraic Carney, Principal, St Louis Senior Primary School; (standing) access the reading room on circles. for their service. Here is a step-by-step of her husband. It includes a report Tristan Kessopersadh, Shuting Wang, Diana Kola, Heinz Ballebar, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and guide to finding out more about your from An Garda Síochána outlining her Solomon Traynor; (seated) Caoimhe Greene, Repository Manager, Thursdays. Eight places are Check the military records, with thousands family. circumstances and material relating to her CQMS Tom Mitchell and Charlie Casey Carney. STEVE HUMPHREYS provided, but the new 5 available at www.militaryarchives.ie. daughters. building will include 16 Go to www.militaryarchives.ie. Then spaces. The first collection to check is the Military Q choose ‘collections’ on the right hand However, not everyone who played 6 Service Pensions Collection. It awarded an side of the screen, and then ‘Military Q a part in the War of Independence annual payment to those who fought but also Service Pensions Collection’. Click through sought a pension. But almost 69,000 HOW ONE WOMAN their families. But not everyone who took part until you come to a search page. received medals, including the 1916 Medal, DISCOVER Republican Brotherhood, they DISCOVER FOUGHT THE BRITISH sought a pension, most notably Eamon de Valera. honouring their service. intended for the Rising to begin — AND THEN FOUGHT TO GET HER ‘ILLOGICAL’ On this page, you can choose to search PATRICK PEARSE’S in Dublin the following day, There’s also a map of all the sites where Q the entire collection, or pension The next place to look is LETTER TO SEAN T. Easter Sunday, and so needed MILITARY PENSION FOR BEING A WOMAN! 7 action took place between April 23 and applications and awards. There are also Q www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie to be in the city centre. April 29, 1916. It locates veterans and highlights records concerning members of the IRA (inset) which outlines the actions of all O’CEALLAIGH FOR The Irish Volunteers, formed SCHOOL teacher payment to a woman. their positions. Some may have been in a number and their activities, those in Cumann na veterans, including those who did not apply HIMSELF AND HIS in November 1913 and led by Margaret Skinnider In March 1925, of locations during the week. mBan, the Irish Citizen Army and for a pension. BROTHER THE NIGHT Eoin MacNeill, planned to was just 24 years old she was told her Fianna Éireann. A BEFORE THE RISING mobilise and conduct military on April 27, 1916 when application was being The Bureau of Military History, which list of veterans with This includes exercises on Easter Sunday, she led five men on a refused because the 8 covered those involved in the Rising and recognised military Q an index of N Easter Saturday, April but the IRB had other plans mission to “destroy pensions act only War of Independence, can also provide more service is also witnesses. All you have O22 1916, Patrick Pearse — instead of completing houses in Harcourt applied to “soldiers as detail on your relative’s activities during the included, which could to do is enter a name or wrote a letter to a colleague in exercises, it intended to mount Street” to stop the generally understood week. It includes personal statements and first- be the first place place. the Irish Volunteers, Sean T a rebellion. British Army from travelling into in the masculine sense”. hand accounts of the action, as well as voice to check. There are O’Ceallaigh, seeking a favour. Learning of the plans, and the city. Ms Skinnider, who spent seven recordings and pictures of sites at the centre of records for around Just make sure “Could you put my brother fearful that the Volunteers She was shot twice in the weeks in St Vincent’s Hospital the Rising. 2,600 people, which Q you narrow the and myself up tonight?” he were not sufficiently armed to shoulder, and once in the back, being treated for her wounds, will all be released search wherever asked. “It is important that take on the might of the British during the ensuing battle. But she re-applied again under the Army Some 150,000 Irishmen served in the by next Easter, with possible. For example, we should be in town. If you Army, MacNeill cancelled the was refused a military pension Pensions Act 1932-1937, which 9 British Army during World War 1, some of more than 13,000 files ‘Michael Collins’ cannot, can you get some military exercises, saying for her service — because she was had changed the criteria by whom were involved in fighting the rebels. Their already published. returns 1,292 results, friend to do it? Please let me the Volunteers had been a woman. which pensions were awarded. military records can be found through so try and have as much detail as possible know by bearer.” “completely deceived”. Born to Irish parents in Then, she wrote that she www.ancestry.co.uk. If you choose to search the pension to get better-quality results. The note was sent from St On April 23, Easter Sunday, Scotland in 1893, she served at was unable to write on the Q applications and awards, the more Enda’s in Rathfarnham, the leaders met in Dublin and Liberty Hall, Harcourt Street, St blackboard for any length of Files of the Dublin Metropolitan Police detail you provide, the better. Another valuable resource is the school founded by Pearse insisted that the Rising went Stephen’s Green and the GPO. time, or to do work involving 10 are also being released through the Q Easter 1916 Applicants at Action sites, which was almost 10kms ahead, which happened the But records held by the her right arm. A member of the National Archives, which outline the secret If you type in ‘Browne’ as the surname, also on the website. This highlights each outside of Dublin. following day, Easter Monday. Military Archives show that her Irish Citizen Army and Cumann surveillance carried out by police forces against Q 13 results are returned.