Easter Rising Historiography
Irish Republican Brotherhood
REES- Easter Rising was fuelled by “the work of IRB conspirators operating within
the clandestine Fenian movement.”
FOY AND BARTON- agree with Rees that it was the formation of the Military Council
that was the most important cause of the Rising
FOY AND BARTON- emphasise the determination of the leaders of the Rising as one
of the main causes of the Rising, “The driving force above all others behind the
insurrection was the veteran Tom Clarke, aided by the younger Sean MacDermott.”
REES-“By late 1915, Clarke was confident that the right men were in place to
instigate the Rising, which had been his life’s ambition.”
Carson and the UVF
FOY AND BARTON- “it was the arming of the north and the counter-arming of the
south that was the accelerator of revolution in Ireland.”
REES- Carson “brought the gun back into politics.”
REES- “What Carsonism had done was to convert a significant number of Home
Rulers into radical nationalists, while simultaneously breathing life into a moribund
IRB organisation.”
(contemp. Quote)- PEARSE-influence of Carson-“I think the Orangeman with a rifle
is a much less ridiculous figure than a nationalist without one.”
CURTIS- ‘The founding of the UVF in 1913 seems to have dramatically changed
Pearse’s political outlook.”
Cultural Nationalism
F.X MARTIN- “it would be hard to exaggerate the influence of the league in the
Rising.”
REES- “The language movement attracted talented, ambitious young men, who felt
alienated by the established forces of constitutional nationalism…it was from this
group that “the Irish revolutionary elite emerged.”
LYONS- argues that the Gaelic League in its initial stages was non-political and
remained this way until 1915.
(Contemp. Quote)- PEARSE-essay-‘The Coming Revolution- emphasised the vital role
which the League had played in the education of a new generation of Irish
revolutionaries, claiming that they had “an ulterior motive in joining the Gaelic
League.”
(Contemp. Quote)-PEARSE-‘The Coming Revolution- “I have come to the conclusion
that the Gaelic League is a spent force. It was a prophet, but not the Messiah.”
LYONS- “The Gaelic League had been a necessary stage in those who wanted to
serve Ireland, but it was only a stage.”
REES- Gaelic League was “a significant, if not direct cause of the Rising” as it served
as a “reviving force” for the separatist movement.
Irish Republican Brotherhood
REES- Easter Rising was fuelled by “the work of IRB conspirators operating within
the clandestine Fenian movement.”
FOY AND BARTON- agree with Rees that it was the formation of the Military Council
that was the most important cause of the Rising
FOY AND BARTON- emphasise the determination of the leaders of the Rising as one
of the main causes of the Rising, “The driving force above all others behind the
insurrection was the veteran Tom Clarke, aided by the younger Sean MacDermott.”
REES-“By late 1915, Clarke was confident that the right men were in place to
instigate the Rising, which had been his life’s ambition.”
Carson and the UVF
FOY AND BARTON- “it was the arming of the north and the counter-arming of the
south that was the accelerator of revolution in Ireland.”
REES- Carson “brought the gun back into politics.”
REES- “What Carsonism had done was to convert a significant number of Home
Rulers into radical nationalists, while simultaneously breathing life into a moribund
IRB organisation.”
(contemp. Quote)- PEARSE-influence of Carson-“I think the Orangeman with a rifle
is a much less ridiculous figure than a nationalist without one.”
CURTIS- ‘The founding of the UVF in 1913 seems to have dramatically changed
Pearse’s political outlook.”
Cultural Nationalism
F.X MARTIN- “it would be hard to exaggerate the influence of the league in the
Rising.”
REES- “The language movement attracted talented, ambitious young men, who felt
alienated by the established forces of constitutional nationalism…it was from this
group that “the Irish revolutionary elite emerged.”
LYONS- argues that the Gaelic League in its initial stages was non-political and
remained this way until 1915.
(Contemp. Quote)- PEARSE-essay-‘The Coming Revolution- emphasised the vital role
which the League had played in the education of a new generation of Irish
revolutionaries, claiming that they had “an ulterior motive in joining the Gaelic
League.”
(Contemp. Quote)-PEARSE-‘The Coming Revolution- “I have come to the conclusion
that the Gaelic League is a spent force. It was a prophet, but not the Messiah.”
LYONS- “The Gaelic League had been a necessary stage in those who wanted to
serve Ireland, but it was only a stage.”
REES- Gaelic League was “a significant, if not direct cause of the Rising” as it served
as a “reviving force” for the separatist movement.
