The Role of the Rebirth of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and
Individual Leaders in Causing the 1916 Easter Rising
The Restructuring of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
● The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) were an advanced
nationalist/republican group in Ireland, who wanted to stage a rebellion
to force the implementation of an Irish Republic- this is what they aimed
to do with the Easter Rising in 1916
● Prior to 1908, the IRB was passive. It needed to break through from its
complacency to organise the Rising
● 1912: Clarke, Hobson, McCullough, and MacDermott (key members of
the IRB and the Easter Rising) take control of the IRB
○ These four men had important positions on the Supreme Council
of the IRB, revolutionising the group and organising the Rising
○ They denied that a Rising had to have public support, allowing it
to occur far earlier than it might have
● Clarke planned to take over the Irish Volunteer Force (IVF) to
strengthen the IRB
○ 12 out of 30 of the men on the IVF committee were IRB members
○ Hobson resigned in 1914 after being shunned for accepting
Redmond as leader of the IVF
■ This made the IRB become even more radical
○ Clarke linked the elder members of the IRB and their old Fenian
tradition to a new, romantic, radical, revolutionary generation
○ Clarke linked the IRB to Clan Na Gael in the USA
● Together, Clarke and MacDermott decided that a rising would occur
regardless of the lack of popular support- this drove the Easter Rising
from theory to reality.
● IRB had key positions within the IVF
○ Clarke was Treasurer
, ○ MacDermott was Secretary
○ Pearse was Director of Military Organisation
○ MacDonagh was the Director of Training
○ Plunkett was the Director of Military Operations
● The IRB restructured itself in preparation for the Rising
○ Clarke, MacDermott and McCullogh formed the new IRB
Executive
○ Pearse, Plunkett, and Ceannt formed the IRB Military Committee
■ Rees describes this group as the “single most important
factor” in planning the 1916 Easter Rising
■ These three men were given the responsibility of making a
detailed plot for the Rising.
○ 1915: The IRB Military Council is established (ie. Clarke and
MacDermott join the Military Committee, which is then renamed
the IRB “Military Council”).
■ This incorporated the IRB Military Committee
● Clarke and MacDermott were key driving forces
behind the Rising- determined, motivated, and
relentless.
● Rees claims that the formation of the Military Council
was the most important factor in causing the Easter
Rising.
■ This group was a “minority within a minority” (Foster),
ensuring secrecy surrounding the rebellion.
■ Members of the IRB were headhunted and vetted by its
new leaders to make the organisation informer-proof
● As a result, there was confusion within the IRB
● The IRB infiltrated the Irish Volunteer Force, the Gaelic League, and the
Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)- making the IRB more powerful and
revolutionising the nationalist generation
Individual Leaders in Causing the 1916 Easter Rising
The Restructuring of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
● The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) were an advanced
nationalist/republican group in Ireland, who wanted to stage a rebellion
to force the implementation of an Irish Republic- this is what they aimed
to do with the Easter Rising in 1916
● Prior to 1908, the IRB was passive. It needed to break through from its
complacency to organise the Rising
● 1912: Clarke, Hobson, McCullough, and MacDermott (key members of
the IRB and the Easter Rising) take control of the IRB
○ These four men had important positions on the Supreme Council
of the IRB, revolutionising the group and organising the Rising
○ They denied that a Rising had to have public support, allowing it
to occur far earlier than it might have
● Clarke planned to take over the Irish Volunteer Force (IVF) to
strengthen the IRB
○ 12 out of 30 of the men on the IVF committee were IRB members
○ Hobson resigned in 1914 after being shunned for accepting
Redmond as leader of the IVF
■ This made the IRB become even more radical
○ Clarke linked the elder members of the IRB and their old Fenian
tradition to a new, romantic, radical, revolutionary generation
○ Clarke linked the IRB to Clan Na Gael in the USA
● Together, Clarke and MacDermott decided that a rising would occur
regardless of the lack of popular support- this drove the Easter Rising
from theory to reality.
● IRB had key positions within the IVF
○ Clarke was Treasurer
, ○ MacDermott was Secretary
○ Pearse was Director of Military Organisation
○ MacDonagh was the Director of Training
○ Plunkett was the Director of Military Operations
● The IRB restructured itself in preparation for the Rising
○ Clarke, MacDermott and McCullogh formed the new IRB
Executive
○ Pearse, Plunkett, and Ceannt formed the IRB Military Committee
■ Rees describes this group as the “single most important
factor” in planning the 1916 Easter Rising
■ These three men were given the responsibility of making a
detailed plot for the Rising.
○ 1915: The IRB Military Council is established (ie. Clarke and
MacDermott join the Military Committee, which is then renamed
the IRB “Military Council”).
■ This incorporated the IRB Military Committee
● Clarke and MacDermott were key driving forces
behind the Rising- determined, motivated, and
relentless.
● Rees claims that the formation of the Military Council
was the most important factor in causing the Easter
Rising.
■ This group was a “minority within a minority” (Foster),
ensuring secrecy surrounding the rebellion.
■ Members of the IRB were headhunted and vetted by its
new leaders to make the organisation informer-proof
● As a result, there was confusion within the IRB
● The IRB infiltrated the Irish Volunteer Force, the Gaelic League, and the
Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)- making the IRB more powerful and
revolutionising the nationalist generation
