The Easter Rising of 1916 was one of the, maybe the defining moment of Irish history in the 20th century. While the rebellion was planned as a nationwide event it only had a real impact on Dublin. And the Irish capital is also the ideal place to re-visit the Easter Rising. From the founding of the Irish Volunteers am the smuggling of German guns into the country to the heroic last stand of the rebels and their subsequent execution. Even the grave of Roger Casement, arrested on the west coast of Ireland and hanged in London, is found here.
The best place to start exploring is the National Museum of Ireland in Collins Barrack. Here a special exhibition is dedicated to the Easter Rising, setting out the background, documenting the events of 1916 and also the aftermath. The exhibition has been newly designed and gives a more balanced view of history than earlier efforts.
You are standing at the very end of the story here - this is the burial place of most of the movers and shakers behind the rebellion, executed by the British military after a farcical military tribunal. The cemetery is within walking distance of the Collins Barracks.
This massive restored prison complex was the place of internment for most leaders of the rebellion captured by British forces. It also was the place of execution for, amongst others, Patrick Pearse and James Connolly, making it hallowed ground for the Irish nation. The exhibition reflects this.
Patrick Pearse read the proclamation of the Irish Republic in front of the GPO to eager rebels and some bemused civilians. After this the rebels made the GPO in what was then Sackville Street their headquarters and main stronghold. Which basically was a military disaster waiting to happen. The front of the GPO and the nearby O'Connell Monument still have visible battle scars. Sackville Street itself had to be totally rebuilt after being shelled by artillery.
A rebel force led by the Countess Markiewicz (her bust stands near the center of St. Stephen's Green) occupied the park in a heroic but extremely futile gesture. They realized their mistake when British machine guns began to rake the park from the windows of the Shelbourne Hotel. And retreated into the RCSI building, whose front is still pock-marked by small arms fire.
Around the court buildings north of the Liffey rebels faced down superior British forces for a considerable time. The image of severely wounded Cathal Brugha singing "God Save Ireland" from the barricades at the top of his voice went straight into Irish folklore. As did his later death in the Irish Civil War, fighting against the Free State Government.
Rotunda Hospital, Parnell Square
On the eastern side of Parnell Square, near the Rotunda Hospital and the Garden of Remembrance, a small monument with an Irish inscription can be found. The image of a broken chain symbolizes the breaking free of Ireland from British chains - and reminds the passer-by that the Irish Volunteers were founded nearby. The Volunteers later formed the largest contingent of the 1916 rebels, alongside the Irish Citizens Army and the Hibernian Rifles.The harbor of Howth did not play a major role in the Easter Rising, but the armed rebellion was made possible here. Sailing in from Germany, writer and Irish nationalist Erskine Childers brought arms on his yacht
Asgard for the Irish Volunteers. A small plaque near the lighthouse commemorates the "Howth Gun-Running", as the event became popularly known. By the way - independence hero Childers was executed by the Free State Government during the Civil War.
Dublin's largest cemetery is full of memorials to those killed during or involved in the 1916 rising. Though the focal point should be a monument designed by Dora Sigerson, the most striking grave may be the simple slab commemorating Roger Casement, executed in London for high treason. Other graves of note include those in the "Republican Plot" and that of murdered journalist (and pacifist) Francis Sheehy-Skeffington .
Still towering above the Liffey and definitely one of the lesser known sights of Dublin, the (disused) fort was the scene of the first engagement of the Easter Rising - Volunteers pretended to play football, kicked the ball "accidentally" towards the gate and then rushed the surprised sentries. In vain, as the actual magazine was locked and the key not on site.
