The Rising: Ireland: Easter 1916

by Fearghal McGarry

Overview

The Easter Rising of 1916 not only destroyed much of the centre of Dublin-it changed the course of Irish history. But why did it happen and why did a rebellion involving such a small number of revolutionaries have so extensive an impact? This is the story of the Rising from the perspective of those who made it, focusing on the experiences of rank and file revolutionaries, a story now told for the first time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780192801869
Publisher:	Oxford University Press, USA
Publication date:	01/12/2010
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Fearghal McGarry is Senior Lecturer in History at Queen's University, Belfast. He is the author of a number of books on Irish history in the twentieth century, including Frank Ryan, Irish Politics and the Spanish Civil War, and most recently, Eoin O'Duffy: A Self-Made Hero (OUP, 2005).

Table of Contents

List of Plates and Maps viii

List of Abbreviations x

Chronology xi

Introduction 1

1 The Rising Generation: Separatism in Ireland 8

2 Arms in Irish Hands: Volunteering 44

3 The Soul of the Nation: War 79

4 Walking on Air: The Rising in Dublin 120

5 Glorious Forever: The Fall of the Republic 166

6 Charlie Weston, Are you Gone Mad? The Rising in Provincial Ireland 210

7 A Good End: Punishment 247

8 The Beginning of Ireland: Aftermath 277

Guide to Further Reading 294

Notes 300

Index 343

Editorial Reviews

"Although the subject has been covered before, in this work McGarry (history, Queen's Univ., Belfast) uses primary sources only recently made available, focusing not on the major leaders but on members of the rank and file, and lets them provide the descriptions of what happened almost 100 years ago....[A]n important addition to the field."—Library Journal

"McGarry's prose throughout does justice to the very dramatic story he tells. He seamlessly weaves together these richly evocative witnesses with current historiography and narrative, making this book both a major addition to what has already been done, but also an excellent introduction for the general reader to the Rising of 1916."—America

"[A] vivid and compelling narrative that explores the thoughts, fears, and motivations of the revolutionaries in this seminal event in the nation's fight for independence....The Rising offers invaluable insights into the insurrection from ground level....[A] poignant mosaic of idealism, bravery, and humanity....The Rising is rich with tales of the acts of ordinary Dubliners."—Boston Globe

"McGarry succeeds in exposing what few histories of the Rising have done: how the ordinary men and women felt as their city fell around them, bursting into flame and assaulted by rebels and the counterattacks by British troops rushed in to crush the latest in a series of seemingly futile uprisings."—New York Journal of Books

From the Publisher

The insurrection that began on Easter Monday 1916 in Dublin can be described many ways: a doomed coup d'état, a glorious sacrifice, a catalyst for Ireland's freedom from Britain. Although the subject has been covered before, in this work McGarry (history, Queen's Univ., Belfast) uses primary sources only recently made available, focusing not on the major leaders but on members of the rank and file, and lets them provide the descriptions of what happened almost 100 years ago. The rebels' motives, preparations, experiences, and reflections are absorbing, and the small details—e.g., a volunteer's recollection of bidding good-bye to his father while his mother made him sandwiches to take along when he left to fight—are poignant. VERDICT This book assumes some prior knowledge of Irish history, politics, and culture; thus, it's not ideal for the generalist unfamiliar with the subject. However, it is an important addition to the field and is especially useful for study of the role of women and the laboring classes in the uprising, and as a companion piece to more general histories. Best for academic libraries. (Maps, a chronology, and illustrations not seen.)—Megan Hahn Fraser, University of California Lib., Los Angeles

Library Journal