Product Description

Of the 191 rebels court-martialled after the Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916, 90 received death sentences. In 15 of the cases, the death penalty was confirmed and the rebels shot. The official British government record of the proceedings in each of the 15 trials was kept secret for most of the 20th century and was only released to the public in 1999. The official records presented in this book provide the only definitive record of the court martial proceedings, hitherto the subject of much speculation and propaganda on both sides. Further material released in early 2001 includes the trial of Countess Markievicz and important evidence about "shoot to kill" British military tactics. The complete official court-martial records, photographs of the leaders and key British players, and the incisive commentary of historian Brian Barton provide insight into the minds of the rebel leaders at a defining moment in Irish history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #889006 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
'a particularly riveting read' Belfast Telegraph 'First-class research combined with an ability to produce a highly-readable account' News Letter

The Easter Rising of 1916 was planned by the Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood, a small underground organization. A pathetically under-armed army of several hundred marched through the snow to Dublin and was quickly rounded up and arrested. It was a brave, ludicrous episode in recent Irish history; 450 of the rebels were killed and 2,614 wounded; the Army lost 17 officers and 99 men. Here is a report of the secret court martials which condemned the leaders to death by shooting - there were 90 death sentences, confirmed in 15 cases. These transcripts show brave men at a moment of the utmost peril, affirming their beliefs and intentions with such candour and vigour that it is not surprising that they have not been published until over 80 years after the event. 'I went down on my knees as a child and told God I would work all my life to gain the freedom of Ireland,' said Patrick Pearse. John MacBride, second-in-command of the Military Council, told the court: 'I could have escaped... before the surrender had I so desired, but I considered it a dishonourable thing to do.' James Connolly made a telling point: 'We succeeded in proving that Irishmen are ready to die endeavouring to win for Ireland their national rights which the British Government has been asking them to die to win for Belgium.' Many original documents and letters are reproduced, including statements and last letters from the condemned men to their families. There is also a long account of the part played in the incident by Sir John Maxwell, Commander-in-Chief troops, whose handling of the situation has been questioned, and whose response to it has been generally condemned as cruel. This is vital reading for anyone interested in a seminal episode of Irish history. (Kirkus UK)

About the Author
Brian Barton was born in County Donegal in 1944 and educated at Methodist College Belfast. He graduated from Queen's University in Belfast in 1967 with a BA in Modern History and was later awarded an MA by the University of Ulster and a Ph.D. by Queen's in 1986. He has taught and lectured at secondary and tertiary levels, and is currently a Research Fellow in the School of Politics at Queen's University. Previous publications include The Blitz and The Pocket History of Ulster.