An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 17 Fairview and Phibsborough. Although the plan to detonate the Maga- zine Fort in the Phoenix Park to signal the beginning of the insurrection failed, a large amount of weapons and ammunition was secured and distributed amongst the Volun- teer units. While the British were initially taken by surprise, they rallied rapidly and set about se- curing a number of positions throughout the city. With reinforcements arriving from the Curragh camp, artillery from Athlone, and other troops being shipped in from England, they began engaging rebel posts throughout the city. Fierce gun-battles erupted at the South Dublin Union, the Four Courts and Dublin Castle. At the South Dublin Union, Commandant Ceannt's unit fought the Royal Irish Regi- ment from Richmond Barracks in Inchicore. Having breached an entry into the complex, British soldiers fought running battles with Volunteers through the grounds and hospital buildings. After hours of fighting the Volun- teers took up a position within the Nurses Home where they held off further attacks launched by the RIR, who were then ordered to pull out, leaving the Volunteers to consoli- date their position. On Tuesday, the Notting- hamshire and Derbyshire Regiment ('Sherwood Foresters') engaged Ceannt's men in the Nurses Home, where Vice-Comdt Cathal Brugha was very badly wounded while the Volunteers held off repeated at- tacks. The small garrison held out until the surrender on Saturday. Capt Séan Heuston fought valiantly with his force at the Mendic- ity Institute, buying time for the Four Courts garrison to consolidate their positions, before soldiers of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers stormed the building, taking the Volunteers prisoner. At Mount Street Bridge a force of Volunteers under the command of Michael Malone held three strategically located buildings on a major route into the city centre. Here they engaged two battalions of the Sherwood Foresters, inflicting heavy casualties. Although Malone was killed in action and others were captured, a number of the force managed to escape. Elements of de Valera's 3rd Battalion also man- aged to delay British forces from entering the city and skirmishing continued in the area until the surrender. At the Four Courts Daly's force engaged British troops and captured numerous police officers and heavy fighting in North King Street resulted in numerous casualties among the Staffordshire Regiment. Armoured personnel carriers were used to enter the street and deploy troops into houses in order for them to mouse-hole from building to building to approach their quarry. An awful incident took place during this battle when British soldiers summarily executed 15 innocent civilians that they accused of fighting with or aiding the rebels. The perpetrators of this war crime were never apprehended. At the GHQ in the GPO, rebel commanders monitored each battalion's actions through a series of dispatches and communiqués. Due to the number of fortified positions protecting the rebel HQ, the commander of the British forces in Dublin, Maj Gen WH Lowe, realised a direct assault was likely to fail and would result in many casualties. Instead, he decided to destroy the posts with artillery fire and within hours Sackville Street and its sur- rounds were ablaze. Pearse, the wounded Connolly, and the other commanders withdrew from the GPO and moved out into buildings on Moore Street where the defiant garrison made their last stand. Witnessing the devastation around them, and the deaths of civilians in the crossfire, Pearse and Connolly decided to surrender, and each issued a communiqué order- ing their forces to surrender. The news was relayed by courier to each Volunteer garrison and so the Rising in Dublin came to an end. Around the rest of the country the confusion caused by conflicting orders and countermanding orders from the Volunteers leadership meant that relatively few participated in the Rising outside of Dublin. The only large-scale engagement outside of the city occurred at Ashbourne, County Meath. The 5th Battalion, under the command of Thomas Ashe and his 2/ic Richard Mulcahy, had wreaked havoc in north County Dublin, raiding police stations, damaging telegraph and railway lines. They also attacked the RIC barracks at Ashbourne. While this was taking place, a police rapid response unit arrived from Slane. In the ensuing five-hour gun battle, eight constables were killed and 15 wounded, while two Volunteers were killed before the police sur- rendered. The Volunteers continued their guerrilla campaign in the area until they received the surrender order from Pearse. In Galway, 600 to 700 Volunteers, under the command of Liam Mellows, attacked a number of police stations in the county. Poorly armed and equipped, his unit took up positions in the countryside around Athenry. A large force of British troops were despatched to deal with the group, while the British cruiser, HMS Gloucester, sailed into Galway Bay and shelled the Athenry area. Realising the situation was hopeless Mellows dispersed his group. In the weeks following their insurrection, many Volunteers were arrested and imprisoned while others were forced to go on the run. In County Wexford, Enniscorthy was occupied and held by a large force of Volunteers, who established their HQ in the Atheneum theatre, where the tricolour was raised over the building while armed Volunteers paraded through the streets. A unit set off for Dublin but returned, having received information that a large force of British troops had been entrained for Wexford. They also surrendered on receiving Pearse's order. In Cork, the RIC were detailed to arrest those suspected of involve- ment in the rebellion and when they arrived at the residence of the Kent family a gun battle ensued, which resulted in the death of an RIC officer and the fatal wounding of Richard Kent. Thomas Kent was tried by court martial and subsequently executed, the only person other than Roger Casement to be executed outside of Dublin. After seven bloody days, the Rising came to an end. Dublin lay in ruins and after the surrender those who had participated in the insurrec- tion awaited their fate. Eamon De Valera arrested and accompanied by Sherwood Foresters after his arrest, 1916. Photo: Sherwood Foresters Regimental Museum/South Dublin Libraries

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