The Irish rebellion of 1916

by Nora Connolly O'Brien

The revolutionary members, all this time, were completing their plans, strengthening the organization, and waiting eagerly and hopefully for the days to pass, and the Day of all days to come. Every time they thought of the approaching day they were quietly exultant. They knew that their chance of success was greater than it had ever been since the days of Shane and Hugh O'Neill. And they joyfully, and prayerfully thanked God that the opportunity had come in their day. All things went well, their plans matured, and at last they were ready for the fight.

The order for mobilizing was sent through the length and breadth of Ireland, and it was signed by Eoin MacNeill. The order was received and obeyed by the Irish Volunteers. Then, on Good Friday, came the news that Roger Casement was arrested.

Roger Casement had gone to Germany, shortly after the outbreak of the war, to seek an expression of goodwill toward Ireland from Germany. Germany knew that Ireland was held in subjection to England, contrary to the wishes of the vast majority of the Irish people, and that Ireland had always considered the enemy of her oppressor as her friend. Germany knew that when Spain was England's enemy, Ireland had sought the assistance of the Spanish King, and when France was the enemy of England, Wolfe Tone and Robert Emmet had both sought the aid of France; she knew that when England was at war with the Boers, Irishmen had organized a brigade, and gone to South Africa, in the hope of helping to defeat the English enemy. She knew, that then, as now, Ireland was anti-British, and would remain so. Therefore, Germany declared her goodwill towards Ireland, and to the present day Ireland has been free from the terrors of Zeppelin raids, and there has been no German bombardment of our coast.

Soon after arriving in Germany, Roger Casement lost touch with Irish affairs. He still believed that the Irish Volunteers were as badly armed as when he left Ireland. He did not know of the plans for the rising, nor did he know who were to be the leaders, or whether they had military ability or not.

He did not know that the leaders, acting on the expression of goodwill, had asked Germany to send them some arms. I wish to make it plain that Germany never made an offer to the men in Ireland, that she gave nothing to them, not even the expression of goodwill, till she was asked, and that when a request for aid came from Ireland, it was not for money (England has kept us so poor that we have almost learned to do without money), nor was it for men, but for arms, guns, and ammunition. All that Germany promised in return to the request, was that she would make the attempt to send us a certain amount of arms, but as the ship would have to run the gauntlet of the British fleet, she would promise nothing.

This answer was satisfactory to the revolutionary leaders. A date was set for the ship to arrive, and a place designated.

After setting the date and sending it on to Germany, the leaders found that it was necessary to change the date. Word was sent to Germany, but only arrived there after the shipload of arms had set out.

About this time Roger Casement heard that a revolution was about to take place. He asked that he be sent over to Ireland. There was some demur at this, but finally they consented and gave him a submarine. With him on the submarine went two followers of Casement.

The shipload of arms arrived on the first appointed date but the men in Ireland, not knowing that their final message had been too late, had no one there to meet it. Consequently, the ship had to hang about for a number of hours, and finally attracted the suspicion of the fleet which was in Queenstown Harbor. When challenged by the fleet, knowing that subterfuge was hopeless, the Captain ran up the German flag, and sunk the vessel with all the arms and ammunition.

Shortly after this, the submarine with Casement and the two other men arrived off the Irish coast. They were landed with the aid of a collapsible boat belonging to the submarine. Casement, after sending a message to MacNeill advising against the Rising, and saying in the message that Germany had failed us, sought shelter in an old ruin. One of the men managed to make his way into the country and so escaped. Casement was arrested.