"Cathal Brugha alone saved the situation"
By Thursday 27 April, British reinforcements were pouring into the city and continued their efforts to isolate the GPO. In many of the garrisons food supplies were running low and many men were lacking sleep. Despite this they remained in good spirits.
"You didn't sometimes mind it because the excitement I suppose of being still alive."
Simon Donnelly, Captain 'C' Company, 3rd Battalion remembers that the British army did not press a frontal attack on Boland's Bakery after the huge casualties they suffered at Mount Street. Rather sniper's and machine guns and a naval gun were used against the Volunteers in Boland's.
Volunteer John O'Connor, describes hearing the sound of the sniper fire from his position in Jameson's Distillery, Smithfield.
"We didn't know where they were coming from."
Michael Hayes, who fought in Jacob's states that they came under fire from British snipers in Ship Street Barracks.
Paddy Buttner, a member of the small party sent to take over the Athletic Stores beside the College of Surgeons recalls what it was like to be under fire, he was only sixteen years old at the time.
Volunteer Liam O Briain was one of fourteen men stationed in houses in York Street beside the College of Surgeons and describes how the building came under heavy fire from the British positions surrounding the Green.
Account from an unnamed Volunteer of the attack on the South Dublin Union, where that afternoon Cathal Brugha held back the British forces single-handed in the Nurses home. Despite being wounded twenty-five times he survived his injuries.
Nora Connolly had been sent with her sister Ina and a number of girls to Belfast and Dungannon to rally the Volunteers there, but it was all to no avail. The Connolly sisters decided to go back to Dublin and Nora describes the journey .
"I was very depressed. The disappointments I had met and the feeling that I had failed in the task given went step by every step with me."
On making his way to the GPO, Peter Carpenter, Irish Citizen Army, was sent with a party of men under the command of Oscar Traynor to occupy the Metropole Hotel.
Cormac Turner, Kimmage Garrison recalls how after his group had evacuated Hopkins and Hopkins they made their way to the Imperial Hotel. O'Connell Street was being bombarded by artillery and Turner describes how above all the sounds of the battle he could hear the Volunteers in the GPO singing 'The Soldier's Song'.
Jim Ryan, 'B' Company, 1st Battalion was a medical student at the time of the Rising. He was in charge of the medical station in the GPO and recalls how he had to treat James Connolly after he was shot while inspecting an outpost on Prince's Street earlier that day.
James Connolly's son Roddy served as Aide de Camp to his father and Patrick Pearse in the GPO. He describes the takeover of the building on Easter Monday.
"The atmosphere was one of fierce excitement and exaltation."
Liam O Briain recalls how that evening, while the battle was going on he began to reflect on what they were actually doing.
Title: |
The Week of the Rising : Thursday |
Clip Duration: |
00.29.20 |
Clip Title: |
"Cathal Brugha Alone Saved the Situation" |
Series Title: |
The Week of the Rising |
Information: |
Using interviews with many men and women who had participated in the Easter Rising, the radio series 'The Week of the Rising' chronicled the events of that week in April 1916. It was one of many programmes produced to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Easter Rising. The series was broadcast over eight consecutive nights, each episode being a day by day account of the events beginning with Easter Sunday and Eoin MacNeill's countermanding order right through to the surrender on Sunday 30 April. As presenter Proinsias Mac Aonghusa the series "Is not a definitive history of the Rising. We make no judgements, we do not claim to tell the full story. We present for a new generation the story of what happened as the men and women made history that Easter Week describe it themselves." The interviews of at least twenty-five veterans were used in the production of this series including Nora Connolly, Simon Donnelly, Paddy Buttner, Emily Hanratty, Michael Hayes, Cormac Turner, John O'Connor and Margaret Skinnider to name a few. 'The Week of the Rising' was presented by Proinsias Mac Aonghusa and was broadcast from 10 April until 17 April 1966. |
Local Keywords: |
1916, 1916 Rising, Easter, Easter 1916, Simon Donnelly, De Valera, Boland's Bakery, O'Connor, Jacob's, College of Surgeons, O Briain, South Dublin Union, Eamonn Ceannt, Cathal Brugha, Nora Connolly, Metropole, GPO, Jim Ryan, James Connolly, Roddy Connolly |
Coverage: |
Ireland, Dublin |
Topic: |
Wars and Conflict |
Contributor(s): |
Proinsias Mac Aonghusa (Presenter) |
Publisher: |
RTÉ |
First Broadcast Channel: |
Radio Éireann |
Broadcast Date: |
14/04/1966 |
Production Year: |
1966 |
Country of Production: |
Ireland |
Original Identifier: |
LQD0170A |
IPR Restrictions: |
Rights Reserved - Free Access |
Rights, Terms and Conditions: |
Copyright RTÉ. This material may not be replicated in any form or manner without the prior express permission of RTÉ. Any form of reproduction in print, television, video, multimedia, web site or other electronic media or any form of dissemination for commercial or non-commercial use must be licensed by the RTÉ Archives. If you wish to licence video or audio clips, still images or text, or would like further guidance please contact us. RTÉ Archives are committed to respecting the copyright of others and have attempted to source and credit the copyright owners of all material used here. RTÉ would like to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified here so that the necessary corrections can be made. If you feel your copyright has not been respected please contact us. |
Item Type: |
whole |
Sound: |
Mono |
Language: |
English (eng) |
Original Language: |
English (eng) |
