The Irish Volunteers in north Co. Dublin, 1913-17

The objective behind this M.A. Thesis was to chart the establishment and subsequent development of the Irish Volunteer movement under Eoin MacNeill, in north County Dublin, in the period 1913 to 1917. Within that primary aim it was envisaged that the development of the Skerries Irish Volunteer company would become apparent, but within its proper context in the wider movement in north County Dublin and beyond. As a means to achieve these objectives recourse was made to both primary and secondary sources. The former was looked to for new information while the latter was expected to show what is already known on the subject in hand. While the Volunteers were attached to companies, it was proposed to see them as people within a ‘community of association’ i.e. as a group of like-minded individuals (in this case men), all engaged in the pursuit of a defined set of goals. During the period of examination, a great varity of events occurred, in which the Volunteers of the north county and Skerries participated. It began with the formation of the Volunteer movement itself and then its subsequent transformation into the National Volunteers under John Redmond which was an important change. The Volunteers of the study area took part in the Howth Gun-running in July 1914. At the time of the Redmondite-split, Volunteers either reverted to MacNeill or remained with Redmond. The north county Volunteers participated in the 1916 Rising, with the Fifth Battalion under the command of Thomas Ashe and Richard Mulcahy and also with Dublin City garrisons such as at the General Post Office and the Mendicity Institute to name just two. They collectively fought hard and are now remembered in the 1916 Rolls of Honour housed at the National Museum of Ireland. Those who died are remembered by memorials such as that at Rath Cross, Ashbourne, County, Meath.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

masters

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

National University of Ireland Maynooth

Year dc:date.issued

2011

Author dc:creator

• Whearity, Peter Francis

Language dc:language

en