The PROCLAMATION OF
POBLACHT NA H EIREANN
__________________
THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT
OF THE
IRISH REPUBLIC
TO THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND
IRISHMEN AND IRISHWOMEN: In the name of God and of the dead
generations from which she receives her old tradition of
nationhood, Ireland, through us, summons her children to her
flag and strikes for her freedom.
Having organised and trained her manhood through her secret
revolutionary organisation, the Irish Republican
Brotherhood, and through her open military organisations,
the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army, having
patiently perfected her discipline, having resolutely waited
for the right moment to reveal itself, she now seizes that
moment, and, supported by her exiled children in America and
by gallant allies in Europe, but relying in the first on her
own strength, she strikes in full confidence of victory.
We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the
ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish
destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible. The long
usurpation of that right by a foreign people and government
has not extinguished the right, nor can it ever be
extinguished except by the destruction of the Irish people.
In every generation the Irish people have asserted their
right to national freedom and sovereignty; six times during
the past three hundred years they have asserted it in arms.
Standing on that fundamental right and again asserting it in
arms in the face of the world, we hereby proclaim the Irish
Republic as a Sovereign Independent State, and we pledge our
lives and the lives of our comrades-in-arms to the cause of
its freedom, of its welfare, and of its exaltation among the
nations.
The Irish Republic is entitled to, and hereby claims, the
allegiance of every Irishman and Irishwoman. The Republic
guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and
equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its
resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole
nation and of all its parts, cherishing all the children of
the nation equally and oblivious of the differences
carefully fostered by an alien government, which have
divided a minority from the majority in the past.
Until our arms have brought the opportune moment for the
establishment of a permanent National Government,
representative of the whole people of Ireland and elected by
the suffrages of all her men and women, the Provisional
Government, hereby constituted, will administer the civil
and military affairs of the Republic in trust for the
people.
We place the cause of the Irish Republic under the
protection of the Most High God, Whose blessing we invoke
upon our arms, and we pray that no one who serves that cause
will dishonour it by cowardice, inhumanity, or rapine. In
this supreme hour the Irish nation must, by its valour and
discipline and by the readiness of its children to sacrifice
themselves for the common good, prove itself worthy of the
august destiny to which it is called.
Signed on Behalf of the Provisional
Government.
Thomas J. Clarke.
Sean MacDiarmada,
Thomas McDonagh,
P.H. Pearse,
Eamonn Ceannt,
James Connolly,
Joseph Plunkett.
When the Irish Volunteers were called on to
take part in the Easter Rising groups of men from north and
south County Louth set out for Dublin. Some managed to reach
Dublin City but the majority, due to confused reports,
returned home.
One of the main incidents in County Louth
took place in Castlebellingham.
It is stated that a group from Dundalk set
out on Sunday morning and some went as far as Slane, in
County Meath, via Ardee (if so passing Gilbertstown
Barracks) and Collon. They were followed by two Royal Irish
Constabulary (RIC) men Sergeant Michael Wymes and Sergeant
Connolly who were watching their movements. They were to
meet a group from south County Louth and proceed to Tara in
County Meath. Due to untrue reports about the Rising they
returned for Dundalk on Monday morning via Dunleer and
Castlebellingham. John McEntee who had been sent to Dublin
for news caught up with the group at Lurgan Green, in
Mooretown Townland, and stated that the Rising was on.
While commandeering cars from persons
returning from Fairyhouse races a Patrick McCormack was shot
in the hand and he asked Sargeant Wymes to arrest John
McEntee. However the Sergeant and two other RIC men who had
arrived were taken prisoner by the Volunteers but later
released and allowed return to Dundalk. The Volunteers set
out for Dublin via Castlebellingham to Dunboyne in County
Meath and some into County Dublin. But various reports and
mishaps halted their advance to the city. When passing through
Castlebellingham Constable Charles Magee (of the
Gilbertstown Barracks) was shot and a British Army officer,
Second Lieutenant Robert Dunville of the Grenadier Guards,
who was travelling from Belfast to Kingstown, was wounded.
Those stated to be involved in this incident were later
court martialled.
Among those from the County who were arrested
for supporting the Rising in Dublin were:-
Prisoner |
Address at time |
Crime |
Sentence/Prison |
John (Sean) McEntee
|
Dundalk |
The murdering of Charles Magee of RIC and attempted murder of
Lt. Dunville at Castlebellingham . Taking part in armed Rebellion in Ireland & waging war
against the King.
|
Court martialled & sentenced to death. But sentence was
commuted to penal servitude |
Francis Martin |
|
do |
Court martialled & sentenced to death. But sentence was
commuted to 10 years penal servitude
|
Denis Leahy |
|
do |
do
|
James Sally |
|
do |
Court martialled & sentenced to 10 years penal servitude.
Sentence was commuted to 5 years.
|
Philip J. McMahon |
Ardee (a native of County Kerry, son of former RIC man)
|
|
5 years penal servitude (2 years remitted) |
Michael Reynolds |
Skeaghmore, Dunleer |
|
5 years penal servitude (2 years remitted)
|
John Quinn |
Dundalk |
|
3 years penal servitude
|
P. Casey |
Castletown Road, Dundalk |
|
Sent to Stafford Detention Barracks on 8 May 1916
|
JJ Waller |
Maxwell's Terrace, Dundalk
|
|
do |
T. Sharkey |
Dublin Street, Dundalk
|
|
do |
J. Barrett |
Dublin Street, Dundalk
|
|
do |
P. Halpin |
Byrne's Row, Dundalk
|
|
do |
John Butterly |
Milltown Mills, Dunleer
|
|
Sent to Wakefield Prison on
1 June 1916 |
M. Butterly |
do |
|
do
|
Thomas Kelly |
Grangebellew, Dunleer
|
|
do |
J. Kelly |
do |
|
do
|
Joseph Layng |
Dunleer |
|
do
|
William Atkinson |
3 New St., Dundalk |
|
Sent to Wakefield on 12 May 1916
|
Arthur O'Neill |
Hill St., Dundalk |
|
do
|
Thomas Hamill |
37 Broughton Street, Dundalk
|
|
do |
Daniel Tuite |
Castletown Road, Dundalk
|
|
do |
Sam Hall |
9 Jocelyn Street, Dundalk
|
|
do |
Patrick Kerr |
Castletown Road, Dundalk
|
|
do |
Philip McQuillan, |
Maxwell's Row, Dundalk
|
|
do |
John Finegan |
21 St. Patrick's Terrace, Dundalk
|
|
do |
James Hanratty |
Mill Street, Dundalk |
|
do
|
Joseph McGuill |
Bridge Street, Dundalk
|
|
do |
Michael Donnelly |
Carnally, Silverbridge
|
|
|
Patrick Donnelly |
Carlingford |
|
Send to Wandsworth Prison on
1 June 1916
|
Michael Ferguson |
Castletown Cooley |
|
do
|
James Hanlon |
do |
|
do
|
Thomas Burke |
Drogheda |
|
Sent to Wandsworth Prison on
8 May 1916
|
Joseph Carr |
do |
|
Do (released 17 May 1916)
|
Joseph Finegan |
do |
|
do
|
Michael Harkin |
do |
|
do
|
Thomas Halpin |
do |
|
do
|
John Hastings |
do |
|
do
|
Michael Keenan |
do |
|
do
|
James Farrelly |
Ardee |
|
do
|
Thomas Mathews |
Ardee |
|
do
|
Thomas McCrave |
Seatown, Dundalk |
|
do
|
Thomas McTaggart |
13 Church St., Dundalk
|
|
do |
P. J. Berrill |
Williamstown Place, Dundalk |
|
Send to Knutsford Prison on
1 June 1916
|
Frank Necy |
Chapel Lane, Dundalk
|
|
do |
Felix O'Neill |
Barrack Street, Dundalk
|
|
do |
