The Key to Understanding Why the 1916 Easter Rising Took Place Lies in the Study of Pearse and Connolly

"The key to understanding why the 1916 Easter Rising took place lies in a study of the roles of Pearse and Connolly." To what extent would you agree with this assessment of the causes of the 1916 Easter Rising?

The proposition emphasises that the main key to understanding why the 1916 Easter Rising took place ultimately lies in the study of the roles of Pearse and Connolly. Although Pearse and Connolly did play their part in the development of the Rising the quotation in the proposition is assuming that Pearse and Connolly are of equal importance. However I feel that Pearse is of more significance than Connolly. Also as Russell Rees points out there are four other major factors to consider in understanding the Rising. These being the First World War, the Irish Republican Brotherhood, New Nationalism, and Carsonism. Even though Pearse and Connolly did contribute to the rising I believe they cannot be regarded as the only keys to understanding why this event took place without the study of the other named factors.

A gifted writer and speaker Patrick Pearse had supported Home Rule. His vision of a free Gaelic Ireland was largely influenced by New Nationalism. Historian Brian P Murphy depicts that Pearse was ‘a nationalist who merely adopted the militant tactics which his opponents were using with success'. I believe this to be true as his thinking had become more radical having seen the formation of the Ulster Volunteer Force and Carson's defiance of British authority. Pearse had become increasingly obsessed with the need for Blood Sacrifice to purify Ireland. Pearse believed that "Life springs from death; and from the graves of patriot men spring living nations." Combining this with his religious beliefs he saw Irelands struggle for redemption in the terms of Christ's sacrifice hence the rising taking place at Easter. As historian Robert Kee points out this indeed could ‘almost be seen as blasphemous'. Pearse used the combination of politics and religion as a way of inspiring people and making them sit up and take notice. Pearse was dedicated to his plans for the Easter Rising so much so that on realising that it would be a military fiasco due to the poor planning and Pearse countermanding MacNeils order which caused further confusion between its supporters, he still stayed dedicated to his blood sacrifice. This I believe proves that Patrick Pearse was a very influential factor in the development of the rising. However as Fearghal McGarry states not all of the rebel leaders threw themselves into the belief of blood sacrifice like Pearse. This is further verified by Michael Foy and Brian Barton who state that the ‘Ireland report' which Casement and Plunkett submitted showed that their plans for the Rising was ‘a detailed and cogent analysis of the conduct of a successful military campaign whose unmistakable objective was the complete destruction of British political

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