READERS OF The Irish Timeson Easter Monday in 1916, April 24th that year, would have had no inkling of the historical change that was about to get under way at the GPO that morning.
The eight-page newspaper that day was dominated by war news. There were reports from the western and eastern fronts, of French air raids on Sofia in the Balkans, and a failed British attack against the Turks in Mesopotamia.
Some 404 casualties had been announced over the weekend and the names of the 20 officers killed were listed along with the “other ranks” from Irish regiments who were listed as killed, missing or wounded.
Other reports included a preview of the Irish Grand National – tipping Ballyneety to win – and an account of a rugby match between the “crocks” (mostly ex-internationals) of Leinster and of Ulster at Lansdowne Road.
There were few references to Sinn Féin, one in the courts where a man claiming to be a member of the Irish Volunteers, and, according to the evidence, a little the worse for drink, had produced a revolver in a pub and threatened to shoot three soldiers. The other was to the absence of “Sinn Féin Volunteers” in the Baltinglass area of Co Kildare where a “roll of honour” with the names of 120 men serving with the British forces had been covered with tar. It had been erected by the local recruiting committee which, the newspaper reported, was made up of prominent nationalists. The Volunteers in the area had unanimously supported John Redmond’s policy and many had joined “the Colours”, the report noted.
The incident was said to have caused great indignation among their families and was blamed on practical jokers.
Perhaps most likely to reflect the views of many of the paper’s readers, however, was a letter to the editor from an anonymous correspondent who signed himself “An Irish Nationalist”:
IRELAND AND COMPULSION
Sir, – I do hope, and so do thousands of sterling Nationalists, that, when the equal-service-for-all proposition comes before the secret session of the House of Commons on Tuesday next, there will be many powerful voices to urge the claims of Ireland to similar treatment with England and Scotland. There is no country engaged in this war that would suffer more material damage than Ireland if the Huns won. If this is true, why should Irishmen suffer the indignity of allowing other countries to sacrifice everything for our sakes, while our foolish young men play at soldiers in the streets of our cities and the roads and lanes of our country districts?
The writer has been for many months at the front in Flanders, and he knows the feeling of disappointment and indignation that fills the souls of all the Irish soldiers out there at the comparative indifference and want of support which Irishmen at home are affording to their own splendid regiments.
Slowly and gradually these regiments are parting with their identity, and their ranks are becoming more and more filled with Englishmen and Scotsmen. It is nonsense to say that Ireland has done her duty, or half her duty. She has ignored the timely and wise advice tendered to her by Mr John Redmond and other Nationalist leaders.
This being so, it becomes the bounden duty of every Irish leader who loves his own country, and desires to see her keep unsullied the splendid services of Irish soldiers in the past, to insist that, if universal military service is applied to Englishmen and Scotsmen, the same law must be enforced in Ireland.
If British statesmen and Irish leaders only grasp the nettle with pluck and firmness, there will be no trouble whatever with Irishmen.
For free access to all of the contents of the newspaper for this day in 1916 in its original format, go to
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1916/0424/Pg007.html#Ar00709