"Easter Dawn charts the story of the 1916 Rising, from the landing of the guns at Howth for the Irish Volunteers in 1914 to the arrests and executions that followed it. The battlegrounds that erupted across Dublin city and elsewhere in Ireland form the stage upon which a remarkable cast assembled." -- Book jacket

Tells the story of the Easter Rising from the perspective of the rank and file revolutionaries, based on a recently-discovered collection of over 1700 eye-witness statements.

Townshend traces the dramatic events of the Easter Rebellion in Dublin in 1916, the actions and aims of the rebels, the British response to the revolt and the consequences, politically and culturally, of the uprising.

The Easter 1916 Rising: an unlikely band of freedom fighters - teachers, poets, writers, patriots, trade unionists - declare an Irish Republic. From this dramatic gesture, a nation is born... The rebellion that set Ireland free, told as a graphic novel.

A collection of new research on neglected aspects of the 1916 Rising by the top 1916 scholars. The book examines the impact of the Rising within the United Kingdom, British Empire, North America, and Australasia, and provides a fresh context to the new work on key figures such as James Connolly and Padraig Pearse. Contents: Introduction --- Ruan O'Donnell - The Limerick Volunteers and 1916 --- John O'Callaghan - Vanguard of the Revolution? The Irish Citizen Army, 1916 --- Ann Matthews - 'A Land Beyond the Sea': Irish and Scottish Republicans in Dublin, 1916' --- Mairtin Sean O Cathain - The British Labour and Socialist Movement and the 1916 Rising --- David Granville - Antipodean Irish Catholic Responses to the 1916 Rising --- Rory Sweetman - 'The Wilson Administration and the 1916 Rising --- Bernadette Whelan - Journees Sanglantes/ Days of Blood: The French Press and the Easter Rising --- Ian McKeane - The Easter Rising and the First World War. A Contextual Study --- Priscilla Metscher and James Connolly - 'A People That Did Not Exist?: Reflections on Some Sources and Contexts for Patrick Pearse's Militant Nationalism --- Roisin Ni Ghairbhi - 1916: Insurrection or Rebellion? Making Judgements --- Peter Berresford Ellis - 'The Wind that Shakes the Barley': Reflections on the Writing of Irish History in the Period of the Easter Rising and the Irish War of Independence --- Brian P Murphy - Rethinking the Republic: The Republican Movement and 1966 --- Matt Treacy - Appendices: The 1916 Proclamation. Introduction to C. Desmond Greaves, 1916 as History, The Myth of Blood Sacrifice --- Anthony Coughlan - Nominal Roll of the Irish Citizen's Army.

When the outbreak of World War I (1914-1918) delayed home rule for Ireland, a faction of Irish nationalists - the Irish Republican Brotherhood - decided to take direct action and infiltrated a number of other nationalist and militia outfits. On Easter Monday 1916, whilst armed men seized key points across Dublin, a rebellion was launched from the steps of the General Post Office (GPO) and Patrick Pearse proclaimed the existence of an Irish Republic and the establishment of a Provisional Government. The British response was a military one and martial law was declared throughout Ireland. Over the next five days they drove the rebels back in violent street fighting until the Provisional Government surrendered on April 29. Central Dublin was left in ruins. The leaders of the rising were tried by court martial: 15 of them were summarily executed and a further 3,500 'sympathizers' imprisoned. Although the majority of the Irish population was against the rebellion, the manner of its suppression began to turn their heads in favor of those who would call for independence from Britain 'at any cost.' Covering in detail this important milestone in the ongoing Anglo-Irish struggle, bestselling author Michael McNally thoroughly examines the politics and tactics employed, to provide a well-researched study of the roots and outcome of this conflict. Furthermore, the array of unique photographs depicting this calamitous event help to bring to life one of the key episodes that shaped Irish history.

After the Rebellion, came the trials. 3,226 men and women were rounded up and brought to Richmond Barracks in Dublin, where they were screened for trial, deportation or release. In the following three weeks of May 1916 nearly 2,000 men and women were deported and interned. 160 prisoners were tried by Field General Courts Martial. These trials were held in camera - no press or public were admitted. None of the prisoners were legally represented or permitted to give sworn evidence in their own defence. Most trials lasted about 20 minutes or less. 90 death sentences were passed and 15 were carried out. This book provides a powerful analysis of an uncomfortable moment in history when the rule of law gave way to political imperatives. The trials and executions took place while the outcome of the Great War hung in the balance. The government judged that publication of the trial records would damage army recruitment and the war effort, so the trial records were suppressed and most were thought to have been destroyed. But since the turn of the century more and more trial records have surfaced, casting dramatic new insights into what took place. This book, the companion to The Trial of Civilians by Military Courts: Ireland 1921, is a fascinating and comprehensive study of the trials which proved to be a pivotal event in Anglo-Irish history.

In the long and epic fight for Irish independence, few events match the drama and tragedy of the Easter Rising of 1916. Inspired by the legends of old and sharing the dream of an independent Ireland, an extraordinary alliance of men and women sought to overthrow British rule in Ireland. 'Easter Dawn' charts the story of the Rising from the landing of the guns at Howth in 1914, to the arrests and executions that followed it. The fate of those involved - rebel and loyalist alike - is told through eyewitness accounts and media reports. Intricately researched and emotively written, the narrative is woven around contemporary photographs, many rare and unseen, providing a fresh look at the people and places involved. As the centenary of 1916 approaches, this book is ideally suited for anyone seeking an accessible, impartial and dramatic view of that immense week.

This compact yet detailed book explores the 1916 Rising in Ireland, from the historical context, to a day-by-day account of the events, to biographies of the leading figures.