CHAPTER 1 TOPIC 3


KEY CONCEPT


BLOOD SACRIFICE


The concept of blood sacrifice was a common notion across Europe during this period of history. It held that one must be prepared to sacrifice one’s life for one’s country. This belief was evident, for example, in the numbers who volunteered to fight at the outbreak of World War I. Many Irish republicans’ idea of blood sacrifice


was that Irish men and women needed to be prepared to die in pursuit of Irish independence.


Such a sacrifice might not in itself be successful, but would serve to inspire future generations to rebel until freedom had been achieved. In 1915 Pearse delivered the oration at the graveside of the Fenian Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa. In his speech Pearse famously made reference to the notion of a blood sacrifice. ‘Life springs from death; and from the graves of patriot men and women spring living nations.’


The IRB was headed by an eleven-member Supreme Council, a number of whom, including Tom Clarke, John MacBride and Thomas McDonagh, decided to seek German help for a rebellion in Ireland. Heading this initiative was Clarke. Unlike many of the younger members of the council, Clarke came from an old Fenian background. He had served time in prison for his part in plotting a bombing campaign in England during the early 1880s, and following his release spent time in the USA working with Clan na Gael, the American branch of the IRB. He returned to Ireland in 1907 and opened a tobacconist shop in Dublin, which became a centre for IRB activity. (SEE TOPIC 2, Chapter 7 for a fuller discussion of the resurgence of the IRB.)


At the outbreak of the war, the IRB’s support organisation in the USA, Clan na Gael, asked the German Ambassador in Washington for assistance in staging a rebellion in Ireland. Clarke and Seán MacDermott, Secretary of the IRB, then decided to send an envoy (representative) to Germany to ask for weapons and German soldiers to assist them. They chose Sir Roger Casement, a former British diplomat, to make contact with the German high command.


IRB leader Tom Clarke.


When Casement arrived in Berlin he received little support from the Germans. They thought the IRB’s plan for a rebellion was too ambitious, and doubted that there was much support in Ireland for it. Plans for a rebellion in 1915 were put on hold due to their lack of assistance. Joseph Plunkett joined Casement in Germany in May 1915 to help push for more German aid. However, the Germans were only prepared to contribute around 20,000 captured Russian rifles, 1 million rounds of ammunition, a small number of machine guns and some explosives.


MacNeill’s Position


Even though he was leader of the Irish Volunteers, Eoin MacNeill was unaware of the full extent of IRB involvement in the organisation. He was not in favour of a rebellion, which he believed would inevitably fail. MacNeill believed that the Volunteers’ role was to put pressure on the British government to establish Home Rule. He believed that they should only use violence if the British:


• tried to disarm or imprison the Volunteers • attempted to impose conscription in Ireland (forcing Irish men to serve in the British Army).


THE PURSUIT OF SOVEREIGNTY AND THE IMPACT OF PARTITION, 1912–1949 125


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