Analysis: Essays from "Leaders and Men of the Easter Ri
Analysis: Essays from "Leaders and Men of the Easter Rising"
Leaders and Men of the Easter Rising is a compilation of essays that were originally part of the Thomas Davis lecture series broadcasted on Radio Telefis Eirann (Irish Public Radio) in 1965. The lectures have been edited for print by F.X. Martin, who also produced the original radio series. In the editor’s words, “The contributions are intended to cover as many aspects as possible of the events of Easter Week, 1916.” Martin considers his compilation “…the first attempt at a cool appraisal of the Easter Rising in the context of the Ireland of its time.”
The essays are organized loosely by topic. The first few chapters review Ireland’s governmental structure of the time, how its current leaders came to be, and how their predecessors had ruled Ireland. It goes on to the members of parliament and their history, and then the remainder of the book details the movements of the men and their followers who started Ireland on the path to independence from England
The essays do cover many aspects of the events leading up to the rebellion, so in that way the book accomplishes what it sets out to. However, the lectures do not convert well to print, and tend to be repetitive, making the timeline somewhat confusing. Also, since the lectures are meant for an Irish audience, some details are left unexplained. For example, the editor assumes I know what Radio Telefis Eirann is . . . I have to guess that it’s Irish Public Radio. Overall, I thought the book was repetitive and a little hard to follow, but I was able to learn a lot about Irish politics, and the events leading up to the Easter Rising of 1916.
Ireland’s Pre World War I governmental structure consisted of three central figures; The Lord Lieutenant, The Chief Secretary, and The Under Secretary. Lord Wimborne, who was appointed in 1914, filled the role of Lord Lieutenant, and acted primarily as a state figurehead. Ireland’s real policy maker was its Chief Secretary, a position held since 1906 by Augustine Birrell. Birrell was a member of England’s Parliament, and opposed to complete separation from her. The Under Secretary was Sir Matthew Nathan. His role was primarily that of policy enforcer....