The Easter Rising of 1916 not only destroyed much of the centre of Dublin
- it changed the course of Irish history But why did it happen? What was the role of ordinary people in this extraordinary event? What motivated them & what were their aims? These basic questions continue to divide historians of modern Ireland The Rising is the story of Easter 1916 from the perspective of those who made it focusing on the experiences of rank & file revolutionaries Fearghal Mc Garry makes use of a unique source that has only recently seen the light of day
- a collection of over 1700 eye-witness statements detailing the political activities of members of Sinn Fein & militant groups such as the Irish Republican Brotherhood This collection represents one of the richest & most comprehensive oral history archives devoted to any modern revolution providing new insights on almost every aspect of this seminal period The Rising shows how people from ordinary backgrounds became politicized & involved in the struggle for Irish independence Mc Garry illuminates their motives concerns & aspirations highlighting the importance of the Great War as a catalyst for the uprising He concludes by exploring the Rising's revolutionary aftermath which in time saw the creation of the independent state we see today This edition
Includes:: a new preface which reflects on the continuing importance of the Easter Rising as a symbol of Irish nationhood & which looks at the 2016 centenary commemorations in both Ireland & the UK within the wider context of the ' Decade of Centenaries'