We have been, among other places, to the 'Hansard Archives' and back and, while we did get what we were looking for, we needed showers afterwards ; we discovered shameful behind-the-scenes machinations, criminal acts, in our opinion that, during Easter Week in 1916, in one county in Ireland, took place, to the everlasting shame of those who voluntarily plotted those endeavours.
An agreement was reached between representatives of the British occupation forces and the 'Irish Volunteer' leadership (as opposed to the rank-and-file Volunteers) that rifles should be handed over to representatives of the British military, that the local 'Irish Volunteers' should, in effect, become a British Army militia and assist the British military "to maintain order" and that 'Irish Volunteers' from that county would be "permitted", by the British, to travel throughout the country to prevent "disturbances" by 'Irish Volunteer' organisations that they encountered.
This was absolutely disgusting and despicable behaviour by the 'Irish Volunteer' leadership in that county, in 1916. Actions of that sort, whether during Easter Week in 1916 or at any other period in our history - to be even willing to discuss such issues with the British - are unforgivable, but no shame attaches to the 'rank-and-file', the hundreds of brave Irish men and women from there, and other counties in Ireland, who truly and honestly took the battle to Westminster in 1916 and, thankfully, who continue to do so to this day.
We will be posting about the above sleeveen acts on Wednesday 28th April 2021, as we are still piecing the parts together.
Between this and then - on Wednesday 21st April 2021 - we'll be writing about, among other pieces, an Irish politician who brought his own career to an end by an 'outside relationship', a piece on the first three casualties of the 1916 Rising, an IRA Captain who was abducted by the Staters and shot multiple times, and a man who was being questioned about a bombing and, during the questioning, was charged with another offence. Hope you check back with us on both those dates!
Thanks for reading,
Sharon.
