The battle raged in Dublin for six days and resulted in four-hundred and eighty-five deaths and the destruction of many parts of the city. While predominately a Dublin affair, many of the Volunteers were from outside the city; twenty-four Kildare men and women took part in the Rising, including fifteen who walked from Maynooth to the GPO. Eight Kildare natives were killed in the Rising, while dozens more were wounded or imprisoned in the aftermath. Chief financier of the Rising was Kildare-born John Devoy, leader of Clann na nGael in America.
On Wednesday 19th April, Captain Tom Byrne brought news to Naas from GHQ in Dublin that a nationwide rising was to take place on Sunday 23rd April, using the Volunteers’ scheduled manoeuvers in Dublin as a cover. He was ordered to mobilise all the companies in the county and march to Bodenstown, where they would assemble, blow-up the railway bridge, and march on Dublin. All companies promised a good turnout. However, due to Eoin MacNeill’s countermanding order, confusion reigned in County Kildare. Five Volunteer companies mobilised for action, but stood down when they received the countermanding order.
The plans to blow up the railway bridge at Bodenstown ailed and Captain Kelly and Tom Harris made their way to Maynooth. Here, Domhnall Ua Buachalla had again mobilised his company, when word was received that the Rising had gone ahead in Dublin. Fifteen men walked from Maynooth to Dublin arriving at the GPO on Tuesday morning, to be welcomed by Pearse and Connolly. In the GPO garrison, the Maynooth group found individuals who were from Kildare. Around the city, more Kildaremen and women were based in other rebel garrisons.
As the crown forces reacted to the Rising, dozens more Kildare men arrived in the capital to quell the insurrection. The Irish regiments of the British army had many men from the Short Grass County in their ranks. Some of their first fatalities, including Captain Alfred Warmington and Private Bernard Mulraney, arrived in Dublin from Newbridge Barracks and the Curragh Camp. Among the first civilian casualties were men who had been born and raised in Kildare, but had made Dublin their home. Michael Kavanagh was shot dead by rebels at a barricade in St. Stephen’s Green; Francis Salmon was fatally shot by an unknown sniper; while Peter Connolly was bayonetted to death by British soldiers in North King Street.
Outside of the capital, there were only a few locations where action associated with the Rising occurred. In County Kildare, aside from the mobilisation of the Maynooth Company, a small railway section was destroyed near Athy in an attempt to disrupt communications.
Eight people from Kildare, combatants and civilians, were killed in the fighting, while nearly fifty more were captured, or arrested. They were imprisoned in the Curragh Camp, Dublin’s Richmond Barracks, jails in England and Frongoch Camp in Wales. As the week progressed British military mobilised to the defence of the crown in Dublin. One of those mobilised was a Robertstown man, Captain Harry de Courcy Wheeler, who accompanied by Nurse O’Farrell, took the surrender of many of the rebel garrisons.
The subsequent execution of the leaders of the Rising awakened a generation to The cause of Irish freedom and the Kildare men of 1916: Domhnall Ua Buachalla, Tom Harris, Pat Colgan, Michael Smyth and Éamon Ó Modhrain would play their part in the development of our nation.
The Commemorative Programme
The Kildare Decade of Commemorations Programme in 2016 will examine and reflect on the impact of the Easter Rising in Kildare, including both local events and activities, and the wider national personalities, events and their impact. For the centenary of the 1916 Rising, through a comprehensive exploration of the political, social, cultural and economic history of the county, we hope to provide a holistic view of the period, through cultural performances, publications, historical reflections and education programmes.
The Centenary Commemoration of 1916 in Kildare is led by the Kildare County Council’s Decade of Commemorations Committee, comprising elected members of Kildare County Council and the Heritage, Community, Arts and Libraries Departments. The plans to date have been informed by extensive public consultation. The involvement of all parts of the community remains an important aspect of our commemorations. This plan will be further expanded in the coming months and we look forward to further engagement with the community in Kildare.
Bhí an cath ag réabadh i mBaile Átha Cliath ar feadh sé lá agus fuair ceithre chéad agus ochtó a cúig duine bás agus milleadh go leor codanna den chathair mar thoradh air. Cé gur thit an chuid ba mhó de amach I mBaile Átha Cliath, ba as áiteanna lasmuigh den chathair go leor de na hÓglaigh; ghlac ceathrar fear is fiche agus beirt bhan ó Chill Dara páirt san Éirí Amach, ina measc cúigear déag a shiúil ó Mhaigh Nuad go dtí Ard-Oifig an Phoist. Maraíodh ochtar dúchasach de chuid Chill Dara san Éirí Amach, agus gortaíodh go leor daoine nó cuireadh chun príosúin iad sa tréimhse ina dhiaidh. Ba é príomh-mhaoinitheoir an Éirí Amach John Devoy, a rugadh i gCill Dara, a bhí ina cheannasaí ar Chlann na nGael i Meiriceá.
Dé Céadaoin, an 19 Aibreán, thug an Captaen Tom Byrne an nuacht leis go dtí an Nás ón gCeanncheathrú Ghinearálta i mBaile Átha Cliath go raibh éirí amach ar fud na tíre le titim amach Dé Domhnaigh an 23 Aibreán, agus ainliú sceidealaithe na nÓglach á úsáid i mBaile Átha mar dhallamullóg. Ordaíodh é chun na complachtaí go léir sa chontae a bhailiú agus máirseáil go dtí Baile Uí Bhuadáin, áit a dtionólfaidís, a millfeadh siad an droichead iarnróid, agus a dtabharfaidh siad aghaidh ansin ar Bhaile Átha Cliath. Gheall gach complacht go dtiocfadh go leor daoine i láthair. Mar gheall ar fhreasordú Eoin Mhic Néill, áfach, bhí mearbhall ar dhaoine i gContae Chill Dara. Tháinig cúig complacht Óglach le chéile chun dul i mbun gnímh, ach lánscoir siad nuair a tugadh an freasordú dóibh.
Theip ar na pleananna chun an droichead iarnróid ag Baile Uí Bhuadáin a mhilleadh agus thug an Captaen Kelly agus Tom Harris aghaidh ar Mhaigh Nuad. Rinne Domhnall Ua Buachalla a chomplacht a thabhairt le chéile arís anseo, nuair a cuireadh in iúl dóibh gur lean an tÉirí Amach ar aghaidh i mBaile Átha Cliath. Shiúil cúigear fear déag ó Mhaigh Nuad go Baile Átha Cliath agus bhain siad Ard-Oifig an Phoist amach maidin Dé Máirt, agus chuir an Piarsach agus an Conghaileach fáilte rompu. I ngarastún Ard-Oifig an Phoist, tháinig scata Mhaigh Nuad ar dhaoine arb as Cill Dara dóibh. Timpeall na cathrach, bhí ní ba mhó fear agus ban ó Chill Dara bunaithe ina macasamhail de gharastúin reibiliúnacha.
De réir mar a d’fhreagair fórsaí na coronach don Éirí Amach, tháinig go leor leor fear eile ó Chill Dara chuig an bpríomhchathair chun an t-éirí amach a bhuachan. Bhí go leor fear ó Chontae an Ghearrfhéir I reisimintí Éireannacha arm na Breataine. Tháinig an Captaen Alfred Warmington agus an Saighdiúir Bernard Mulraney, a bhí i measc na chéad daoine a maraíodh, go Baile Átha Cliath ó Bheairic Dhroichead Nua agus ó Champa an Churraigh. Ar na chéad sibhialtaigh a maraíodh, bhí fir a rugadh agus a tógadh i gCill Dara, ach a chuir fúthu i mBaile Átha Cliath. Rinne reibiliúnaigh Michael Kavanagh a lámhach agus maraíodh é ag baracáid i bhFaiche Stiabhna; rinne snípéir Francis Salmon a lámhach agus gortaíodh go marfach é; agus sháigh saighdiúirí na Breataine Peter Connolly le beaignit agus fuair sé bás mar gheall air ar Shráid an Rí Thuaidh.
Taobh amuigh den phríomhchathair, ní raibh ach dornán láithreacha ann inar thit gníomhartha amach a bhain leis an Éirí Amach. I gContae Chill Dara, seachas ó thionól Chomplacht Mhaigh Nuad, milleadh stráice beag den iarnród i ngar do Bhaile Átha Í mar iarracht chun cur isteach ar an gcumarsáid.
Maraíodh ochtar ó Chill, idir shaighdiúirí agus sibhialtaigh, sa troid, agus gabhadh nach mór caoga duine eile. Cuireadh iad chun príosúin i gCampa an Churraigh, Beairic Richmond i mBaile Átha Cliath, príosúin i Sasana agus Campa Frongoch sa Bhreatain Bheag. De réir mar a lean an tseachtain ar aghaidh, tháinig fórsaí míleata na Breataine le chéile chun an choróin a chosaint i mBaile Átha Cliath. Ar cheann de na daoine siúd a tháinig le chéile bhí fear ó Bhaile Riobaird, an Captaen Harry de Courcy Wheeler, agus rinne sé, I gcuideachta an Altra O’Farrell, géilleadh go leor de na garastúin reibiliúnach a ghlacadh.
Mhúscail cur chun báis cheannairí an Éirí Amach ina dhiaidh sin fonn i measc ghlúin iomlán chun saoirse na hÉireann a bhaint amach agus ghlacfadh fir 1916 Chill Dara, Domhnall Ua Buachalla, Tom Harris, Pat Colgan, Michael Smyth agus Éamon Ó Modhráin páirt I bhforbairt ár náisiún.
An Clár Comórtha
Déanfaidh Clár Deich mBliana Comórtha Chill Dara in 2016 scrúdú agus machnamh ar an tionchar a d’imir Éirí Amach na Cásca i gCill Dara, imeachtaí agus gníomhaíochtaí áitiúla araon ina measc, mar aon leis na daoine eile móra le rá, na himeachtaí agus an tionchar níos fairsinge náisiúnta. Tá súil againn léargas iomlánach a sholáthar ar an tréimhse, trí thaibhiú cultúrtha, foilseacháin, machnamh stairiúil agus cláir oideachais do chomóradh céad bliain Éirí Amach 1916 trí fhiosrú cuimsitheach a dhéanamh ar stair pholaitiúil, shóisialta, chultúrtha agus gheilleagrach an chontae.
Déanann Coiste Deich mBliana Comórtha Chomhairle Contae Chill Dara an Comóradh Céad Bliain ar 1916 a stiúradh, ar a bhfuil Comhaltaí Tofa de Chomhairle Contae Chill Dara agus na Rannóga Oidhreachta, Pobail, Ealaíon agus Leabharlainne. Rinne comhairliúchán fairsing poiblí eolas agus faisnéis a sholáthar do na pleananna go dtí seo agus gné thábhachtach dár gcomóradh i gcónaí iad an pháirt a ghlac gach cuid den phobal. Déanfar breis fairsingiú ar an bplean seo sna míonna amach romhainn agus táimid ag tnúth le breis rannpháirtíochta a bheith againn leis an bpobal i gCill Dara.