In 1910, Padraig Pearse leased the Hermitage, a granite-faced estate home in Rathfarnham, from a Mr. Woodburn. It was here that he moved St. Enda’s school, which he had originally established in Ranelagh, so that his pupils could have access to the outdoor life Pearse felt should play a large part in the education of youth. The school was intended as a model for a new Irish education system, and Pearse was devoted to the education of Irish children in the Irish language, with a strong emphasis on nationalism. Thomas MacDonagh (1878–1916), teacher, playwright and patriot, and one of seven signatories to the Proclamation, also resided at the Hermitage where he was the first teacher on the staff at St. Enda’s.
Pearse joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood in 1913 and was co-opted onto its supreme council. He was also elected to the provisional committee of the Volunteers. In 1915 he gave a famous oration at the funeral of the Fenian, O’Donovan Rossa, in Glasnevin Cemetery, which ended with the resounding phrase, “Ireland unfree shall never be at peace". In 1916 he was the commander-in-chief of the insurgents and was regarded as president of the Provisional Republic. On 24th April 1916, Pearse left St. Enda’s with his younger brother William for the city centre, on his bike, for the last time.
“Bulfin was not very long away," reflects Padraig's sister Margaret Pearse in "The Last Days of Pat and Willie Pearse at St. Enda’s", "and when he returned he said, ‘We will have to wait for a while, but I saw him in Liberty Hall. There was a conference on and I had to wait until it was over.
"Bulfin said that Pat had said they were not to leave the house - that they were to stand to arms until they got a message as to what to do. Bulfin also said that if possible they would come out to see Mother and myself again. They did come. It was somewhere between five and six o’clock that Bulfin gave us this message, and Pat and Willie arrived not so long after him, at about six o’clock. They had tea with us. I asked Pat where they had spent the night, and he told me in the home of Seán T. O’Kelly - that would be his mother’s home. Pat gave me to understand that they were going back to remain there that night also.
"After tea and a little talk they both arranged to leave us again. As they were passing through the front hall Pat suddenly turned back and went down the stairs again. Mother said, ‘Did you forget something?’ He said, ‘I did’. He came back and either Mother or I asked him, ‘Did you get it?' - I do not know what it was that he had forgotten - his answer was, ‘I did’. Those were the last words I ever heard him speak.”
After a week of fighting, Padraig Pearse agreed to surrender unconditionally and was held at Kilmainham Gaol until his execution on 16th May 1916.
St. Enda’s school remained open after Pearse’s death but finally closed in 1935. Margaret Pearse remained in the house until her own death. In 1968, St. Enda’s passed into the hands of the state and has since been opened as a museum and public park. It is located on the Grange Road in Rathfarnham.
Centenary Commemorations
In addition to the story of local events, the impacts of the Easter Rising were keenly felt in South Dublin County, as elsewhere in the country, through the decades which followed; through the War of Independence and the Civil War; and through the past 100 years until today. The commemorations in 2016 will explore and reflect on the impact of the Easter Rising in South Dublin County at both the local and national level.
For the centenary of the 1916 Rising, we will commemorate these events, the people involved, and the families affected through cultural performances, publications, historical reflections, lectures, sporting events and educational programmes. We will also commemorate the ideals of Easter 1916 in the broader context, with a reflection on our history as a nation and our development as a people.
This plan has been written in consultation with South Dublin County Council’s Commemorations Committee, which comprises the Elected Members of South Dublin County Council and is supported by a cross-departmental working team. The Commemorations Committee will co-ordinate the implementation of the programme in South Dublin County throughout 2016.
Role of Communities
Communities will be vital in the planning and delivery of the programme for commemoration at the county level. The wider community in South Dublin County has been involved with the development of this plan through a call for submissions in April 2015, along with two public workshops held in June and July 2015.
Many of the submissions and workshop contributions received outlined what communities across South Dublin County were already planning for the commemoration of 1916. This input details the values of individuals and participating groups, giving a good outline of the types of commemorations people feel are appropriate. Thus, all submissions have been carefully considered and are reflected in our plan.
In addition, a commemorations fund was launched at the community workshops, with 45 applications for support received by the closing date of the 31st August 2015. Details of the projects and initiatives approved for funding under this grant scheme will be categorised under the relevant programme strands and will be available in a 2016 Commemorations Calendar of Events, to be published on the council website: www.sdcc.ie
Since commencement in 2015 of our programme of engagement, there has been a period of reflection about the people and events of 1916, at both national and local levels, as well as public consultation to encourage debate on the topics and themes of the commemoration.
I 1910, léasaigh an Piarsach an Hermitage [Díseart] i Ráth Fearnáin ó dhuine darbh ainm dó an tUasal Woodburn agus bhog sé scoil Éanna, a bhunaigh sé go príomha i Raghnallach, go Ráth Fearnáin d’fhonn go mbeadh riar ag a chuid daltaí ar an saol lasmuigh, rud a mheas sé a bheith tábhachtach in oideachas an aos óig. Bhí sé i gceist go mbeadh an scoil ina samhail mar chóras úrnua oideachais Ghaelaigh. Bhí croí an Phiarsaigh sáite in oideachas trí Ghaeilge do pháistí Gaelacha, agus béim láidir aige ar an náisiúnachas. Bhí Tomás Mac Donagh (1878–1916), múinteoir, drámadóir agus tírgráthóir, agus duine den seachtar a shínigh an Forógra, freisin ina chónaí sa Hermitage, áit a ba eisean an chéad mhúinteoir ar fhoireann Naomh Éanna.
I 1913 chuaigh an Piarsach le Bráithreachas Phoblacht na hÉireann agus comhthoghadh é ar a chomhairle uachtarach. Toghadh freisin é do choiste sealadach na nÓglach. I 1915 thug sé óráid cháiliúil ag sochraid an Fhínín, Ó Donnabháin Rosa i reilig Ghlas Naíon, a chríochnaigh sé leis an bhfrása cumhachtach “Ireland unfree shall never be at peace”. I 1916 bhí sé ina ardcheannasaí ar na h-óglaigh agus aithníodh é mar uachtarán na Poblachta Sealadaí. Ar an 24 Aibreán 1916, d’fhág an Piarsach Naomh Éanna ar a rothar, lena dheartháir níos óige, William, le dul go lár na cathrach don uair dheireanach.
“Ní rófhada a bhí Bulfin imithe, agus nuair a d’fhill sé dúirt sé ‘Beidh orainn fanacht ar feadh tamaill, ach chonaic mé é i Halla na Saoirse. Bhí comhdháil ann agus bhí orm fanacht go dtí go raibh sé thart.’ Dúirt Bulfin go ndúirt Pat nach raibh siad leis an teach a fhágáil ach go gcaithfeadh siad an fód a sheasamh go dtí go bhfaigheadh siad teachtaireacht faoina raibh le déanamh acu. Dúirt Bulfin freisin go dtiocfadh siad lena Máthair agus mé féin a fheiceáil arís, dá dtiocfadh leo. Tháinig siad. Am éigin idir a cúig agus a sé a chlog a bhí sé nuair a fuaireamar an scéal seo ó Bhulfin, agus go gairid ina dhiaidh sin tháinig Pat agus Willie, thart ar a sé a chlog. Díth siad dinnéar linn. Chuir mé ceist ar Phat cár chaith siad an oíche, agus d’inis sé dom go raibh siad i dteach Shéain T. Uí Cheallaigh - teach a mháthar a bhí i gceist. Thug Pat le fios dom go mbeadh siad ag dul ar ais leis an oíche sin a chaitheamh ann chomh maith.
I ndiaidh am tae agus giota beag comhrá bheartaigh siad sinn a fhágáil arís. Chas Pat thart go tobann, agus iad ag dul amach tríd an halla tosaigh, agus chuaigh sé síos staighre arís. Arsa an Mháthair leis, ‘An ndearna tú dearmad de rud éigin?’ ‘Rinne’, a dúirt sé. Tháinig sé ar ais agus d’iarr mise, nó an Mháthair air ‘An bhfuair tú é?’—Níl a fhios agam cad é rud a rinne sé dearmad dó—‘Fuair’ a d’fhreagair sé. Níor chuala mé a ghlór choíche ina dhiaidh sin”
Margaret Pearse (sister)
The Last Days of Pat and Willie Pearse at St. Enda’s
I ndiaidh seachtaine troda, thoiligh an Piarsach géilleadh gan choinníoll agus coinníodh i bPríosún Chill Mhaighneann é, agus cuireadh chun báis é ar an 16 Bealtaine 1916.
Lean scoil Naomh Éanna ar aghaidh ag feidhmiú tar éis bhás an Phiarsaigh, ach druideadh í sa deireadh i 1935. D’fhan Margaret Pearse ina cónaí sa teach go dtí go bhfuair sí bás. I 1968, ghlac an stáit seilbh ar Naomh Éanna agus ó shin osclaíodh í mar iarsmalann agus páirc phoiblí suite ar Bhóthar an Ghráinsí, Ráth Fearnáin.
Cuimhneacháin Céad Bliain
Mar aon le scéal imeachtaí áitiúla, bhí iarmhairtí Éirí Amach na Cásca le mothú i gContae Átha Cliath Theas, mar a bhí in áiteanna eile sa tír, ar feadh blianta fada tar éis an Éirí Amach, trí Chogadh na Saoirse agus Cogadh na gCarad, agus le céad bliain anuas go dtí an lá atá inniu ann. Déanfaidh cuimhneacháin 2016 imscrúdú agus machnamh ar iarmhairtí Éirí Amach na Cásca i gContae Átha Cliath Theas, agus ag leibhéal náisiúnta chomh maith.
Le haghaidh chuimhneachán céad bliain seo Éirí Amach 1916, déanfaimid na himeachtaí áitiúla seo, mar aon le daoine a bhí páirteach iontu, agus teaghlaigh a ndeachaigh na himeachtaí seo i bhfeidhm orthu, a chomóradh, trí léirithe cultúrtha, foilseacháin, machnamh ar an stair, léachtaí, imeachtaí spóirt agus cláir oideachasúla. Freisin beimid ag comóradh idéil, daoine agus imeachtaí na Cásca 1916 i gcomhthéacs níos fairsinge, agus sinn ag déanamh machnaimh ar ár stair mar náisiún agus ar ár bhforbairt mar phobal, tríd an gclár iomlán imeachtaí agus gníomhaíochtaí a gcuirtear síos orthu anseo.
Scríobhadh an plean seo i gcomhairle le Coiste Cuimhneacháin Chontae Átha Cliath Theas, ina n-áirítear Baill Thofa Chomhairle Contae Átha Cliath Theas, le tacaíocht mheitheal tras-rannach. Déanfaidh an Coiste Cuimhneacháin cur i bhfeidhm an chláir a chomhordú i gContae Átha Cliath Theas le linn 2016.
Ról an Phobail
Beidh comhphobail ríthábhachtach i bpleanáil agus i seachadadh clár an chomóraidh ag leibhéal an chontae. Tá lámh ag comhphobal mór Chontae Átha Cliath Theas i bhforbairt an phlean seo, trí aighneachtaí a lorg in Aibreán 2015, agus trí dhá cheardlann a cuireadh ar siúl i mí an Mheithimh agus mí Iúil 2015.
Bhí cur síos i gcuid mhór de na haighneachtaí a fuarthas ar imeachtaí a bhí i gceist cheana ag comhphobail i gContae Átha Cliath Theas maidir le comóradh 1916, maille le mionsonraí faoi thuairimí dhaoine aonair agus ghrúpaí faoi imeachtaí ar chóir a bheith ag tarlú le linn na gcomóradh. Rinneadh gach iarratas a mheas go cúramach agus tá sin le feiceáil sa phlean seo.
Ina theannta sin, seoladh ciste comóraidh ag na ceardlanna pobail agus fuarthas 45 iarratas ar thacaíocht faoin 31 Lúnasa 1915, an dáta deireanach d’iarratai. Déanfar mionsonraí na dtionscnamh agus na dtionscadal a ceadaíodh a shórtáil de réir snáithe cuí an chláir agus beidh siad ar fáil i bhFéilire Imeachtaí an Chomóraidh a fhoilseofar ar shuíomh gréasáin na comhairle ag www.sdcc.ie
Cuireadh tús lenár gclár rannpháirtíochta in 2015 le tréimhse mhachnaimh ar dhaoine agus ar imeachtaí 1916 ag leibhéal náisiúnta agus áitiúil, agus le comhairliúchán poiblí chun díospóireacht a spreagadh ar thopaicí agus ar théamaí an chomóraidh.