WE WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT THERE ARE A SELECT FEW SEAT AVAILABLE FOR THE EASTER RISING COACH TOUR DEPARTING SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 4TH 2011 AT 3P.M.
IF YOU ARE VISITING OUR WONDERFUL CITY AND WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US PLEASE VISIT www.1916easterrisingcoachtour.ie FOR FURTHER DETAILS
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AWARD WINNING TOUR IN DUBLIN
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
THE MORSE CODE MESSAGE THE REBELS SENT OUT
- .... . / .. .-. .. ... .... / .-. . .--. ..- -... .-.. .. -.-. / .... .- ... / -... . . -. / -.. . -.-. .-.. .- .-. . -.. / .. -. / -.. ..- -... .-.. .. -. .-.-.- / - .... . / .-- .... --- .-.. . / -.-. --- ..- -. - .-. -.-- / .... .- ... / .-. .. ... . -. .-.-.- / .--. .- -.. .-. .- .. --. / .--. . .- .-. ... . / .--. .-. . ... .. -.. . -. - / --- ..-. / - .... . / .--. .-. --- ...- .. ... .. --- -. .- .-.. / --. --- ...- . .-. -. -- . -. -
Monday, August 15, 2011
YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD?
In late 2011 Ireland will go to the polls to elect a new President of the Republic and as it stands with the field of candidates the average age is 60. The average age of the previous eight Presidents since Douglas Hyde to Mary McAleese has been 62 years old. But as our Republic aged since the Easter Rising the age of our leaders has steadily increased. Padraig Pearse was just 36 years old when he led the new Irish Republic in 1916. The average age of the men who signed the Proclamation was 39. The average of the men who sacrificed their lives for their nation and were executed in 1916 was 38. The average of the leaders of the Rising Pearse, McDonagh, Clarke, Plunkett, Ceannt, McDermott, Connolly, Willie Pearse, Daly, O'Hanrahan, McBride, Mallin, Colbert, Heuston, Kent, Casement, DeValera, The Countess, Ashe, Mellows, Collins, Mulcahy and Brugha was just 36 years old. Michael Collins was 32 years old when he led a new nation while Enda Kenny was 60 when he took charge. Why is there no trust in youth? Why must a citizen be 70 before he is elected to high office? Is it any wonder that the youth of the nation feel isolated and disenfranchised by a different generation.
Friday, August 5, 2011
EASTER RISING COACH TOUR SOUVENIR
See EBAY to purchase one of these beautifully crafted Dublin Crystal made glass SouvenirS depicting the iconic GPO, home of the Easter Rising. 
Thursday, August 4, 2011
THE GERMANS ARE COMING
This boat was pictured today on the Grand Canal. A German Polezei vessel moored opposite the bank of Ireland HQ. Are they really this concerned about the bailout? The last time the Germans arrived in Ireland was 1916 and we know what happened then.
IN THE BEGINNING
Pearse, Connolly and Plunkett emerged through the door and stood on the steps looking out over their men. Connolly had remained in Liberty Hall all night as he had done on numerous occasions in the previous weeks refining the plans. Pearse had arrived that morning at eight thirty a.m. with his brother William having cycled from their family home in Rathfarnham. As they stood on the steps, Padraig Pearse’s sisters approached him and begged him to return home and not to be involved in such nonsense. Connolly saved Pearse the embarrassment of having to argue with his sister in front of the assembled men by barking out the order,
‘Form Fours’
The men formed into column of fours. William O’Brien turned to Connolly as they moved down the steps and asked,
‘Is there any chance of success?’
‘None whatsoever’ was the quick and straight reply.
At precisely midday, with Pearse and Connolly sitting in the front and Clarke McDermott and Plunkett in the back seat of a touring car driven by The O’Rahilly, the soldiers marched off turning left into Middle Abbey Street heading towards O’Connell Street. One of those Volunteers guarding the car as they drove up Abbey Street was Denis Daly fresh from is mission to Kerry. Bringing up the rear of the marching column were two motor cyclists, Jack Plunkett, youngest brother of Plunkett family and Fergus O’Kelly. Also amongst the men was James Connolly’s son Roddy who marched off to an uncertain future but with floods of adrenalin pumping through his young body.
As Monday was a Bank Holiday in the city, the streets were deserted, the population having taken advantage of the fine day to go to the racing in Fairyhouse or headed to the various beaches around the city. As the soldiers marched up Abbey Street, they reached Malborough Street junction where ordinary Dubliners paused as they waited to cross the street watching in silence unconcerned that a group of armed men were marching on the street as this had become common sight especially since the landing of weapons from Germany at Howth and Kilcoole in 1914. Many Dubliners were indifferent to these men and their aspirations and just thought of them as grown men playing children’s games rather than a fighting force. Few of the people standing at the edge of the pavement could have suspected that this march was about to change the course of both Irish and European history forever.
The column reached O’Connell Street. Reis’s Chambers to their left, the Hibernian Bank to their right. They wheeled right crossing the wide thoroughfare before halting outside The General Post Office. The grey imposing building dominated the left side of the street. On one side of the GPO was the splendour of the Metropole Hotel and on the other Henry Street. The building was designed by Francis Johnson and built between 1814 and 1818. A portico of six ionic columns, pilasters in the Greco-Roman styles and three floors of space cost fifty thousand pounds to build. Perched on the roof of the building over looking the cobbled stone streets, Nelson’s Column, the city tram terminus and the vast expense of Sackville Street, were the three statues of Mercury, Hibernia and Fidelity. Two hundred and fifty six feet high the building had under gone major refurbishment re opening in May 1915 with a new telegraph room installed in the basement. When the rebels stormed the building some of the men headed for the Telegraph Room and ejected the operators. The leaders knew that communications were important to their cause and to stop the British communicating was just important.
The soldiers of the New Republic received their orders to line up in front of the main doors of the Post Office and awaited further commands from their leaders. According to Fergus O’Kelly
‘The Angelus was ringing in Malborough Street’ from the Roman Catholic Pro Cathedral.
Two of the eight unarmed members of the Dublin Metropolitan Police on duty that day in O’Connell Street were directly across the road outside Cleary’s Department store watching the events unfold. The two lawmen dressed in their blue uniforms, helmets, white gloves and shiny black shoes mused,
‘Those Sinn Feiners are at it again. Their mammies have let them out to play again.’
Just as he had finished that sentence across the street outside the impressive façade the order was given,
‘Charge’ boomed out and the men rushed into the G.P.O. Those patrons doing business inside seemed to be only a little discommoded by this intrusion and the order for them to evacuate the building was generally ignored. The two policemen opposite crossed over to investigate the matter further passing the one hundred and thirty five foot high stone column statue of Lord Admiral Nelson. Just as the men reached the corner of Henry Street and approached the main entrance a shot rang out fired into the ceiling inside scattering the customers who were now hurriedly making their way out passed the policemen. According to Joseph Gleeson’s WS another unarmed D.M.P. officer Edward Dunphy who was on duty inside the building was seized by the Johnny O’Connor making him the first prisoner of war. Dunphy was a forty four year old policeman originally from County Offaly. Married to Kildare born Elizabeth Dunphy lived on Sherrard Avenue just off Dorset Street near the Royal Canal. His two colleagues outside grabbed some of the fleeing citizens and having ascertained the reason for the shot made a hasty retreat along with the customers. The few Dubliners who had paid their thrupence to ascend the one hundred and sixty eight steps to the observation platform of Nelson’s Pillar also beat a rapid retreat. Once the leaders were sure that the building had been emptied they set about securing it against a British counter attack.
‘Form Fours’
The men formed into column of fours. William O’Brien turned to Connolly as they moved down the steps and asked,
‘Is there any chance of success?’
‘None whatsoever’ was the quick and straight reply.
At precisely midday, with Pearse and Connolly sitting in the front and Clarke McDermott and Plunkett in the back seat of a touring car driven by The O’Rahilly, the soldiers marched off turning left into Middle Abbey Street heading towards O’Connell Street. One of those Volunteers guarding the car as they drove up Abbey Street was Denis Daly fresh from is mission to Kerry. Bringing up the rear of the marching column were two motor cyclists, Jack Plunkett, youngest brother of Plunkett family and Fergus O’Kelly. Also amongst the men was James Connolly’s son Roddy who marched off to an uncertain future but with floods of adrenalin pumping through his young body.
As Monday was a Bank Holiday in the city, the streets were deserted, the population having taken advantage of the fine day to go to the racing in Fairyhouse or headed to the various beaches around the city. As the soldiers marched up Abbey Street, they reached Malborough Street junction where ordinary Dubliners paused as they waited to cross the street watching in silence unconcerned that a group of armed men were marching on the street as this had become common sight especially since the landing of weapons from Germany at Howth and Kilcoole in 1914. Many Dubliners were indifferent to these men and their aspirations and just thought of them as grown men playing children’s games rather than a fighting force. Few of the people standing at the edge of the pavement could have suspected that this march was about to change the course of both Irish and European history forever.
The column reached O’Connell Street. Reis’s Chambers to their left, the Hibernian Bank to their right. They wheeled right crossing the wide thoroughfare before halting outside The General Post Office. The grey imposing building dominated the left side of the street. On one side of the GPO was the splendour of the Metropole Hotel and on the other Henry Street. The building was designed by Francis Johnson and built between 1814 and 1818. A portico of six ionic columns, pilasters in the Greco-Roman styles and three floors of space cost fifty thousand pounds to build. Perched on the roof of the building over looking the cobbled stone streets, Nelson’s Column, the city tram terminus and the vast expense of Sackville Street, were the three statues of Mercury, Hibernia and Fidelity. Two hundred and fifty six feet high the building had under gone major refurbishment re opening in May 1915 with a new telegraph room installed in the basement. When the rebels stormed the building some of the men headed for the Telegraph Room and ejected the operators. The leaders knew that communications were important to their cause and to stop the British communicating was just important.
The soldiers of the New Republic received their orders to line up in front of the main doors of the Post Office and awaited further commands from their leaders. According to Fergus O’Kelly
‘The Angelus was ringing in Malborough Street’ from the Roman Catholic Pro Cathedral.
Two of the eight unarmed members of the Dublin Metropolitan Police on duty that day in O’Connell Street were directly across the road outside Cleary’s Department store watching the events unfold. The two lawmen dressed in their blue uniforms, helmets, white gloves and shiny black shoes mused,
‘Those Sinn Feiners are at it again. Their mammies have let them out to play again.’
Just as he had finished that sentence across the street outside the impressive façade the order was given,
‘Charge’ boomed out and the men rushed into the G.P.O. Those patrons doing business inside seemed to be only a little discommoded by this intrusion and the order for them to evacuate the building was generally ignored. The two policemen opposite crossed over to investigate the matter further passing the one hundred and thirty five foot high stone column statue of Lord Admiral Nelson. Just as the men reached the corner of Henry Street and approached the main entrance a shot rang out fired into the ceiling inside scattering the customers who were now hurriedly making their way out passed the policemen. According to Joseph Gleeson’s WS another unarmed D.M.P. officer Edward Dunphy who was on duty inside the building was seized by the Johnny O’Connor making him the first prisoner of war. Dunphy was a forty four year old policeman originally from County Offaly. Married to Kildare born Elizabeth Dunphy lived on Sherrard Avenue just off Dorset Street near the Royal Canal. His two colleagues outside grabbed some of the fleeing citizens and having ascertained the reason for the shot made a hasty retreat along with the customers. The few Dubliners who had paid their thrupence to ascend the one hundred and sixty eight steps to the observation platform of Nelson’s Pillar also beat a rapid retreat. Once the leaders were sure that the building had been emptied they set about securing it against a British counter attack.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
STRANGE WORLD
A barstool philosopher recently imparted these words of wisdom to me.
'My great Grandfather came over to Dublin from Manchester to fight for Ireland against the British during the Easter Rising, I now go to Manchester to support a British soccer team. My grandfather fought during the War of Independence to free Ireland from British rule, I now shop in Tesco's and M&S instead of Dunnes and Superquinn. My father served in the Irish Army in 1969 and believed that they would be invading the North, I now pay more monthly to Vodaphone than give yearly to Irish charities. I myself have watched Britain escape the ravages of a financial meltdown and curse the failure of the Irish economy yet I spent thousands of pounds sterling in Sainsbury's in Newry instead of Clery's of O'Connell Street which is across the road from where my great grandfather began the fight.
'My great Grandfather came over to Dublin from Manchester to fight for Ireland against the British during the Easter Rising, I now go to Manchester to support a British soccer team. My grandfather fought during the War of Independence to free Ireland from British rule, I now shop in Tesco's and M&S instead of Dunnes and Superquinn. My father served in the Irish Army in 1969 and believed that they would be invading the North, I now pay more monthly to Vodaphone than give yearly to Irish charities. I myself have watched Britain escape the ravages of a financial meltdown and curse the failure of the Irish economy yet I spent thousands of pounds sterling in Sainsbury's in Newry instead of Clery's of O'Connell Street which is across the road from where my great grandfather began the fight.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
From August 1st 2011, the Tour winter Schedule will be in operation. Tours will operate from August to March on a demand basis. Reservations should be made at 1916easterrisingcoachtour@dublin.ie or by telephone. If you have a party of 10+ contact us and we will arrange a time, day and pick up point to suit your party. The regular weekend tour times will operate from Friday March 2nd 2012. Thank you for your patience and we hope those who have enjoyed the tour so far in 2011 will pass on the good word. Slan
Thursday, July 28, 2011
APOLOGIES
A typo has been pointed out to me that on some of the early print editions of the Tour Flyer the Sunday times are listed as Noon and 4pm when that should have read 3pm. Apologies for any confusion caused.
Eamon
Eamon
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
THE MAN WHO PUT THE EASTER RISING RADIO STATION ON AIR
Johnny O’Connor was second generation Irish. His father’s parents hailed from counties Cork and Kerry and his mother’s from Cork and Galway. His grandparents had left Ireland seeking a better life after the famine of the mid 19th century. Johnny’s parents Jack and Mary lived in the East end of London where they had been born and grew up together knowing each other from their early school days. Both his parents were tailors and proud to be Irish with their house full of ‘Irish-Ireland’ traditions with history and music to the fore. The O’Connor family was made up of four sons and four daughters and their house was used as an IRA safe house during the War of Independence for IRA men on the run. In 1920 another son Joseph crossed the Irish Sea to help the cause and spent a number of years in prison. Mary O’Connor died in 1951 aged eighty four.
Johnny O’Connor joined the Irish Volunteers unit based in London. Initially there were two units founded in London, one on either side of the River Thames. Originally boasting over five hundred volunteers, the outbreak of World War One and the exodus of Irish men to fight for the British Army led to the merging of the two companies that now had just one hundred men. These men were trained by men like brothers Joe and Martin Cassidy in St. George’s Hall near the Elephant and Castle. One of O’Connor’s fellow Volunteers at the hall was one Michael Collins who would later have such a pivotal role in the formation of the Irish state. After a visit to the Volunteers headquarters at No.2 Dawson Street and to Bulmer Hobson, the organisations Quartermaster by the Liverpool Volunteers’ commander Liam McNieve found that the idea of setting up a central location for the units in Britain was met with resistance. McNieve had heard about an offer from the Plunkett family to use some of their land at Larkfield as a base for the men from London and Liverpool and after an inspection that offer was taken up. Monies that were gathered in Britain and out of the personal cash of the Plunkett family was used to purchase mattresses, blankets and food supplies.
On January 15th 1916 O’Connor made his way across the Irish Sea for the very first time from London by ferry through the Welsh port of Holyhead. Johnny reported that ‘ninety five percent of us had no relatives in Dublin and very little cash’. On his arrival at the North wall he made his way to Neary’s Hotel on Parnell Street. For one pound a week, O’Connor had his own room and three square meals a day. After a raid on the hotel when a cache of weapons was found in the room occupied by Gilbert Lynch, Michael Collins arrived at the Hotel and told the Volunteers staying there that they should pack their bags and to make their way to Kimmage. Larkfield was already heavily fortified when O’Connor arrived and their days were taken up with military drilling and weapons training. On one occasion in February the British authorities attempted to investigate the happenings at the estate but a couple of warning shots from the sentries sent the British scurrying away.
AN EXTRACT FROM THE FORTHCOMING BOOK 'RADIO OGLAICH NA hEIREANN - REBEL RADIO' BY EDDIE BOHAN
Johnny O’Connor joined the Irish Volunteers unit based in London. Initially there were two units founded in London, one on either side of the River Thames. Originally boasting over five hundred volunteers, the outbreak of World War One and the exodus of Irish men to fight for the British Army led to the merging of the two companies that now had just one hundred men. These men were trained by men like brothers Joe and Martin Cassidy in St. George’s Hall near the Elephant and Castle. One of O’Connor’s fellow Volunteers at the hall was one Michael Collins who would later have such a pivotal role in the formation of the Irish state. After a visit to the Volunteers headquarters at No.2 Dawson Street and to Bulmer Hobson, the organisations Quartermaster by the Liverpool Volunteers’ commander Liam McNieve found that the idea of setting up a central location for the units in Britain was met with resistance. McNieve had heard about an offer from the Plunkett family to use some of their land at Larkfield as a base for the men from London and Liverpool and after an inspection that offer was taken up. Monies that were gathered in Britain and out of the personal cash of the Plunkett family was used to purchase mattresses, blankets and food supplies.
On January 15th 1916 O’Connor made his way across the Irish Sea for the very first time from London by ferry through the Welsh port of Holyhead. Johnny reported that ‘ninety five percent of us had no relatives in Dublin and very little cash’. On his arrival at the North wall he made his way to Neary’s Hotel on Parnell Street. For one pound a week, O’Connor had his own room and three square meals a day. After a raid on the hotel when a cache of weapons was found in the room occupied by Gilbert Lynch, Michael Collins arrived at the Hotel and told the Volunteers staying there that they should pack their bags and to make their way to Kimmage. Larkfield was already heavily fortified when O’Connor arrived and their days were taken up with military drilling and weapons training. On one occasion in February the British authorities attempted to investigate the happenings at the estate but a couple of warning shots from the sentries sent the British scurrying away.
AN EXTRACT FROM THE FORTHCOMING BOOK 'RADIO OGLAICH NA hEIREANN - REBEL RADIO' BY EDDIE BOHAN
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