The Easter Rising of 1916 in north Co. Dublin

A Skerries perspective

Peter F. Whearity

The rebellion of 1916 transformed Irish politics. Outside of Dublin, there were only a few locations where military action occurred. One of these was Ashbourne, Co. Meath, and it was organized by Volunteers from north Co. Dublin. This book examines the Irish Volunteer movement in north Co. Dublin. It looks at the events of Easter week, and explores what the rebellion meant to the general population of towns such as Skerries, where local loyalist residents left their homes and paced the seashore for fear of attack from the Volunteers. While the Helga was heading up the river Liffey to bombard the city centre, patrolling gunboats aimed their guns on the town of Skerries, and a force of about 200 men of the North Staffordshire Regiment was landed on Wednesday 26 April 1916. Strategic points in the town were fortified and a night-time curfew was imposed on the town’s inhabitants. The collapse of the rebellion saw thousands arrested and interned, among them men from north Co. Dublin, and these men’s collective experience form an integral part of this study.

Part of the Maynooth Studies in Local History series (Raymond Gillespie, series editor)

Peter (Frank) Whearity is a native of Balbriggan and has lived at nearby Skerries since 1975. He is a member of the Skerries Historical Society and holds an MA in local history from NUI Maynooth.