ROINN COSANTA. BUREAU OF MILITARY HISTORY, 1913-21 ...

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-5-oration.We had many route marches, sham battles, etc.to toughen us for the coming fight that we, the rankand file, suspected was just "round the corner".About four weeks before Easter 1916, we had aroute march to the ancient city of Ferns. It waswhile I was exploring the ruins of Dermot McMurrough'scastle in that city, I was approached by Keegan andJim Cullen, Captain of B. Company, arid asked to jointhe Irish Republican Brotherhood. Cullen administeredthe oath to me.On Spy Wednesday, A. Company received orders tobe ready for a route march on Easter Sunday morning.This was to be a route march with a difference. Wewere to carry full equipment and two days' rations.The full equipment part of the order was cancelledlate on Holy Saturday night.We marched round Vinegar Hill on Easter Sundaymorning, and dismissed in Mary Street at midday.On Easter Monday, Dame Rumour came to town andfilled the air with news of Volunteers fighting inthe streets of Dublin and Germans landing in Kerry.Our officers met many times on Monday arid Tuesday whenit was confirmed that the Volunteers had taken theG.P.O. Though they talked it out all day Wednesday,it was midnight before they finally made up theirminds to rise.We paraded in Mary Street at dawn on Thursdaynorning, and marched to Keegan's where the cave gaveup its secrets to all the uninitiated. Shotguns,
-6-pikes and bombs were distributed to all those who hadnot got rifles. We then marched to the Athenaeumwhere we hoisted the tricolour, saluted it with threevolleys and three ringing cheers, establishedheadquarters, controlled the town and posted outpostsat the approaches.Some writers say that we occupied historicVinegar Hill and that we made no real effort to rousethe country or to maintain the initiative. Thosestatements are not true.The R.I.C. barricated themselves in theirbarracks, and most of us who had rifles amused ourselvesby taking pot shots at them from two positionsoverlooking the barracks, the Turret Rocks and the topof Castle Hill. The police returned the fire, andone of our bullets found a billet in the leg of oneof the defenders, Constable Grace. We allowed adoctor to go into the barrack to treat ins wound, buthe did not succeed in saving the constable's leg as itwas amputated after the surrender.Recruits flowed in to the Athenaeum from everypart of the district. We armed most of them with pikesandshotguns.On Friday we extended our line to Ferns and hadalmost reached Gorey when Dame Rumour came toEnniscorthy again on Saturday and told us that theVolunteers had surrendered in Dublin and that Britishtroops had landed in Wexford and were marching onEnniscorthy.When both those rumours were confirmed on
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Page 3 and 4: -2-Street, where all the milk churn
Page 5: -4-Donoghue's stores, Templeshannon
Page 10 and 11: -9-We found him standing at the cot
Page 13 and 14: -12-and, after a journey of many mi
Page 15 and 16: -14-thispost.The plan of attack was
Page 17 and 18: -16-Joe McMahon and I decided to ra
Page 19 and 20: -18-.45 revolver into his mouth, cu
Page 21 and 22: -20-still and treasure it with prid
Page 23: The scene for the third and final a

ROINN COSANTA. BUREAU OF MILITARY HISTORY, 1913-21 ...

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