Padraig Pearse
Patrick Henry Pearse was born in Dublin on 10th November 1879. He was the
first child of James, a sculptor from Devon and Margaret Brady. Educated at
the Christian Brothers School, Westland Row, Pearse went on to study at
University College Dublin where he obtained a BA and subsequently was called
to the Bar. Pearse joined the Gaelic League at the age of 16 and became
editor of the League's journal, An Claidheamh Solais, in 1906. A man of
great vision, Pearse founded Scoil Eanna, a bi-lingual school for boys, in
1908. The school was initially located in Cullenswood House, Ranelagh,
before moving to the Hermitage in Rathfarnham two years later.
Pearse was sworn in to the Irish Republican Brotherhood in the summer of
1913. Early in 1914 he visited the United States to raise funds for Scoil
Eanna. The following year the legendary Fenian, O'Donovan Rossa, died in the
United States and the IRB decided to bring his body home for burial in
Glasnevin Cemetery. Renowned for his oratory skills Pearse was chosen by the
IRB to deliver the oration at Rossa's graveside, a speech which included the
immortal lines.
‘Life springs from death and from the graves of patriot men and women spring
living nations. The defenders of the realm have worked well in secret and in
the open. They think that they have pacified Ireland. They think that they
have purchased half of us, and intimidated the other half. They think they
have foreseen everything; but the fools! the fools, the fools!- they have
left us our Fenian dead; and while Ireland holds these graves Ireland unfree
shall never be at peace.'
A member of the Military Council of the IRB, Pearse was Commander-in-Chief
of Republican forces during Easter Week and was President of the Provisional
Government. Thus, it fell to Pearse to read the Proclamation of the Irish
Republic in front of the GPO on Easter Monday, 1916. Patrick Pearse was
executed by British firing squad in Kilmainham Gaol on 3rd May, 1916. ‘Let
no man doubt who will be master in Ireland when Ireland is free. The people
will be masters, the great, splendid, common, sovereign people.’
- PH PEARSE
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