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IT WAS A “determining moment in Ireland’s revolutionary period,” as President Michael D Higgins described it.
He was speaking in Howth in Dublin this afternoon at an event to mark the centenary of the landing of the Asgard.
It is exactly one hundred years since the boat arrived at Howth carrying a shipment of arms which was to play a key role in the 1916 Rising – but the landing was not without casualties.
On 26 July 1914, the boat, which was owned by writer Erskine Childers, sailed into Howth harbour with a shipment of 900 rifles and 19,000 cartridges for the Irish Volunteers.
The weapons had been bought in Hamburg with funds raised by senior figures involved in the Irish Volunteers, including Roger Casement and Alice Stopford Green.
Members of the Irish Volunteers and Na Fianna Éireann unloaded the weapons at Howth. However, as the weapons were being brought into Dublin city, members of the Dublin Metropolitan Police and a regiment of the British Army tried to seize them.
The officers failed – but hours later, as the regiment returned to Collins Barracks where it was stationed, soldiers opened fired on a hostile but unarmed crowd at Bachelor’s Walk in Dublin city centre. Three civilians were killed while a fourth died later. A further 80 people were injured.
Despite this, most of the weapons from the Asgard avoided being seized, and were later used in the Easter Rising in 1916.
Today, the official commemoration was held at Howth to mark 100 years since the boat landed.
A replica of the boat sailed into Howth harbour, while President Higgins laid a wreath at the site and a local group carried out a re-enactment of the landing.
Newly-appointed Minister for Arts Heather Humphreys laid a wreath at Glasnevin Cemetery to remember the four people who died at Bachelor’s Walk, all of whom are buried in the graveyard.
Independent MEP Nessa Childers, who is the grandchild of Erskine Childers, said the gun running “was a symbolic and bold gesture intended to give confidence to Irish nationalists”.
“Although the guns were used in combat, my grandfather would have viewed their importance as primarily for propaganda purposes,” she said. “We would now describe the event as armed politics, intended to put political pressure on the British government and opponents of Irish independence”.
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A wonderful moment in Irish history remembered. We owe them so much. We will never forget their sacrifice.
the sacrifice of republicans will never be forgotten, the free state army were/are nothing more than a british regiment.
SeekingUniversalDelusion
Exactly sold out the Republic, now have the neck to hijack it, embarrassing
We must also remember that the same evening, the British army opened up on a civilian crowd in what became known as the Batchelor’s Walk Massacre.
Showing the special affection they always had for the Irish public and the man that ignored that and told people to join them, so he could maintain reputation in Westminister, John Redmond, gets a stamp. Strange country we live in.
John Redmond remained true to his convictions which were based around an Irish Parliament as a stepping stone to further liberties without the bloodshed the country suffered in both the war of independence and civil war and if you don’t agree with him that’s your business but the fact you’re so quick to belittle him due to your prescribed Irish education is the real sign of how strange the country we live in is.
John Redmond was prepared to sacrifice thousands of Irish lives by backing British propaganda …he was a career politician at best and a snake at worst !
Then again is there a difference ?
So we’re the Easter Rising leaders including their own, ‘crept maybe Dev who cowered afraid in Bolands mills lest his personal career ambitions be interrupted by a stray bullet.
Dev …. He brought the Bondholders with him !
The funny thing about this is, a hundred years on, here is our current government siding with an oppressive occupying state in Palestine. What a difference a 100 years make.
Our present leaders wouldn’t have been fit to lace those heroes boots.
They are not even fit to lace their own. Most aren’t even capable.
Actually our leaders preside over a neutral state.
If you stand by and do nothing when you see people doing evil things, you have chosen the side of evil.
Michael
If you deny Israel the right to protect itself against the deliberate firing of 1700 rockets into residential areas of a sovereign State you also deny Israel its very right to exist. Examine such a view before expressing it again.
Firstly, don’t presume to tell people what they should be able to express.
Secondly, what Israel is doing has nothing to do with defence.
Why don’t Israel allow a U.N. Peacekeeping force into Gaza ?
Just a question>>>>
And kowtowing and bootlicking our “gallant alliies from overseas” as Pearse wrote in that blather treated as a holy document .Indeed Ireland must be the only country in history that swapped three oppressors one after the other in 100 years.The British Crown for the Vatican with its Irish lickspittles and political and clerical ring kissers. To the EU and Frankfurt.
Simple fact is we are and will always be someones biatch somewhere,sometime.We play at being a nation.
There’s no such thing as “the Free State army” there’s only “the Army” and no-one cares what you like, since your preferences seem to be based on fantasy
Re cycled British army… The Green and tans
And I suppose you favour the murderous thugs that flounced out of the Dail when the vote went against and created the death and destruction that continued throughout the rest of the century. These thugs hijacked the IRA and Sinn Fein titles in an attempt to give credence to their efforts to over throw the fledgling democracy.
Traitors who made a pledge to fight for an irish republic and then set up a British empire state using British guns, the real thugs hijacking irish republican history
Wearing a Celtic jersey does a serious amount for your credibility, another undesirable that we just laugh at
Bill:- That’s a PHOTOGRAPH of a Celtic soccer player and his name is not John Stewart …
Silly Bill !
Bless
Agus Dia dhuit freisin !
Not another anti celtic bigot..yawn
Before 1921 -heroes
After 1921- terrorists
Grow up
Can’t handle the truth about the quasi Republic, can you?
king and kaiser still being served
Define terrorism…..
One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter
Terrorism is ruling through fear. Force and violence is required.
Opposing that is called resistance. Force and violence is required.
Terrorism . The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.
Terrorism breeds terrorists.
Idiot
Thanks for the confession Bill !
Don’t know if there is a cure but might I suggest a good dollop of education and perhaps a little meditation – not promising anything but give it a go and let us know how you get on.
You can be our little Guinea Pig so to speak ……….
Aren’t we lucky we have losers like you bitching from your couch everyday to be proud of instead. Get a job.
He works in Tallaght Hospital,according to his facebook.Proably the jacks cleaner or apprentice trolley pusher.
Low life fooking snake Galt
You really are just a vile piece of crap, like all shinners
Pot. Kettle. Bill.
Vile
Smile
Lol
The Free State army worked for the brits during the civil war and after. I don’t like them commemorating republicans.
Tell your hero’s to put on a uniform and take on the opposition ….. Beats blowing the innocent to bits …. Murder isn’t romantic and can’t be justified…
The IRA took on the brit terrorists when they were bombing belfast dublin monagham derry dundalk and elsewhere while the free state british army regiment passed intel to their british paymasters.
Yeah, your profile name is getting funnier by the minute…
We can do nothing but laugh at the shinners, IRA ran away
What’s this we business eggface ?
Bill you are the worst troll ever. Go away.
Complete Dunce Seeing Truth apparently …. Let’s not hold our breath.
A nugget of truth – 900 weapons used mainly to fill Irish graves with fellow Irishmen and women, fathers, mothers and children. – not an appropriate subject for celebration except maybe by SF & Nessa Childers in particular. Shame on the President and the Dept AH & G who organised this triumphalist nonsense.
We celebrated 50,000 who dies for a foreign king who’s family couldn’t give a hoot about Ireland so I think well done Michael D. !
900 rifles and 1900 cartridges… The Rising was always going to be a symbolic gesture more than anything else.
It was an embarrassment, they got their cummupance the Irish public spat on them and rightfully so, they were executed as worthless nobodies and that’s what they deserved
They are remembered and revered 98 years later. Hardly the definition of a worthless nobody Bill.
Died as nothing and hated, that’s the reality. Romanticism 100 years later is irrelevant, they achieved nothing, were ridiculed and hated by their own and that’s all that that matters
They got exactly what they wanted. It was a ‘blood sacrifice’ as Pearce said. He knew what their executions might achieve by placing the British in an impossible position by smuggling in guns from Germany during WWI. Whether or not you agree with him, the man was a visionary.
Just a fool who got shot, nothing more nothing less
Mocking can be catching is a great ould saying isn’t it !
You’re embarrassing yourself there Bill. Cringe.
Great stuff calling our defence force the free state army. I couldve swore Dev declared us a republic years ago
I could have sworn you’re wrong.
De Valera very pointedly did not declare us a republic in the 1937 Constitution. John a Costello passed the Republic of Ireland Act which declares that the description of the state shall be the Republic of Ireland.
It turns out it was all in vain looking at the establishment and politicians we have today.
What will our defining moment be, when we run this compromised government from power!!!
Great to have Micheal D and his lovely wife in for lunch after the ceremony
Michael D the socialist must have pensions of 150k and wages of 250k
And he’s a socialist. D’oh
Too many reenactments of historical events of the period, like the relatively recent Great Dubliin Lock-Out and Strike of 1913 at Big Jim Larkin’s statue on O’Connell Street (formerly Sackville Street), the subsequently reported embarrasement of which I avoided by heading off early to do the Bray to Greystones cliff walk. Surely most if not all of these rather tedious quasi theatrical reenactments detract from the energy which should be channelled into prosecuting the republic which these men and women took unimaginable risks for, instead of the republiquette we currently exist in. But then, not unlike the crucifixtion itself, better to murder the Messsiah and spend an eternity mimicing Him than to do the harsh and hard business of saving oneself by following His example. Still, better to reenaact it than to forget about them ltogether. Just a little more substance that theatrics, please, from the powere that be. They would have liked it like that.
Pity a mention wasn’t given (that I could see) to the #Asgard exhibit at Collins Barracks http://www.museum.ie/en/exhibition/asgard.aspx
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