Éamonn Ceannt
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Éamonn Ceannt (21 September 1881 – 8 May 1916), born Edward Thomas Kent, was an Irish republican, mostly known for his role in the
Easter Rising The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...
of 1916.


Background

Ceannt was born in the little village of
Ballymoe Ballymoe (historically ''Bellamoe'', from ) is a village in County Galway, Ireland. Ballymoe is situated on the western side of the River Suck that separates counties Galway and Roscommon. The N60 national secondary road meets the R360 reg ...
, overlooking the
River Suck The River Suck ( ga, An tSuca ) is a river within the Shannon River Basin in Ireland, 133 km (82.5 mi) in length. It is the main tributary of the River Shannon. It meets the Shannon a kilometre south of the village of Shannonbridge. ...
in
County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...
. His parents were James Kent (4 July 1839 – 1895) and Joanne Galway. (They were married on 5 July 1870.) He was the sixth of seven children, the others being William, Michael, Richard, Nell, John and James. His father, James Kent was a
Royal Irish Constabulary The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC, ga, Constáblacht Ríoga na hÉireann; simply called the Irish Constabulary 1836–67) was the police force in Ireland from 1822 until 1922, when all of the country was part of the United Kingdom. A separate ...
officer. Stationed in Ballymoe, in 1883 he was promoted and transferred to Ardee,
County Louth County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the ...
. When his father retired from the force, the family moved to
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
. They were a very religious
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
family and it has been said that Ceannt's religious teaching as a child stayed with him for the rest of his life. Two events that evoked nationalism at the end of the 19th century were the 1798 commemoration and the
Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...
in South Africa. Éamonn became interested in these events. He took part in the commemoration.


Personal life

In 1899, Ceannt joined the central branch of the
Gaelic League (; historically known in English as the Gaelic League) is a social and cultural organisation which promotes the Irish language in Ireland and worldwide. The organisation was founded in 1893 with Douglas Hyde as its first president, when it emer ...
. It was here where he first met many of the men who would play a major role in the rising, including Patrick Pearse and Eoin MacNeill. He became increasingly involved in Nationalist movements and had a strong interest in the Irish language. The main purposes of the league were to educate people on the Irish culture, revive the Irish language along with Irish music, dancing, poetry, literature and history. Ceannt was an extremely committed member to the league, he was an elected a member of the governing body and by 1905 he was teaching Irish language classes in branch offices of the league. In February 1900 Ceannt, along with
Edward Martyn Edward Martyn (30 January 1859 – 5 December 1923) was an Irish playwright and early republican political and cultural activist, as the first president of Sinn Féin from 1905–08. Early life Martyn was the elder son of John Martyn of Tullira ...
founded ' (The Pipers Club). Ceannt's musical talents earned him a gold medal at the 1906 Oireachtas and in 1905 he even put on a performance for
Pope Pius X Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of C ...
. It is said that the main language in the Pipers Club was Irish and played a role in reviving Irish music. It was through the
Gaelic League (; historically known in English as the Gaelic League) is a social and cultural organisation which promotes the Irish language in Ireland and worldwide. The organisation was founded in 1893 with Douglas Hyde as its first president, when it emer ...
where Ceannt first met his wife, Frances Mary O’Brennan who was known as Áine. She came from a strongly nationalist family, both of her sisters Kathleen and Lily O'Brennan were also involved in the nationalist movement. She joined the League as she shared an interest in the Irish culture and heritage. They got married in June 1905. Their son, Ronan was born in June 1906. In 1907 Ceannt joined the Dublin central branch of
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Gri ...
and over the following years he became increasingly determined to see an Independent Ireland. In 1912 he was sworn to the
Irish Republican Brotherhood The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB; ) was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland between 1858 and 1924.McGee, p. 15. Its counterpart in the United States ...
by
Seán Mac Diarmada Seán Mac Diarmada (27 January 1883 – 12 May 1916), also known as Seán MacDermott, was an Irish republican political activist and revolutionary leader. He was one of the seven leaders of the Easter Rising of 1916, which he helped to organi ...
. This movement was pledged to achieve Irish independence and to do so by using physical force if necessary.


Education and career

While living in county Louth, Ceannt attended the De La Salle national school. After 5 years of schooling in Louth, the family moved to Drogheda, where he attended the Christian Brothers school, Sunday's Gate (Now Scholars Townhouse Hotel). They moved to Dublin in 1892 and lived in Drumcondra. Here he attended the North Richmond Street Christian Brothers School. Two other leaders from the 1916 rising,
Seán Heuston Seán Heuston ( ; ga, Seán Mac Aodha;Piaras F. Mac Lochlainn, ''Last words : letters and statements of the leaders executed after the rising at Easter 1916'', Dublin: Stationery Office, born John Joseph Heuston; 21 February 1891 – 8 May 191 ...
and
Con Colbert Cornelius Bernard Colbert ( ga, Conchúir Ó Colbáird; 19 October 1888 – 8 May 1916)D.J. Hickey & J. E. Doherty, ''A New Dictionary of Irish History from 1800'', Gill & MacMillan (Dublin), , Pg.75 was an Irish rebel and pioneer of Fianna Éir ...
, were educated at that school. Ceannt achieved excellent results in his final exams prior to leaving school. After finishing he was presented with the opportunity to work for the civil service but turned this position down as he felt he would be working for the British. He went on to secure a job with the clerical staff of the City Treasurer and Estates and Finances office; he was working as an accountant with the Dublin Corporation from 1901 to 1916. Ceannt was involved in
trade unionism A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
, being a member of the Dublin Metropolitan Officers' Association and later serving as its chairman. He publicly supported the workers in the Wexford lock-out of 1911 (forerunner of the
Dublin Lock-out The Dublin lock-out was a major industrial dispute between approximately 20,000 workers and 300 employers that took place in Ireland's capital and largest city, Dublin. The dispute, lasting from 26 August 1913 to 18 January 1914, is often vie ...
of 1913), saying "the right of free speech, of public meeting and of organising for a lawful purpose ought to be unquestioned and unquestionable".


Easter Rising

In May 1915, the IRB Military Council, consisting of Joseph Plunkett and Seán Mac Diarmada as well as Ceannt, began plans for a rebellion. Ceannt was one of the seven men to sign the Proclamation of Independence for the Irish Republic and had been appointed Director of Communications. He was made commandant of the 4th Battalion of the Volunteers, and during the Rising was stationed at the South Dublin Union, with more than 100 men under his command, notably his second-in-command
Cathal Brugha Cathal Brugha (; born Charles William St John Burgess; 18 July 1874 – 7 July 1922) was an Irish republican politician who served as Minister for Defence from 1919 to 1922, Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann in January 1919, the first presiden ...
, and
W. T. Cosgrave William Thomas Cosgrave (5 June 1880 – 16 November 1965) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as the president of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932, leader of the Opposition in both the Free State and Ir ...
. The South Dublin Union controlled a large area south of Kilmainham around Dolphin's Barn. As 3rd Royal Irish came to Mount Brown, a section of Ceannt's battalion under section commander John Joyce opened fire, killing a number of soldiers. The British could not break through to Dublin Castle, and so brought up more troops from Kilmainham Barracks. A ceasefire allowed casualty retrieval. The Volunteers drove back repeated assaults from determined regimental attacks. Ceannt used a contingent at the
Marrowbone Lane Marrowbone Lane () is a street off Cork Street on the south side of Dublin, Ireland. History Naming convention The street is likely named after Marylebone in London; Pimlico is located right next to it, and other London-inspired street names ar ...
Distillery to enfilade the passing soldiers; grinding attacks broke through to the Women's Infirmary. On Tuesday 25 April, the British could have closed off the battle, but failed to press home the advantage when the 4th Royal Dublin Fusiliers arrived, and Ceannt continued to hold out with 20 times fewer men. On Thursday 27 April, a British battalion made south, as far as the Rialto Bridge, when Ceannt's outposts opened fire. The British were forced to tunnel into the buildings and, as Ceannt's numbers reduced, it was increasingly involved in close quarter fighting. His unit saw intense fighting at times during the week, but surrendered when ordered to do so by his superior officer
Patrick Pearse Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ga, Pádraig Anraí Mac Piarais; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist, republican political activist and revolutionary who ...
.


Trial and death

After the unconditional surrender of the 1916 fighters, Eamonn Ceannt along with the other survivors were brought to Richmond Barracks to be detained. On Monday 1 May, plain clothes detectives known as the "G-men" identified the leaders of the Rising, Ceannt being one of them. While Ceannt was being picked for trial, volunteer James Coughlan remembers him being determined in looking after the welfare of "the humblest of those who had served under him." Ceannt was tried under court martial as demanded by General Maxwell. Maxwell was determined to afflict the death penalty upon Ceannt and the other leaders of the Rising. However, he faced legal issues which prevented him from doing so. These legal issues only allowed the death penalty to be used if one was found aiding the enemy, being Germany at that time. Not until Maxwell obtained a letter from Patrick Pearse addressed to his mother regarding the communication with the Germans was he legally obliged to deploy the death penalty. From this point Ceannt and his comrades began facing the prospect of a firing squad. On Tuesday 2 May, Ceannt was sent for court-martial. He was sentenced to death and transferred to
Kilmainham Gaol Kilmainham Gaol ( ga, Príosún Chill Mhaighneann) is a former prison in Kilmainham, Dublin, Ireland. It is now a museum run by the Office of Public Works, an agency of the Government of Ireland. Many Irish revolutionaries, including the leade ...
, cell 88. He was executed on 8 May 1916, aged 34. He is buried at Arbour Hill. In July 1926, the ''
Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines. Traditionally a broadsheet new ...
'' published an article that included Eamonn Ceannt's last message, written a few hours before his execution ten years previously. In it, he said:
I leave for the guidance of other Irish Revolutionaries who may tread the path which I have trod this advice, never to treat with the enemy, never to surrender at his mercy, but to fight to a finish...Ireland has shown she is a nation. This generation can claim to have raised sons as brave as any that went before. And in the years to come Ireland will honour those who risked all for her honour at Easter 1916.


Legacy

Galway City's Ceannt Station, the main bus and rail station in his native county of Galway, is named in his honour, as well as Éamonn Ceannt Park in Dublin. Eamonn Ceannt Tower in
Ballymun Ballymun () is an outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland, at the northern edge of the Northside, the green-field development of which began in the 1960s to accommodate a housing crisis in inner city areas of Dublin. While the newly built housing was ...
, which was demolished in 2005, was also named after him. There is also a commemorative plaque on the wall of Scholars Townhouse Hotel, the former Christian Brother School where Eamonn Ceannt was educated. Ceannt Barracks located in the
Curragh Camp The Curragh Camp ( ga, Campa an Churraigh) is an army base and military college in The Curragh, County Kildare, Ireland. It is the main training centre for the Defence Forces (Ireland), Irish Defence Forces and is home to 2,000 military personnel ...
bears his name. Ceannt Fort in Dublin 8 was renamed in his honour, having been laid out in 1917-1922 by Dublin Corporation and originally named McCaffrey's Estate.


References


Bibliography

* Henry, William, ''Supreme Sacrifice: The Story of Eamonn Ceannt'', Mercier Press, Cork 2005. * Henry, William, unpublished biography, ''Supreme Sacrifice: The Story of Eamonn Ceannt 1881-1916'' William Henry Collection, Galway. * Kent, Richard, ''Account of his brother Eamonn Ceannt's last hours'' Copy in Kilmainham Gaol Collection. * Kent, Richard, ''Biographical Notes on Eamonn Ceannt (16 April 1917)'', Copy in Kilmainham Gaol Collection. * McNally, Michael, ''Easter Rising: Birth of the Irish Republic'', Campaign series, Osprey publishing, 2007. * Townshend, Charles, ''Easter 1916: The Irish Rebellion'', Allen Lane, London 2005.


External links


Éamonn Ceannt
Census of Ireland, 1911 The 1911 Census of Ireland was the last census that covered the whole island of Ireland. Censuses were taken at ten-year intervals from 1821 onwards, but the 1921 census was cancelled due to the Irish War of Independence. The original records o ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ceannt, Eamonn 1881 births 1916 deaths Executed participants in the Easter Rising Irish republicans Members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood People from County Galway Signatories of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic