William James Pearse ( ga, Uilliam Seamus Mac Piarais; 15 November 1881 – 4 May 1916) was an Irish republican executed for his part in the Easter Rising. He was a younger brother of

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 ...

, a leader of the rising.

Background

Willie Pearse was born in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

and throughout his life lived in the shadow of his brother to whom he was devoted and with whom he formed a particularly close relationship. Pearse inherited his father's artistic abilities and became a sculptor. He was educated at the Christian Brothers School,

Westland Row Westland Row is a street on the Southside of Dublin, Ireland. Location The street runs along the east end of Trinity College Dublin. History Westland Row first appears on maps in 1776. It was originally known as Westlands after Willi ...

. He studied at the Metropolitan School of Art in Dublin under

Oliver Sheppard Oliver Sheppard (10 April 1865 – 14 September 1941) was an Irish sculptor, most famous for his 1911 bronze statue of the mythical Cuchullain dying in battle. His work was also part of the art competitions at the 1924 Summer Olympics and the ...

. He also studied art in Paris. While attending the Kensington School of Art in London he gained notice for several of his artworks. Some of his sculptures are to be found in Limerick Cathedral, the

Cathedral of St. Eunan and St Columba St Eunan's Cathedral ( ), or the Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba as it is also known, is a cathedral in the parish of Conwal and Leck, part of the Diocese of Raphoe. Built between the years of 1890 and 1900, the cathedral is found in Lett ...

Letterkenny Letterkenny ( ga, Leitir Ceanainn , meaning 'hillside of the O'Cannons'), nicknamed 'the Cathedral Town', is the largest and most populous town in County Donegal, a county in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. Letterkenny lies on the R ...

and several Dublin churches. He was trained to take over his father's stonemason business, but gave it up to help run St. Enda's School which Patrick had founded in 1908. He was involved in the arts and theatre at St. Enda's, and aided the overall running of the school.

Easter Rising

Pearse followed his brother into the

Irish Volunteers The Irish Volunteers ( ga, Óglaigh na hÉireann), sometimes called the Irish Volunteer Force or Irish Volunteer Army, was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists and republicans. It was ostensibly formed in respon ...

and the Republican movement. He took part in the Easter Rising in 1916, always staying by his brother's side at the General Post Office. Following the surrender he was court-martialled and sentenced to death. It has been said that as he was only a minor player in the struggle it was his surname that condemned him. However, at his court martial he emphasised his involvement. On 3 May, Pearse was granted permission to visit his brother in

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 lead ...

, to see him for the final time. However, while Willie was en route, Patrick was executed first. Willie was executed on 4 May. He and his brother were the only two brothers to be executed after the Easter Rising.

Commemoration

There are many more public commemorations of Patrick Pearse than of Willie. In 1966,

's Westland Row railway station was renamed

Pearse Station Pearse railway station ( ga, Stáisiún na bPiarsach) or Dublin Pearse is a railway station on Westland Row on the Southside of Dublin, Ireland. It is Ireland's busiest commuter station and second busiest station overall (behind Dublin Con ...

to honour both Willie and Patrick. Pearse Square and

Pearse Street Pearse Street () (formerly Great Brunswick Street) is a major street in Dublin. It runs from College Street in the west to MacMahon Bridge in the east, and is one of the city's longest streets. It has several different types of residential and c ...

, in Dublin, were renamed in honour of both, Pearse Street (then Great Brunswick Street) having been their birthplace. Many streets and roads in Ireland bear the name Pearse; few name Willie, but there is a Pearse Brothers Park in

Rathfarnham Rathfarnham () is a Southside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is south of Terenure, east of Templeogue, and is in the postal districts of Dublin 14 and 16. It is within the administrative areas of both Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Counci ...

. The bridge over the Dodder river on the Rathfarnham Road, between Terenure and Rathfarnham is named after them and carries a plaque depicting the brothers in profile. Brothers Pearse Athletic Club, founded in Rathfarnham, is named after the two brothers. Willie Pearse Park in Crumlin, opened in 1949, is named after him. A number of

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include t ...

clubs and playing fields are named after both Pearses, and at least one after Willie: * Armagh: Annaghmore Pearses GAC;

Pearse Óg GAC Pearse Óg Gaelic Athletic Club ( ga, Na Piarsaigh Óga) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. 'Na Piarsaigh Óga', which translates as 'the Young Pearses', takes its name from the Irish revolutionaries Pád ...

and its grounds,

Pearse Óg Park Pearse Óg Park ( ga, Páirc na Piarsagh Óga) is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Armagh, Northern Ireland. Development of the Park In 2007 Pearse Óg GAC, a Gaelic football club in Armagh City Armagh City was a United Kingdom ...

, Armagh * Cork: CLG Na Piarsaigh, Cork *

: Willie Pearse Park, the grounds of

Crumlin GAA Crumlin GAA Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland. Origins of the game in Crumlin As far back as the 1740s Hurling was to be seen in Crumlin. The village was bordered by an area of "Common Land". The most imp ...

Kerry Kerry or Kerri may refer to: * Kerry (name), a given name and surname of Gaelic origin (including a list of people with the name) Places * Kerry, Queensland, Australia * County Kerry, Ireland ** Kerry Airport, an international airport in Count ...

: Dromid Pearses GAC; Kilflynn Pearses HC (defunct) *

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

: CLG Na Piarsaigh, Limerick *

Louth Louth may refer to: Australia *Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia * Louth, New South Wales, a town * Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia **Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality Canada * Louth, Ontario Ireland * Cou ...

: CPG Na Piarsaigh, Dundalk *

Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Ireland. It also provides the name of its civil parish and barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7,678. The town is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Lette ...

Ballybay Pearse Brothers Ballybay Pearse Brothers Gaelic Football Club is a Gaelic football club based in Ballybay, County Monaghan, Ireland. History The club was founded as Ballybay GFC in 1906. The club is named after the brothers Patrick Pearse and Willie Pearse ...

, and its grounds, Pearse Park * Tyrone: Dregish Pearse Og GAC; Fintona Pearses GAC; and Galbally Pearses GAC *

Wicklow Wicklow ( ; ga, Cill Mhantáin , meaning 'church of the toothless one'; non, Víkingaló) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. It is located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island. According to the 2016 census, it has a ...

: Pearses' Park, Arklow *

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

: Brother Pearse's GAC, London *

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

: Brothers Pearse GAC, Huddersfield

References

* Ní Ghairbhí, Róisín, ''Willie Pearse'', Dublin: O'Brien Press, 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:Pearse, Willie 1881 births 1916 deaths People from County Dublin Executed participants in the Easter Rising Irish revolutionaries

Willie Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and sc ...

Irish people of English descent