General Post Office, Dublin.
28th April 1916--9.30 a.m.
The Forces of the Irish Republic, which was proclaimed in Dublin on
Easter Monday 24th April, have been in possession of the central part
of the Capital since 12 noon on that day. Up to yesterday afternoon
Headquarters was in touch with all the main outlying positions, and
despite furious and almost continuous assaults by the British Forces
all those positions were then still being held, and the Commandants in
charge were confident of their ability to hold them for a long time.
During the course of yesterday afternoon and evening the enemy
succeeded in cutting our communications with our other positions in the
city, and Headquarters is to-day isolated.
The enemy has burnt down whole blocks of houses, apparently with the
object of giving themselves a clear field for the play of artillery and
field guns against us.
We have been bombarded during the evening and night by shrapnel and
machine-gun fire, but without material damage to our position, which is
of great strength.
We are busy completing arrangements for the final defence of
Headquarters and are determined to hold it while the buildings last.
I desire now, lest I may not have an opportunity later, to pay homage
to the gallantry of the soldiers of Irish Freedom who have during the
past four days been writing with fire and steel the most glorious
chapter in the later history of Ireland. Justice can never be done to
their heroism, to their discipline, to their gay and unconquerable
spirit in the midst of peril and death.
Let me, who have led them into this, speak in my own, and in my fellow
Commanders' names, and in the name of Ireland present and to come,
their praises, and ask those who come after them to remember them.
For four days they have fought and toiled, almost without cessation,
almost without sleep; and in the intervals of fighting they have sung
songs of the freedom of Ireland.
No man has complained, no man has asked "Why?" Each individual has
spent himself, happy to pour out his strength for Ireland and for
freedom. If they do not win this fight, they will at least have
deserved to win it. But win it they will, although they may win it in
death. Already they have won a great thing. They have redeemed Dublin
from many shames, and made her name splendid among the names of cities.
If I were to mention names of individuals my list would be a long one.
I will name only that of Commandant General James Connolly, commanding
the Dublin division. He is wounded, but is still the guiding brain of
our resistance.
If we accomplish no more than we have accomplished, I am satisfied. I
am satisfied that we have saved Ireland's honour. I am satisfied that
we should have accomplished more, that we should have accomplished
the task of enthroning, as well as proclaiming the Irish Republic as
a Sovereign State, had our arrangements for a simultaneous rising of
the whole country, with a combined plan as sound as the Dublin plan
has been proved to be, been allowed to go through on Easter Sunday. Of
the fatal countermanding order which prevented those plans from being
carried out, I shall not speak further. Both Eoin MacNeill and we have
acted in the best interests of Ireland.
For my part, as to anything I have done in this, I am not afraid to
face either the judgment of God, or the judgment of posterity.
(Signed) P. H. PEARSE,
Commandant General,
Commanding-in-Chief the Army of the Irish Republic
and President of the Provisional Government.
The day following this proclamation the rebels surrendered
unconditionally.
Bradbury, Agnew & Co. Ld., London and Tonbridge.