cover of episode 238. Ireland’s Fight For Freedom: The Easter Rising (Ep 1)

238\. Ireland’s Fight For Freedom: The Easter Rising (Ep 1)

2025/3/18
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This chapter introduces the context of the Easter Rising, discussing the emotional impact of the Great Famine and the growing defiance among the Irish population. It highlights the influence of cultural revival and the European context of rebellion.
  • The Easter Rising was influenced by historical grievances, including the Great Famine.
  • Irish revolutionaries were inspired by a wider European impulse for change.
  • The leaders of 1916 were often involved in cultural revival and poetry.

Shownotes Transcript

The 1916 Easter Rising was a definitive moment in 20th-century Irish history. Its memory was evoked throughout The Troubles, with republicans wearing commemorative Easter Lily badges to honour the revolutionary martyrs that came before them. 

On Easter Monday in 1916, amongst the backdrop of the ongoing First World War, Irish revolutionaries brought the anti-colonial struggle to Britain’s doorstop. 

Armed men and women stormed and seized important buildings across Dublin, and proclaimed the beginning of The Irish Republic. From the steps of the General Post Office, Patrick Pearse read the proclamation of independence that would be referred back to for generations. As the leaders of the revolution faced their tragic fate, we trace the journeys of three rebels who escaped execution: a countess with a pistol, a maths-teacher-turned-military-commander, and a young man from Cork who will soon oversee a guerrilla war campaign as the revolution is reborn… 

Listen as Anita and William are joined by Diarmaid Ferriter, author of A Nation Not A Rabble, to discuss the impact of the Easter Rising.

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Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

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