Patrick Pearse
Patrick Pearse — Pádraig Mac Piarais in Irish — was a poet, teacher, barrister and republican revolutionary who became the symbolic leader of the Easter Rising of 1916. Educated at the Royal University of Ireland, he was a passionate advocate for the Irish language and founded St Enda's School in Dublin to educate boys through a bilingual, Gaelic cultural curriculum. Pearse's nationalism grew increasingly militant through the early 1910s. He joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood and became a central organiser of the Irish Volunteers. His graveside oration at the funeral of Fenian O'Donovan Rossa in 1915 — 'Ireland unfree shall never be at peace' — announced him as the movement's most powerful voice. He became commander-in-chief of the Irish Volunteers and commandant-general of the forces of the Irish Republic during the rising. On Easter Monday, 24 April 1916, Pearse read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic from the steps of the General Post Office, declaring Ireland a republic and summoning the Irish people to arms. After five days of fighting in Dublin, the rebellion was suppressed and Pearse surrendered to prevent further civilian casualties. He was court-martialled and executed by firing squad on 3 May 1916. His writings, speeches and the manner of his death transformed him into the foremost martyr of the Irish republican tradition.
- Lived: 1879 CE – 1916 CE
- Nationality: irish
- Roles: revolutionary, writer
