Jim Carroll - 18 May 16 - 07:53 PM
No time lines - That is the trouble with people who post great swathes of text that they have scanned and forget to clearly indicate the date the events described took place. For example the post detailed clearly relates to a time AFTER the rising had been put down, as Lloyd George is clearly the man driving things and America has obviously joined the war. The poster also omits to inform everyone that no Irishman was ever conscripted. But thanks for the "cut-n-paste"

He then stated the considerations which had weighed with him.

1: "Even if Home Rule were carried tomorrow, the army and navy would be under the control of the Imperial Parliament.

The claim has never been put forward by any Irish party that the army and navy and the defence of the Realm are local matters.

2: In the second place, I do not believe it possible in this country to tear industry about, to break up single businesses, to take fathers of forty-five and upwards from their homes to fight the battles of a Catholic nationality on the Continent without deep resentment at the spectacle of sturdy young Catholics in Ireland spending their time in increasing the difficulties of this country by drilling and by compelling us to keep troops in Ireland. I do not know any grounds of justice or equity on which conscription could not be applied to Ireland. "

The Government had shown indulgence to Ireland, "wise and reasonable indulgence", he thought, in the hope that she would become "reconciled to her Imperial association".

3: But they could not "go to the House of Commons and ask our people to make sacrifices, sacrifices which the Irish in America are making, and leave the Irish at home out. I think we ought to accord to Ireland the same rights as Irishmen are enjoying in America. "

Personally I think that Lloyd George makes three very valid points there, none of them are important however as conscription was never applied in Ireland. But I wonder what John Redmond's take would have been had subsequent to being given Home Rule an enemy invaded Ireland would he have been content to see the armed forces of Great Britain stand aside and watch from the side-lines? Somehow don't think so.

Jim Carroll - 18 May 16 - 08:26 PM

Again a list of events with no time line. The link I posted has fires being started in Sackville Street around 20:30hrs on the 24th April and at that time no artillery had been brought up. The Army's reserve artillery battery arrived some time in the morning of the 25th April and opened fire that afternoon at 15:00 at targets (barricades) in direct line of sight in the Philsborough area of the city. Naval gunfire from the armed yacht Helga commenced at 20:15 that evening when two rounds were fired into the upper part of Boland's Mill.

It is however clear from the post that the rebels had clearly fortified positions on Sackville Street and were fighting from them - which rather makes them legitimate targets doesn't it?