Keith.

Trying to educate you is like playing handball against a haystack.

You replied "The DMP were an Irish Catholic organisation. Not British."

The DMP = Dublin Metropolitan Police it was the title of the police service that controlled the Dublin area. It was comprised of Catholic and Protestant members and the senior offers were almost exclusively protestant and unionist inclined. I know this because, much to my shame some of my ancestors were members and they were all Church of Ireland and unionist by inclination. Believe me the thought that they were part of "an Irish Catholic organisation" would have made them guffah with mirth.

You also said "Why did the IRB never attract more than a fringe membership?"

Keith any person with a modicum of understand of Irish history would understand why the IRB had a small membership. The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) were a secret society whose membership was controlled by it's leadership. You could not join the IRB, membership was by invitation only.

I trust that you motives in being involved in this discussion are honest, but for somebody who holds such strong opinions on the subject of the 1916 Rising you seem to be almost wilfully ignorant of some of the key organisations involved.