Eirí Amach na Cásca (Part 11)

from The Road to Rebellion by Mike McCormack

   In the yard behind O’Hanlon’s shop at 20 Moore Street, MacDiarmada informed the men of the decision to surrender.  They were stunned and insisted on fighting to the end, but Connolly was adamant: his boys would not be killed. The act of carrying the surrender decision to the British was entrusted to the courageous nurse, Elizabeth O’Farrell.
With part of a sheet tied to a stick, she left 15 Moore Street (some claim it was 21) and walked the street of the slain to the barricade.  She told an officer, The commandant of the Irish Republican Army wishes to treat with the British forces in Ireland.  The officer replied, The Irish Republican Army? The Sinn Feiners, you mean!  She replied, The Irish Republican Army they call themselves and I think that’s a very good name too!  The officer tore the Red Cross emblems from her arm and apron saying, Search her, she’s a spy!  She was taken to Tom Clarke’s tobacco shop at 75a Parnell Street (of all places) until General Lowe arrived.  Lowe sent her back to tell Pearse that he must surrender unconditionally!  She gave Lowe’s message to Pearse who sent her back seeking terms for his men.  Lowe sent her back with a note penned by his son, Major John Lowe, demanding that within half an hour she must return with Pearse and the only terms acceptable were unconditional surrender.  Pearse agreed to the terms and in view of the civilian atrocities most of the leaders agreed.
At 3:30 PM, Pearse marched to the barricade with nurse O’Farrell where they were met by General Lowe and his son.  Pearse handed General Lowe his sword, pistol, ammunition and tin canteen.  At that time, a photo was taken and later doctored to remove O’Farrell’s feet making it appear that Pearse was standing alone.  He was not!  In front of Byrne’s shop at Moore Street corner, a bench was brought out and Pearse bent down to sign the surrender document thereon.

General Lowe’s son, Major John Lowe, later became a Hollywood actor under the name John Loder.  He married Hedy Lamarr and appeared in How Green Was My Valley with former GPO Volunteer Arthur Shields and his brother Barry Fitzgerald!

Nurse O’Farrell agreed to their joint request to bring the surrender document to the other outposts. The one taken to the men in Moore Street read: Carrying a white flag, proceed down Moore Street, turn into Moore Lane and Henry Place, out into Henry Street and around the pillar to the right side of O’Connell Street, march up to 100 yards of the military drawn up at the Parnell Statue, halt, advance five paces and lay down arms.  With sloped arms, the first group marched off under Captain O’Reilly picking up any stragglers on the way.  Next, Willie Pearse led the main body waving a white flag.  Close behind him walked Tom Clarke and towards the rear walked Seán MacDiamada and Joseph Plunkett, supported by Julia Grennan and Winifred Carney.
For the next two days, accompanied by a priest, Nurse O’Farrell was sent to secure the surrender of the various outposts.  Dodging sniper fire and trying to convince the leaders it was not a hoax were among her biggest tasks. At Arbor Hill Detention Barracks, Pearse was visited by two IRA leaders from Wexford, who refused to believe the surrender order until they heard it from Pearse himself.  British General French brought them to see Pearse and one recalled, Pearse looked, physically exhausted but spiritually exulted.  He told us that the Dublin Brigade had done splendidly.  Why surrender, one asked and Pearse answered, because they were shooting women and children in the streets. I saw them myself.
The remaining garrisons surrendered one by one.  The men from the Moore Street garrison were marched up to the Rotunda Gardens where for two cold and damp days they were kept wet and uncovered on the grassy lawn as troops and loyalist citizens jeered and taunted them.  In my interview with Volunteer, Sam O’Reilly, he said, We were lying on top of one another. I was quite near Collins and Joe Plunkett. I remember the British officer threatening to shoot the whole lot of us, and Collins saying to this officer, ‘this is a very sick man; leave him alone’ or words to that effect.  He was, of course, referring to Joe Plunkett.  Men and women were piled together and when they had to relieve themselves, they had to do it in front of their comrades adding to their shameful treatment. Sam also recalled a British officer, Captain Percival Lea-Wilson, taking Tom Clarke out of the group and publicly disrobing him in front of everyone and mocking the quality of these Irish rebels.  It infuriated everyone who witnessed the spectacle and who had the utmost respect for Clarke.  Sam happily added that in 1920, Michael Collins, who witnessed the insulting behavior, sought out Lea-Wilson and had him shot dead!
Sadly, more civilians were killed and wounded than all the military on both sides combined.  Casualties in Dublin were 64 IRA killed and 120 Wounded; 132 British Army were killed and 397 wounded; and 254 civilians were killed and 2,217 wounded. At Ashbourne, Co Meath, 116 military were killed, 368 wounded and 9 went missing.  The Police lost 16 killed and 29 wounded. The British press told the world that as the prisoners were marched away, they were vilified by the citizens of Dublin, but never mentioned that they had been deliberately marched by unionists and Anglo sympathizers.  Many Dubliners were in no way hostile.  At Boland’s Bakery and the South Dublin Union, the patriots were cheered during the Rising and sympathy had grown during the week.  Rising participant, Florence O’Donohue later said, the military failure of the rising proved to be less significant than its impact on the nation’s mind; the historic Irish nation was reborn.

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