The Irish Volunteer - Óglach na hÉireann Volume 2 - Number 24

Series by Mícheál Mac Donncha chronicling the road to the 1916 Rising as seen through the pages of An tÓglach – the Irish Volunteer from 24 April 1915 to 22 April 1916

This is a ‘Special Recruiting Number’ of the Irish Volunteer. It contains what became one of the best known articles published by the paper ‘Why We Want Recruits’ by PH Pearse, in whose political writings it was later anthologised. Pearse was at this time the Director of Organisation of the Volunteers and played a key role in establishing its scheme of military organisation in the wake of the split with the Redmondites. Pearse writes:

“We want recruits because we are absolutely determined to take action the moment action becomes a duty. If a moment comes – as a moment seemed on the point of coming at least twice during the past 18 months – when the Irish Volunteers will be justified in taking definite military action, such action will be taken…What if Conscription be forced upon Ireland? What if a Unionist or a Coalition British Ministry repudiate the Home Rule Act? What if it be determined to dismember Ireland?”

As well as being a leader of the Volunteers, Pearse was still running his innovative independent secondary school Scoil Éanna (St. Enda’s). The paper has an advertisement for a performance of two plays by Pearse to raise funds for the school. They were performed in the Irish Theatre in Hardwick Street which was established by his Volunteer comrades and fellow poets Thomas Mac Donagh and Joseph Plunkett. A year later all three would be executed.  

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