| The GPO, Dublin | | | | Beal na mBlath is situated between the small |
| The GPO (General Post Office) was the | | | | village of Crookstown and the village of Cappeen |
| headquarters of the 1916 Easter Rebellion when | | | | on the R585 on the main Cork - Killarney Road |
| Irish rebels, led by Padraig Pearse, of the Irish | | | | (N22) about 70km west of Cork city. The |
| Republican Brotherhood (IRB) proclaimed Ireland a | | | | nearest large towns are Macroom and Clonakilty |
| Republic by issuing the Proclamation of the Irish | | | | in which a statue of "The Big Fella" as he was |
| Republic signed by seven members of the army | | | | known, was erected. The site of the ambush has |
| council; Thomas J. Clarke, Sean Mac Diermada, | | | | a large memorial in place and volunteer guides will |
| Thomas McDonagh, P.H. Pearse, Eamon Ceant, | | | | provide the interested visitor with detailed |
| James Connolly and Joseph Plunkett and declaring | | | | information of the event. |
| war on the occupying British Forces from that | | | | Michael Collins, the film was released in October |
| moment onward. | | | | 1996, directed by Neil Jordan and starring Liam |
| A short bloody battle took place in different | | | | Neeson as Collins, along with Julia Roberts, Aidan |
| locations throughout Dublin mainly. The British | | | | Quinn and a host of notable Irish actors. It caused |
| forces attacked the GPO and Pearse and his | | | | controversy and divided critics in its portrayal of |
| followers surrendered. They were all executed by | | | | the events of the time and of Collins himself. |
| the British and, although the Easter Rising was | | | | Jordan claimed that he set out to make a movie |
| generally deemed a failure by commentators at | | | | based as closely as possible on true events but |
| the time, it ultimately led to formation of a Free | | | | primarily as a means of entertainment. |
| State Government some five years later and the | | | | The Battle of the Boyne, Oldbridge, Drogheda, |
| Republic of Ireland that we know and live in | | | | County Louth |
| today. | | | | The Battle of the Boyne, in 1690, was the end |
| Today, the GPO is still a fully functional post | | | | game in a war between the Catholic King James |
| office, in the centre of O'Connell Street, the main | | | | and Protestant King William of Orange, who had |
| thoroughfare of Dublin City. It stands close to the | | | | deposed James in 1688. The battle, won by |
| Dublin Spire and an original copy of the | | | | William, was a turning point in their feud and |
| Proclamation can be viewed there. | | | | ultimately helped ensure the continuation of |
| Dublin Castle | | | | Protestant supremacy in Ireland with ramifications |
| Dublin Castle is one of the most visited historic | | | | right up to this day. |
| attractions in Ireland and its importance in Irish | | | | The battle took place on July 1st 1690, just |
| history cannot be understated. It is forever | | | | outside the town of Drogheda at Oldbridge. The |
| associated with the various repressive English | | | | armies stood on opposing sides of the River |
| occupiers of Ireland over the space of nearly 800 | | | | Boyne. William's forces easily defeated those of |
| years. | | | | James who led an army of mostly raw recruits. |
| The castle was built by King John in 1204, | | | | The symbolic importance of this battle has made |
| replacing a wooden structure that was deemed to | | | | it one of the best-known battles in British and |
| insecure for English occupation. It was almost | | | | Irish history. It is a key part in Ulster Protestant |
| totally destroyed by the great fire of 1684 in | | | | Folklore and is still commemorated today, |
| which a lot of central Dublin building were wiped | | | | principally by the Orange Order Institution on the |
| out. The castle was gradually rebuilt and became | | | | 12th of July, the day that James forces |
| the headquarters of the much hated British | | | | surrendered. |
| administration in Ireland until the 1916 Rising that | | | | Today, an interpretive centre at Oldbridge, just |
| saw the castle attacked and gradually lose its | | | | west of the town of Drogheda on the Slane |
| status during the follow-on War of Independence. | | | | Road, marks the centre point of the battle. |
| The last of the British occupiers left in 1921 and | | | | Throughout the area are various monuments, |
| Dublin Castle became a centre for records and | | | | indicating different crossing points and key places |
| administration for the new Free State | | | | during the battle. |
| government. | | | | Vinegar Hill, Enniscorthy, County Wexford |
| Today the castle is use to house the Irish | | | | The Irish Rebellion of 1798 against British |
| Revenue Commissioners and other state bodies. | | | | occupation of Ireland had many significant battles |
| It is also used for ceremonial occasions such as | | | | in different parts of the country but the Battle of |
| entertaining visiting heads of state. Located just | | | | Vinegar Hill was an on the 21st June 1798 was |
| off Dame Street, many rooms in Dublin Castle | | | | especially important. 15,000 British soldiers |
| are open for public viewing and guided tours take | | | | launched an attack on Vinegar Hill outside the |
| place daily. | | | | town of Enniscorthy in County Wexford, the |
| Beal na mBlath, Clonakilty County Cork | | | | largest camp and headquarters of the Wexford |
| Beal na mBalth is one of the most famous | | | | United Irish Rebels. It marked a turning point in |
| locations in Irish history. It was here in August | | | | the Irish Rebellion of 1798, as it was effectively |
| 1922 that Michael Collins, one of the most | | | | the last stand in a nationwide campaign by the |
| charismatic leaders in the history of Ireland and | | | | rebels to hold and defend ground against the |
| Commander in Chief of the National Forces, was | | | | British military. The battle was actually fought in |
| killed in an ambush whilst on a tour of inspection | | | | two locations: on Vinegar Hill itself and in the |
| of the Free State troops in his native Cork. | | | | streets of nearby Enniscorthy town. |
| Collins had negotiated deal that saw Britain give | | | | The British, led by General Lake were determined |
| Ireland independence in 26 of the 32 counties with | | | | to crush the rebellion once and for all but was |
| the Six Counties of Northern Ireland remaining | | | | met with stout resistance from the Irish led by |
| under British Rule. These counties were the original | | | | William Barker. Nonetheless, the insurgents were |
| Plantation counties, occupied mostly by Scots as | | | | overcome by the sheer numbers of the British, |
| part of the plantation exercise carried out to bring | | | | which were more than 20,000 in total between |
| Ireland further under the control of the English. | | | | Enniscorthy and Vinegar Hill. The Irish were also |
| This brought about civil war between Collins and | | | | poorly armed against the superior equipped British. |
| his old comrades, led by Eamon De Valera, who | | | | The battle is remembered for the awful atrocities |
| fought for all-Ireland Government. | | | | committed by the British after the surrender of |
| Collins stubborn insistence on taking a journey that | | | | the rebels when defenseless women and children |
| was unnecessary and dangerous, overruled the | | | | were butchered. |
| advice of his own experienced comrades.His | | | | Today, memorials at different location around |
| statement that he would never be killed by his | | | | Vinegar and the town of Enniscorthy, mark what |
| own native people of Cork had ironic fatal | | | | was one of the bloodiest battles ever in the long |
| consequences on that August evening as he was | | | | history of British occupation in Ireland. |
| fatally wounded in an ambush. | | | | |