TG4 - Seachtar na Cásca, a documentary about the True Story of the 1916 Easter Rising and those that were involved. James Connolly (Séamas Ó Conghaile) was born in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh, Scotland, to Irish immigrant parents. At aged 11 he left school to start work as street cleaner before at the age of 14 enlisting in the British Army. It was here that he developed a deep hatred for the British Army that would last his entire life and when he heard that his regiment was being deployed to India he deserted. He met a young woman called Lellie Reynolds in which he would marry in 1890. He established a small cobblers business in 1895 but it never lasted. He had become heavily involved in Scottish Trade Unionism and Socialism and by now was becoming a well known figure head of Scottish Socialism. He moved to Dublin in 1895 after he heard that the Dublin Socialist was looking for a full time Secretary. At his instigation, the club quickly evolved into the Irish Socialist Republican Party (ISRP). In 1903 Connolly moved to the United States where he became involved in Socialism around the shipyards and industrial centres around New York. But he always felt that his work was to be done in Ireland and in 1910 returned to Ireland. On his return to Ireland in 1910 he was right-hand man to fellow-syndicalist James Larkin in the Irish Transport and General Workers Union. And by 1913 both him an Larkin were listed as instigators of the strike during the Lockout in Dublin. Following the 1913 Lockout Connolly, along with an ex-British officer, Jack White, founded the Irish Citizen Army (ICA). He also founded the Irish Labour Party as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress in 1912. Connolly stood aloof from the leadership of the Irish Volunteers. He considered them too bourgeois and unconcerned with Ireland's economic independence. In 1916, thinking they were merely posturing and unwilling to take decisive action against Britain, he attempted to goad them into action by threatening to send the ICA against the British Empire alone, if necessary. This alarmed the members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, who had already infiltrated the Volunteers and had plans for an insurrection that very year. In order to talk Connolly out of any such rash action, the IRB leaders, including Tom Clarke and Patrick Pearse, met with Connolly to see if an agreement could be reached. During the meeting, the IRB and the ICA agreed to act together at Easter of that year. When the Easter Rising occurred on 24 April 1916, Connolly was Commandant of the Dublin Brigade. As the Dublin Brigade had the most substantial role in the rising, he was de facto commander-in-chief. Following the surrender, he said to other prisoners: "Don't worry. Those of us that signed the proclamation will be shot. But the rest of you will be set free." James Connolly was executed on the 12th May 1916 in Kilmainham Gaol.

• published: 11 Jan 2015
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