British Literature Survey
Reference Pages: James Joyce Group

Padraic Pearse
by Sarah Goss

Born in 1879 in Dublin, Ireland, Patrick Henry Pearse proved to have a mind for poetry and literature as well as a nationalistic interest in Irish Politics that would eventually lead to revolution.

Patrick Pearse grew up in a stable, relatively well-off household at a time when Ireland was controlled by British rule. Having studied law in college, Pearse soon became bored with the subject and shifted his focus to a nationalist cause. In short, as a teacher at the Irish Christian Boys School and at the Jesuit University College in Dublin, where James Joyce was a pupil, Pearse became appalled with the fact that the ancient Irish language and culture were being almost completely ignored (Edwards, 29). He soon joined the Gaelic League and eventually became an important member, rallying for the cause of restoring the Irish language into Irish society (Carty, 31). Pearse’s belief was that Gaelic was one of the major elements of an Irishman’s true personality and that a future Gaelic civilization was inevitable (Edwards, 29). Pearse eventually created St. Edna’s School, a bilingual institution dedicated to the study of Gaelic within Irish culture, literature, and many other elements of Irish history and society.

Among his other political achievements were Pearse’s contributions to major magazines and nationalistic newspapers, as well as his creation of a group of nationalist Republicans for the independence of Ireland from British rule. This group was known as the Irish Volunteers, formed in 1913 (Edwards, 177).

During the time of World War Two, Pearse became a radical Nationalist, and he assumed that the people of Ireland were behind him. Despite his likeable personality and his deep love of the country, the Irish people were not on his side.

On the day after Easter Sunday, 1916, Pearse and his volunteers rose up against the British military, a day known as Easter Rising. Because he was greatly outnumbered, Pearse surrendered and was executed the next day (Moran, 178).

The people of Dublin blamed Pearse for the destruction of the city rather than blaming the British military. Long after his execution, however, many Irish citizens acknowledge Pearse’s noble attempts to embrace a diminishing Irish culture through the Gaelic language. Some have even deemed Pearse the “first President of Ireland” (http://www.historylearning.co.uk/patrick_pearse.htm).

Works Cited

Ancient Order of Hibernians. May 2004. Patrick Pearse Division #1. January 2006. http://www.patrickpearse.com/default.htm.

Carty, Xavier. In Bloody Protest, the Tragedy of Patrick Pearse. Dublin: Able Press, 1978.

Edwards, Ruth D. Patrick Pearse, the Triumph of Failure. London: Victor Gollancz Ltd., 1977.

History Learning Site- Patrick Pearse. January 2003 http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/patrick_pearse.htm.

Moran, Sean F. Patrick Pearse and the Politics of Redemption. Washington D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1994.

Paul Marchbanks
marchban@email.unc.edu