The Irish Citizen Army`s Starry Plough banner.

The Irish Citizen Army (Irish name: Arm Saoránach na hÉireann), or ICA, was a small group of trained volunteers established in Dublin for the defense of worker’s demonstrations from the police. It was formed by James Larkin and Jack White. Other members included James Connolly, Sean O'Casey, Countess Markievicz, Francis Sheehy-Skeffington. Flag flown by the Irish Citizens Army during the 1916 Easter rising File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Flag flown by the Irish Citizens Army during the 1916 Easter rising File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A formal Irish Gaelic name consists of a given name and a surname, as in English. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Statue of James Larkin on OConnell Street, Dublin (Oisín Kelly 1977) James (Big Jim) Larkin (Irish: Séamas Ó Lorcáin)(1874-1947), an Irish trade union leader and socialist activist, was born in Liverpool, England on 28 January 1874, of Irish parents. ... Image:Jack white head small. ... James Connolly James Connolly (Irish name: Séamas Ó Conghaile or Ó Conghalaigh; June 5, 1868 – May 12, 1916) was an Irish socialist leader. ... Sean OCasey Sean OCasey (March 30, 1880 - September 18, 1964) was a major Irish dramatist and memorist. ... Constance Georgine Markiewicz (1868?1927), was an Irish politician and nationalist. ... Francis Skeffington (1878 – 26 April 1916) from Bailieborough, County Cavan, was an Irish suffragist and pacifist. ...

The Lockout

The army rose out of the great strike of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union in 1913, known as the Lockout of 1913. The dispute was over the recognition of this labour union founded by James Larkin. It began when William Martin Murphy, an industrialist, locked out some trade unionists on August 19, 1913. In response, Larkin called an all out strike on Murphy's Dublin United Tramway Company. Other companies, encouraged by Murphy, sacked ITGWU members in an effort to break the union. The conflict eventually escalated to involve 400 employers and 25,000 workers. The Irish Transport and General Workers Union (ITGWU) was established by Jim Larkin in December 1908, after his expulsion from the British National Dock Labourers Union (NDLU). ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Statue of James Larkin on OConnell Street (Oisín Kelly 1977) The Dublin Lockout of 1913 was the most severe industrial dispute in the history of Ireland, a general lockout of workers in Dublin, meant to contain the expansion of trade unions. ... A union (labor union in American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in British English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is a legal entity consisting of employees or workers having a common interest, such as all the assembly workers for one employer, or all the workers... Statue of James Larkin on OConnell Street, Dublin (Oisín Kelly 1977) James (Big Jim) Larkin (Irish: Séamas Ó Lorcáin)(1874-1947), an Irish trade union leader and socialist activist, was born in Liverpool, England on 28 January 1874, of Irish parents. ... William Martin Murphy was an Irish businessman and politician, best known for his role as leader of an employers syndicate in the Dublin Lockout of 1913. ... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

This strike caused most of Dublin to come to an economic standstill and was marked by vicious rioting between the strikers and the Dublin Metropolitan Police, particularly at a rally on O'Connell street on August 31, in which two men were beaten to death and about 500 more injured. Another striker was later shot dead by a strike-breaker. The violence at union rallies during the strike prompted Larkin to call for a worker's militia to be formed to protect themselves against the police. The Citizen army for the duration of the lockout was armed with hurling sticks and bats in order to protect worker's demonstration from the police. Jack White, a former British Army Captain, volunteered to train this army and offered 50 pounds towards the cost of shoes to workers so they could train. In addition to its role as a self defence organisation, the army, which was drilled in Croydon Park in Fairview by White, provided a diversion for workers unemployed and idle during the dispute. After a six-month standoff, the workers returned to work hungry and defeated in January 1914. The original purpose of the ICA was over, but it would soon be totally transformed. The Dublin Metropolitan Police was formed in 1836, after twenty years of attempts to create an effective policing force in Ireland Rural policing in Ireland began when Chief Secretary for Ireland, Robert Peel created the Peace Preservation Force in 1816. ... For the Cornish sport, see Cornish Hurling. ... Image:Jack white head small. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Captain is a nautical term, an organizational title, and a rank in various uniformed organizations. ... Fairview is the name of several places: In the U. S.: Fairview, California Fairview, Georgia Fairview, Illinois Fairview, Kansas Fairview, Kentucky Fairview, Michigan Fairview, Missouri Fairview, Montana Fairview, New Jersey Fairview, New York Fairview, North Carolina Fairview, Ohio Fairview, Oklahoma Fairview, Oregon Fairview, Pennsylvania Fairview, South Dakota Fairview, Texas Fairview...

Re-organisation

The Irish Citizen Army was totally reorganised in 1914. In March of that year, a demonstration of the Citizen Army was attacked by the police and Jack White, its commandant, was arrested. Sean O'Casey then suggested that the ICA needed a more formal organisation. O'Casey wrote a constitution stating the Army's principles as follows: the ownership of Ireland, moral and material, is vested of right in the people of Ireland and to "sink all difference of birth property and creed under the common name of Irish people". Captain James Robert Jack White (1879 -1946) is known as the man who was along with James Connolly, co-founded and drilled the Irish Citizen Army. ... Sean OCasey Sean OCasey (March 30, 1880 - September 18, 1964) was a major Irish dramatist and memorist. ...

On Larkin's insistence, all members were also required to be members of a trade union, if eligible. In mid 1914, White resigned as ICA commander to join the mainstream nationalist Irish Volunteers and Larkin took over. Irish Volunteers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

James Larkin left Ireland for America in October 1914, leaving the Citizen Army under the command of James Connolly. Whereas during the Lockout, the ICA had been a workers' self defence militia, Connolly conceived of it as a revolutionary organisation - dedicated to the creation of an Irish socialist republic. He had served in the British army in his youth and knew something about military tactics and discipline. Other active members in the early days included Sean O'Casey, Countess Markievicz, Francis Sheehy-Skeffington. Sheehy-Skeffington and O'Casey left the ICA when it became apparent that Connolly was moving towards the radical nationalist group, the Irish Republican Brotherhood. James Connolly James Connolly (Irish name: Séamas Ó Conghaile or Ó Conghalaigh; June 5, 1868 – May 12, 1916) was an Irish socialist leader. ... Sean OCasey Sean OCasey (March 30, 1880 - September 18, 1964) was a major Irish dramatist and memorist. ... Constance Georgine Markiewicz (1868?1927), was an Irish politician and nationalist. ... Francis Skeffington (1878 – 26 April 1916) from Bailieborough, County Cavan, was an Irish suffragist and pacifist. ... The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) was a secret fraternal organisation dedicated to fomenting armed revolt against the British state in Ireland in the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. ...

James Connolly was a convinced Marxist socialist and Irish Republican and believed that achieving political change through physical force, in the tradition of the Fenians, was legitimate. James Connolly James Connolly (Irish name: Séamas Ó Conghaile or Ó Conghalaigh; June 5, 1868 – May 12, 1916) was an Irish socialist leader. ... Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (Pronounced fee-na fall.) (English: Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ... Fenian is a term used since the 1860s for an Irish nationalist who espouses violence, usually by people opposed to their aims. ...

The ICA was armed with Mauser rifles bought from Germany by the Irish Volunteers and smuggled into Ireland at Howth in July 1914. This organisation was one of the first to offer equal membership to both men and women and trained them both in the use of weapons. The army's headquarters was the ITGWU union building, Liberty Hall and they were almost entirely Dublin based. However, Connolly also set up branches in Tralee and Killarney in county Kerry. In October 1915, armed ICA pickets patrolled a strike by dockers at Dublin port. Mauser is the common name of a German arms manufacturer, maker of a line of bolt-action rifles from the 1870s to present. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Liberty Hall, Dublins tallest building, stands in the background. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... Statistics Province: Munster County Town: Tralee Code: KY Area: 4,746 km² Population (2006) 139,616 Website: www. ...

Appalled by the participation of Irishmen in the First World War, which he regarded as an imperialist, capitalist conflict, Connolly began openly calling for insurrection in his newspaper, the Irish Worker. When this was banned, he opened another the Worker's Republic. The British authorities tolerated the open drilling and bearing of arms by the ICA, thinking that to clamp down on the organisation would provoke further unrest. A small group of Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) conspirators within the Irish Volunteers movement were also planning a rising. Worried that Connolly would embark on premature military action with the ICA, Connolly was approached and inducted into the IRB's Supreme Council to co-ordinate their preparations for the armed rebellion known as the Easter Rising. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) was a secret fraternal organisation dedicated to fomenting armed revolt against the British state in Ireland in the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. ... Combatants Irish Volunteers, Irish Citizen Army, Irish Republican Brotherhood British Army Royal Irish Constabulary Commanders Patrick Pearse, James Connolly, Brigadier-General Lowe General Sir John Maxwell Strength 1250 in Dublin, c. ...

Easter Rising

Mauser rifle used by members of the ICA

The army never numbered more than 250 men and women. On Monday April 24, 1916, 220 of them (including 28 women) took part in the Easter Rising, alongside a much larger body of the Irish Volunteers. They helped occupy the General Post Office on O'Connell Street (then Sackville Street), Dublin's main thoroughfare. Mallin, Connolly's second in command, along with Markievizc and an ICA company, occupied St Stephen's Green. Another company under Sean Connolly took over City Hall and attacked Dublin Castle. Finally, a detachment occupied Harcourt Street railway station. ICA men were the first rebel causalties of Easter Week, two of them being killed in an abortive attack on Dublin Castle. Sean Connolly, an ICA officer, was the first rebel fatality. A total of eleven Citizen Army men were killed in action in the rising, five in the City Hall/Dublin castle area, five in Stephen's Green and one in the GPO. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (898x417, 129 KB)Mauser M98 Rifle with Bayonet, from the collection of Vaarok, photograph released for the public good. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (898x417, 129 KB)Mauser M98 Rifle with Bayonet, from the collection of Vaarok, photograph released for the public good. ... Mauser is the common name of a German arms manufacturer, maker of a line of bolt-action rifles from the 1870s to present. ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (115th in leap years). ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Irish Volunteers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The term General Post Office is or has been used by a number of postal and telecommunications governmental administrations worldwide, including: United Kingdom until 1969, see Post Office UK. After 1981 see Royal Mail for a continuing history of the British Post Office. ... Daniel OConnell, 19th century nationalist leader, whose statue by John Henry Foley, stands on the street named after him. ... St. ... Dublin Castle. ... The Harcourt Street railway line was a railway line in Dublin, Ireland; running from Harcourt Street (south of St. ...

Connolly was made commander of the rebel forces in Dublin during the Rising and issued orders to surrender after a week. He and Mallin were executed by British army firing squad some weeks later. The surviving ICA members were interned in Frongoch in Wales until 1919.

Many of them later joined the new Irish Republican Army (IRA) from 1917 on, but the Citizen Army remained in existence until the 1930s. According to some reports, ^{[attribution needed]} ICA units were involved in various IRA operations during the Irish War of Independence, including the burning of the Customs House in May 1921. During the fighting in Dublin that began the Irish Civil War in July 1922, some elements of the ICA (which by this time had about 140 members) were involved in the Anti-Treaty IRA occupation and defence of the Four Courts while others occupied Liberty Hall, the Trade Union headquarters, to prevent it falling into the hands of either the Republicans or the Free State Army. The Seán Hogan Flying column during the War of Independence. ... Year 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... Combatants Irish Republic United Kingdom Commanders Michael Collins Richard Mulcahy Cathal Brugha Important local IRA leaders Henry Hugh Tudor Strength Irish Republican Army c. ... Combatants Irish Republican Army Irish Free State Army Commanders Rory OConnor Oscar Traynor Michael Collins Strength 200 in Four Courts c. ... The Irish Civil War (June 28, 1922 – May 24, 1923) was a conflict between supporters and opponents of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 6, 1921, which established the Irish Free State, precursor of todays Republic of Ireland. ... The split in Sinn Féin and the Irish Republican Army following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921 led to the emergence of group of Anti-Treatyites, sometimes referred to as the Irregulars, who continued to use the name Irish Republican Army (IRA) or in Irish Óglaigh... The Four Courts (Na Ceithre Cúirteanna in Irish) in Dublin is the Republic of Irelands main courts building. ... Liberty Hall, Dublins tallest building, stands in the background. ...

Post-Irish independence

In the 1920s and 1930s, the ICA was kept alive by veterans such as Seamus MacGowan, Dick McCormick and Frank Purcell, though perhaps only as an old comrades association by veterans of 1916.

Uniformed Citizen Army men provided a guard of honour at Constance Markievicz's funeral in 1927. Constance Georgine Markiewicz (1868?1927), was an Irish politician and nationalist. ...

In 1934, Peadar O'Donnell and other left wing republicans left the IRA and founded the Republican Congress. For a brief time, they revived the ICA as a paramilitary force, intended to be an armed wing for their new movement. According to Brian Hanley's history of the IRA, the revived Citizen Army had 300 or so members around the country in 1935. However, the Congress itself split in 1935 and collapsed shortly afterwards. Most of the ICA members joined the Irish Labour Party. Peadar ODonnell was an Irish Republican and socialist activist and writer. ... Following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December 1921, the Irish Republican Army in the 26 counties that were to become the Irish Free State split between supporters and opponents of the Treaty. ... The Republican Congress was an Irish Republican political organisation founded in 1934, when left wing republicans left the Irish Republican Army. ... Logo of the Irish Labour Party The Irish Labour Party (Irish: Páirti an Lucht Oibre) is the third largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. ...

The ICA's last public appearance was to accompany the funeral procession of union leader James Larkin in Dublin in 1947. Statue of James Larkin on OConnell Street, Dublin (Oisín Kelly 1977) James (Big Jim) Larkin (Irish: Séamas Ó Lorcáin)(1874-1947), an Irish trade union leader and socialist activist, was born in Liverpool, England on 28 January 1874, of Irish parents. ...

Uniforms and banners

Uniforms: the uniform was dark green with a slouched hat. As many members could not afford a uniform, they wore a blue armband, with officers wearing red ones.

Their banner was the Plough and the Stars. Connolly said the significance of the banner was that a free Ireland would control its own destiny from the plough to the stars. Starry Plough may refer to: Big Dipper, The seven brightest stars of the constellation Ursa Major. ...

This was flown by the Irish Citizens Army during the 1916 rising.

Starry Plough, 1930s to present.

The design changed during the 1930s to that of the blue banner on the right, which was designed by members of the Republican Congress, and was adopted as the emblem of the Irish Labour movement, including the Irish Labour Party, though they eventually dropped it. It is also claimed by Irish republicans and has been carried alongside the Irish tricolour and Irish provincial flags at Provisional Irish Republican Army, Official IRA and Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) rallies. Image File history File links StarryPlough. ... Image File history File links StarryPlough. ... The Republican Congress was an Irish Republican political organisation founded in 1934, when left wing republicans left the Irish Republican Army. ... The Irish tricolour (flag ratio: 1:2). ... A Republican mural in Belfast depicting the hunger strikes of 1981. ... The term Official Irish Republican Army or Official IRA refers to one of the two organisations - the other being the Provisional Irish Republican Army - that emerged from the split in the then Irish Republican Army in 1969-70. ... The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) is an Irish republican paramilitary organization which was formed on December 8, 1974. ...

The banner, and alternative versions of it, is also used by the Connolly Youth Movement, Labour Youth, Ógra Shinn Féin and the Republican Socialist Youth Movement. The Connolly Youth Movement or CYM, is an all-Ireland youth organisation affiliated to the Communist Party of Ireland and the World Federation of Democratic Youth. ... Ógra Shinn Féin Ógra Shinn Féin is the youth wing of Sinn Féin and is active on many different issues. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline or one of the following guidelines for inclusion on Wikipedia: Biographies, Books, Companies, Fiction, Music, Neologisms, Numbers, Web content, or several proposals for new guidelines. ...

Sources

• James Larkin, The Lion of the Fold by Donal Nevin.
• Ireland’s Independence 1880–1923 by Oonagh Walsh
• Six Days to Shake an Empire by Charles Duff
• The Imagination of an Insurrection: Dublin, Easter 1916 by William Irwin Thompson
• The IRA 1926-1936, Brian Hanley
• The Irish Citizen Army 1916-1913, D.R. O'Connor Lysaght, in History Ireland, Vol. 14, No. 2, April/May 2006.
• The Irish Citizen Army, Labour clenches its fist! Ciaran Perry, [1]

William Irwin Thompson (1938- ) is a writer, social critic, and visionary, especially interested in keeping alive the esoteric, most profound, human and spiritual traditions of mankind, as he sees it. ...

Further reading

• Anderson, W.K. 1994. James Connolly and the Irish Left. Dublin: Irish Academic Press. ISBN 0-7165-2522-4.
• Fox, R.M. 1943. The History of the Irish Citizen Army. Dublin: James Duffy & Co.
• Greaves, C. Desmond. 2004 [New edition]. Liam Mellows and the Irish Revolution. Belfast: Foilseacháin an Ghlór Gafa. ISBN 1-905007-01-9.
• Hanley, Brian. 2002. The IRA: 1926-36. Dublin: Four Courts Press. ISBN 1-85182-721-8.
• Robbins, Frank. 1978. Under the Starry Plough: Recollections of the Irish Citizen Army. Dublin: The Academy Press. ISBN 0-906187-00-1.
• O'Casey, Sean (as P. Ó Cathasaigh). 1919. Story of the Irish Citizen Army. London: Journeyman.