The period of the Irish revolutionaries -- fighting justly for republicanism in early 20th-century Ireland -- is looked upon retrospectively in Ireland as being philosophically akin to past successful revolutions worldwide such as the French Revolution or even the American Revolution. In fact, all three revolutions (or periods, as it is to be known in Ireland) share similar structures: tyrannical oppressors and their tyrannical actions lead distressed subjects to revolt against unruly kingdoms not just to change leadership, but essentially to send in a demolition crew, dismantle the political system, create swift regime change, and bring prosperity, freedom, and liberties back to the people where it belongs. So, it was only out of a matter of righteousness that some of the most tactical, methodical, and brave Irish men, women, and children band together for the name of republicanism to turn the oppression on its head and pave a way out of humiliation, oppression, and gore into a new avenue of progress, unity, freedom, and prosperity. It was done so with an end game: the formation of the Republic of Ireland and a free state for Irish citizens.
As dramatic as the introduction seems, in the end, it seems to be representative of the whole of the Irish revolutionary period, but a more respected and influential viewpoint on the matter would be best spent at the General Post Office in Dublin's city center. The location is rather poignant; the revolutionaries banded together and headquartered the operations of the Easter Rising at the General Post Office. The GPO is known to be a majestic building in both exterior, interior, and in history -- the opulence of the building's aesthetic ironically juxtaposes itself with the working-class nature and appeal of the Irish revolutionaries, but yet again, they were arguably fighting for a seat at the table of opulence and power anyway.
An ant's-eye view of the General Post Office expressly defines how architecturally beautiful and elegant the building is and what it came out to define in political thought and republicanism in the nation of Ireland.
The tour guide of the General Post Office's Museum conducted herself in a manner that was professional, intimate, and ultimately informative. While I believe some of the information could have focused a little more on depth than on breadth, I believe the short film pictured was immersive (but also very broad in scope, timing and meaning) and the exhibits were captivating for its focus on women's and children's involvement in the revolution and for its actual clothing artifacts of Irish revolutionaries and British soldiers. The tour was much shorter than I would have thought, and it felt like the movie took up roughly half of the time spent at the tour. The disconnect between the integrity of the tour guide is ultimately in contrast to the information provided and highlighted by the museum, however, and the disconnect itself was apparent enough for me to acknowledge.
Some of the attire worn by Irish revolutionaries during the period of the Easter Rising. The clothing artifacts were easily some of the most redeeming qualities of the museum, which ultimately lacked a depth of immersion and information bestowed upon visitors.
Poster detailing a speech (?) of the Irish Republic, which was unrecognized internationally but paved the way for a future, hypothetical Republic of Ireland.
Regardless of my "meh" feelings of the museum, I can't help but acknowledge the importance of the General Post Office to Ireland and its history merging with pop culture and the political arena -- often discussed in class discussions and lectures. Angela's Ashes and That's That, as discussed in my previous blog posts, asserted its admiration for the work of the revolutionaries and the cause of Irish nationalism, albeit from different eras in Irish history and from different locations on the island. The politics of the Irish revolutionary period were incredibly blunt and unabashed, and I appreciated the displays of the various distinctions of people playing recurring roles in the Easter Rising (Loyalists, home-rule, socialists, etc.). Nonetheless, unless you are a constant student of history eager to learn about the findings and struggles of the Republic of Ireland in its pre-republic era, I would not recommend this museum to anyone who doesn't want to waste precious time (the negative tone of my experience and in my writing of this blog post is largely because I was not in any sort of cheerful mood that day and I felt this tour was forced and offered nothing innovative for enjoyment).
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