Source Information
- Colonial Office: Ireland, Confidential Print. CO 903/19.
- War Office: Army of Ireland: Administrative and Easter Rising Records. WO 35/68,96-119,143.
- Judge Advocate General's Office: Courts Martial Proceedings and Board of General Officers' Minutes. WO 71/344-386.
About Ireland, Courts Martial Files, 1916-1922
Historical Background
The Easter Rising of 1916 took place on Easter Monday, the 24th of April 1916.
Martial Law was declared in on the 25th of April 1916 in an attempt to maintain order on the streets of Dublin. This was later extended to the whole country. During the aftermath of the Easter Rising, and during the years of the Irish War of Independence individuals were arrested under Martial Law if suspected of being pro-independence and committing treason to the Crown.
Under Martial Law individuals were tried without a defence council, without a jury and the trials took place in private chambers. Members of the public and members of the press were not allowed to be present at the trial.
This Collection
This collection covers Field General Courts Martial Records, with nearly 2,000 searchable names and additional names found within the images. Each record contains evidence against the defendants, their statements and proclamations.
Beyond the leaders, the records relate to individuals suspected of being involved with the Nationalist movement in Ireland. Arrests were made under Martial Law for conspiracy, murder, treason, and securing and publishing secret government information.
Also contained is these files are an alphabetical roll of prisoners and detailed individual prisoner cases imprisoned as a result of Court Martial Proceedings.
Please note: The ordering of the Courts Martial files reflect the chronological order of the records and for this reason, the foliation can be out of sequence in some cases.
