The Brazen Head – Dublin
“Wine comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That’s all we shall know for truth
Before we all die.”
Walking past the Brazen Head, after a sleepless airport night on a busy Easter afternoon. On this day – 103 years ago – the Irish fought in the streets of Dublin, taking the first steps towards Irish Independence. The streets seemed almost deserted until noon, but now the streets are practically teaming with the after-church crowd. The oldest pub in Dublin is no exception.
The beautiful stone-castle exterior of the Brazen head is easily found just off the south Bank of the River Liffey. An arched gateway leads into an open-air courtyard that used to be a stable almost a thousand years ago. The beer garden is already packed with people on this sunny Sunday afternoon. A couple of dark wooden doors lead into a number of smaller barrooms bedecked with old photos and memorabilia. Smartly dressed bartenders in red ties and black vests pour pints from chilled taps and stand in front of an impressive collection of Irish Whiskeys.
I order a Chieftain Irish Pale Ale and take a seat at on a wooden stool at the bar. The beer is delicious, cold, sweet and malty. They have twelve taps of all local beers except Heineken, and three taps alone for pouring Guinness.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like much of a local’s bar, as I can hear the clientele is mostly American and English. Oh well, you get what you pay for I guess. I begin to read up on the local history.
The history of Ireland is one filled with rebels and free thinkers. The Irish have always been known for being stubborn. Perhaps that is why they were able to gain their independence from the English way back in the Easter Uprising of 1916.
In the south end of Dublin, lies the beautiful, relaxing park of Saint Stephen’s Green, filled with duck ponds, interesting statues, rolling lawns and pretty flowers. But this place wasn’t always so peaceful.
In the early 1900’s Ireland was undergoing a revolution. Since before the time of Oliver Cromwell the Irish had been under the bootheel of the English. The feud had been going on for centuries and by the time the Irish Parliament was dismantled in 1800, to be absorbed in the British government, there was a strong resentment towards their British bullies across the channel.
Despite this, those who wanted to live their lives in peace, largely didn’t care who they were ruled by, as long as they could live fruitful, peaceful lives. So, for hundred years there were minor rebellions in Ireland but nothing big until the poets of Ireland began to revive the Gaelic culture. Poets like W. B. Yeats and Patrick Pearse revived Irish Nationalism and caused a resurgence of Gaelic culture. Some poets even went so far as to write their poetry entirely in Gaelic, reviving a language that had been declining for centuries.
By 1916 the Irish nationalists had reached a fever point but they were still largely in the minority. The majority of regular people saw the revolutionaries as shit disturbers, people who had their heads in the right place, but were really only making things worse. Just like many protests nowadays, those who were not participating, saw the rebellion as something which was impeding their own way of life.
On Easter Monday, 1916, 1200 Irish republicans launched the biggest uprising since the rebellion of 1798. At this time the British were busy occupied with WWI. In St. Stephen’s Green the Irish Republicans established their home base as they attempted to conquer the city center. Shouts and confusion filled the air as fighting ensued between the revolutionaries and the British national guard.
There was bloodshed in the streets. Pistol and rifle fire cracked through the foggy morning air accompanied by screams of pain and cries of anger. The Irish fought hard, but they only had a fraction of the soldiers and arms that they were supposed to and the English were quickly bringing in artillery and reinforcements.
By midday the Irish rebels had overtaken and captured City Hall but had failed to capture a number of key strategic locations including the Telephone Exchange, Dublin Castle, and both railway stations. By the next week the British were bringing in thousands of reinforcements, far outnumbering the dwindling Irish Rebels.
After almost a week of vicious fighting, a bombardment of artillery shells, and a river of nationalist blood, Patrick Pearse, now in command of the Irish rebels, issued an unconditional surrender. The uprising was quelled and the British were back in control… for a time.
But here’s where they made their fatal mistake. Let’s call it hubris.
The British were arrogant. They were busy fighting a world war and still hardly had to extend themselves to quell the Irish rebels. They saw the rebellion as a nuisance, nothing more, and thought they would do what they would always did to prevent further revolutions. They captured the leaders of the Irish nationalists and began executing them one by one to send a message.
Every Sunday, one of the Irish rebels was put to death as an example of what the British did to traitors. Unfortunately for them, this had the opposite effect than intended. Instead of becoming fearful of the British, the rebels put to death, began to be seen as martyrs. Those in Dublin who had wanted to go along to get along before hand, could now clearly see the injustice of their British overlords. People who had only cared about their families and their country were being put to death by the very people who had always oppressed them. It was at this time that public opinion began to truly change in Ireland.
In the corner of St. Stephen’s Green is a stone bust of Constance Markievicz, one of the leaders of the revolutionary forces. She is said to have led the garrison at St Stephen’s Green, and after the six day uprising she was captured and transported to Kilmainham Goal, where she awaited her turn for her Sunday execution. For over a year she was held in prison awaiting death but during that time public sympathy started to shift towards the revolutionaries. In 1917, after dozens of her comrades had been executed, the English gave the remaining revolutionaries a general amnesty and commuted their sentences, as a way of trying to appease the volatile population. It would not be enough.
In 1918 the Irish Government formed the first Daìl Legislature and became its own self-governing country. But they were only able to incorporate 21 of 32 counties, effectively dividing the country in two. By 1921 the Anglo-Irish Treaty established the Free Irish State, splitting the island into the British controlled north, and the Gaelic controlled south. For the next hundred years there would continue to be bloodshed between the two sides, especially the 1970’s-1990’s, when the IRA (who were independent of both north and south) reigned terror upon the island with over 300 shooting and bombing attacks. During this time they killed dozens of soldiers and hundreds of civilians.
Nowadays, Ireland seems like a cheerful, peaceful country. But as I would find out later in my travels, the Irish humour and cheerfulness can be a veneer for something much rougher. They are a passionate people who make the most out of life, whether that be drinking and laughing, or fighting and killing.
I drain the last of my beer and prepare to wander around the fascinating city.
