Rights and revolution: the RCSI in Irish history

Revolution – 1916

The RCSI’s most popular historical association, certainly in the mind of the Irish public, is its unwitting participation in the historic events of Easter Week 1916. From Tuesday April 25 to Sunday April 30, the College housed a garrison made up of 109 male and 10 female members of the Irish Citizen Army, led by Commandant Michael Mallin and his Second-In-Command, Countess Constance Markievicz. Initially, on the afternoon of Monday April 24, the garrison took up position in St Stephen’s Green, but Mallin was forced to re-evaluate his position when the British forces occupied the Shelbourne Hotel and United Services Club. Thus, Sergeant Frank Robbins and Countess Markievicz, together with a small party, were sent to secure the RCSI, both as an escape route and to search for arms and ammunitions belonging to the Officer’s Training Corps, which was attached to the College at the time.