In the years following the 1916 Easter Rising the GAA, according to its many historians, including Padraig Púirséal and Marcus de Burca, claimed that the GAA had provided a great number of the men who had played an active role during the insurrection. As much of the literature available from this time is in some way sympathetic towards the rebels, it is hard to discover whether or not the Association did support the insurrection or not, despite the GAA having a non-party political stance for nearly a decade and a half previous.
On Tuesday of Easter week 1916, the day after the insurrection had begun, Martial Law was proclaimed across Ireland, from which the holding of matches and sporting events was strictly prohibited. This lead to the activities of the GAA being suspended. Due to their roles in the insurrection approximately 3500 rebel were arrested and deported in the month that followed. Many of these men and woman found themselves being deported to special internment camps such as …show more content…
As well as this, the GAA since its formation in 1884, had always been inextricably linked with the IRB. As it had always had members of the IRB involved in its national leadership, the GAA had been actively identified as a semi-seditious body by the British authorities in Ireland. The Irish volunteers who had practically full control of the Association had been imprisoned by the British government for their roles in the Rising and therefore it was left to the moderates on the GAA's Central Council who were left to defend the Association against these allegations. In response to the allegations the GAA released a press statement in which involvement in the Rising was vehemently denied. On the 28th of May 1916 the GAA stated that
On Tuesday of Easter week 1916, the day after the insurrection had begun, Martial Law was proclaimed across Ireland, from which the holding of matches and sporting events was strictly prohibited. This lead to the activities of the GAA being suspended. Due to their roles in the insurrection approximately 3500 rebel were arrested and deported in the month that followed. Many of these men and woman found themselves being deported to special internment camps such as …show more content…
As well as this, the GAA since its formation in 1884, had always been inextricably linked with the IRB. As it had always had members of the IRB involved in its national leadership, the GAA had been actively identified as a semi-seditious body by the British authorities in Ireland. The Irish volunteers who had practically full control of the Association had been imprisoned by the British government for their roles in the Rising and therefore it was left to the moderates on the GAA's Central Council who were left to defend the Association against these allegations. In response to the allegations the GAA released a press statement in which involvement in the Rising was vehemently denied. On the 28th of May 1916 the GAA stated that