Eamon Martin (Irish republican) facts for kids

Eamon Martin (born in 1892, died in 1971) was an important Irish Republican who fought for Ireland's independence. He took part in the Easter Rising, a big event in Irish history. He was also the main leader, or chief of staff, of a youth group called Fianna Éireann. Besides that, he was a member of two other important groups: the Irish Republican Brotherhood and the Irish Volunteers.

Early Life and Joining Groups

When Eamon Martin was 15, he joined the Gaelic League, a group that promoted Irish language and culture. In 1909, his old teacher told him about a new youth group called Na Fianna Éireann. The teacher encouraged Eamon to go to its first meeting.

At this meeting, Eamon met Bulmer Hobson and Countess Markievicz for the first time. These were important people in the fight for Irish freedom. In August 1915, Eamon became a leader in Fianna Éireann. He was in charge of finding new members and organizing the Dublin group of the Fianna. He held these jobs until Easter 1916.

From January 1917 to 1920, Eamon Martin was the chief of staff for Fianna Éireann. This meant he was the top leader of the whole organization. He also represented Fianna Éireann on the main council of the Irish Volunteers, another group working for Irish independence.

Role in the Easter Rising

In 1914, Eamon Martin helped with two important operations. These were the Kilcoole gun-running and Howth gun-running. During these events, weapons were secretly brought into Ireland for the Irish Volunteers.

On Easter Monday in 1916, the Easter Rising began. Eamon Martin and about 30 members of Fianna Éireann attacked the Magazine Fort in Phoenix Park. They took control of the fort, disarmed the guards, and took guns and ammunition. They had planned to blow up the fort to signal the start of the Rising. However, the explosives inside were not what they expected, so they couldn't blow it up.

The next day, Eamon was involved in trying to take over Broadstone railway station. As his group got close to the station, Eamon was shot. He was taken to Richmond Hospital. Doctors found that the bullet went through his arm, into his chest, and out through his lung and back. He was seriously injured.

After the Easter Rising, Eamon Martin became the leader of a special Fianna Éireann commando group. Their job was to resist the army's efforts to force people to join the military during World War I. This was called conscription.

Later Life and Legacy

Eamon Martin passed away in May 1971. He was buried in Deansgrange Cemetery. Many important people attended his funeral. These included Jack Lynch, who was the Taoiseach (the head of the Irish government) at the time. Also present was Colonel Sean Brennan, who was the aide-de-camp (a personal assistant) to the then-president, Éamon de Valera. Shots were fired at the graveside by a group from the Irish Army as a mark of respect.

Eamon Martin's great-grandson, Eamon Murphy, is an amateur historian. He has a blog called "The History of Na Fianna Eireann." He is also writing a book about Eamon Martin's life.