by Elizabeth Lochinski

When I first began this project, I knew very little about Robert Emmet. It became a priority to learn as much as I could about him. I explored books at several libraries and researched on the internet, taking notes on interesting facts and key points. The amount of information I found was overwhelming and sometimes contradictory, making it difficult to really get a sense of the man himself. Then I watched the video of John Tunney, Dean of Humanities at Galway-Mayo Institute in Dublin, lecturing about Emmet. It brought Emmet to life, made him real. My interest was sparked, not just to learn more about Emmet, but to discover the significance of the link between the American Revolution and Ireland’s fight for independence. As I learned more, I was increasingly awed by his strength of character and steadfast honor. I was, and continue to be, haunted by the romantic tragedy of Emmet and Sarah Curran. Most of all, I began to respect the great sacrifices he made for others and for Ireland.

Robert Emmet was born into the privileged class of Ireland on March 4, 1778, the seventeenth and final child of only four surviving offspring of physician Robert Sr. and his wife Elizabeth. In fact, Robert Emmet was the fifth and only Robert to live beyond infancy (Geoghegan 51). He was a self-confident, intelligent, and well educated youth. William Drennen, a future United Irishmen leader, described him at age twelve as "a fine boy" (53). Emmet’s father was determined to instill his own strong morals and outspoken patriotism within his youngest son. As Emmet matured, he became increasingly influenced by the elder Emmet and by the events that had taken place in colonial America. Viewing the American War of Independence as a model, he began to envision a similar and attainable dream of revolution and freedom for his own country.

Erin’s Call – Robert Emmet

Inspired by older brother Thomas and by the actions of George Washington, Emmet joined the United Irishmen, a group dedicated to religious equality and parliamentary reform (Oxford). When faced with possible expulsion for his involvement in this revolutionary group, Emmet made his first sacrifice, according to some accounts, by voluntarily withdrawing from Trinity College in Dublin. There he had excelled as a student and developed into an exceptional speaker, a skill for which he would later be admired while giving his famous speech from the dock. It should be noted that Emmet lived during a time of extreme poverty in which children in Ireland’s lower classes were needed at home to work (Eagleton 97). Therefore, education was a luxury most could not afford unless born into the higher class, as was Emmet. In giving up his education he was leaving the path laid out for him from birth as a member of the privileged class, and thus precluding any possibility of his entering a professional career. Emmet fervently believed his membership in the United Irishmen and the fight to gain freedom for Ireland to be well worth the sacrifice of his departure from Trinity College.

As democracy was being tested in America, Emmet and the United Irishmen were planning for parliamentary reform in Ireland. The first resolve of the original declaration of the United Irishmen states "that the weight of English influence on the Government of this country is so great as to require a cordial union among all the people of Ireland" (unitedirishmen.org). This "union" eventually took the form of a rebellion, attempted after great preparation and personal cost, in July of 1803. The rebellion failed and shortly after, Emmet was arrested, tried, and convicted for treason.

Another sacrifice, perhaps greater and certainly more tragically romantic, was the loss of a future life with Sarah Curran. As I read about Sarah I was struck by her unhappy childhood, her cold-hearted father, her parent’s divorce, and the subsequent estrangement of her mother. It seemed that her life was filled with disappointments and pain and yet she still retained a sense of humor. Her last letter to Emmet included a teasing comment expressing her desire to "know how your wife and ten small children are" (Geoghegan 27, 28). Although their relationship was kept secret, they were very important to each other and planned for a life together. In one of his final letters, written from his cell to Sarah’s brother Richard, Emmet conveyed his intentions. "I did dwell in secret upon the prospect of our union…I would have wished to read, in the glow of Sarah’s countenance, that her husband was respected" (Guiney 16). In a letter to his own brother, he asked that Thomas and sister-in-law Jane treat "her as my wife, and love her as a sister" (Geoghegan 257). He loved her so deeply that he chose to keep relatively silent at his trial, to "go to his death in silence" in exchange for the omission of her name (O’Donnell 154). How it must have tortured Emmet to know that his death would add to Sarah’s pain. Yet, he willingly gave up the prospect of a life and possible children with the woman he loved, for his beloved Erin.

                            Arbour Hill – Robert Emmet

Emmet’s final and most profound sacrifice was the surrender of his own life on September 20, 1803. Although the sentence of death and the actual execution were within twenty-four hours of each other, there was still ample time for Emmet to dwell upon his impending death. As I read about his last few hours of life during the long ride to the execution site, I wondered what must have been going through his mind. To simply say that Emmet gave his life for Ireland sounds too abstract and antiseptic. In order to fully comprehend what Emmet was about to experience, we must look at the anatomy of a hanging during that time period.

At the time of his execution, hanging was a brutally painful and inhumane way to die. The "long-drop", which broke the neck and rendered the victim unconscious, had yet to be developed. With the short-drop, death was accomplished through strangulation, ideally, though not always, within twenty minutes (Clark). According to Michigan State University’s website Methods of Execution (2000-2004), as asphyxiation occurs, "the face becomes engorged, the tongue protrudes, the eyes pop, the body defecates, and violent movements of the limbs occur." The prospect of such a slow death overwhelmed seemingly strong men to the point of absolute terror and emotional collapse. Many were led to the gallows kicking and screaming, fighting to the very last minute.

Emmet, however, certainly having prior knowledge of the horrible aspects of hanging, appeared to be composed and in control. He shook hands with the two clergymen that had accompanied him from his cell. He gave the money in his pocket to the executioner, the very man that was to bring about the end of his life in a most cruel way. An eyewitness to Emmet’s death, a London Chronicle reporter who openly despised him said "he behaved without the least symptom of fear, and with all the effrontery and nonchalance which so much distinguished his conduct on his trial yesterday…Even as it was, I never saw a man die like him" (Geoghegan 21). It is difficult to imagine the strength of character Emmet must have possessed, the bravery required, to face so horrible a death in such an admirable manner. Emmet sacrificed his young life with dignity and honor.

The story of Robert Emmet may seem far-removed from today. We live in a democratic nation, our freedom previously fought for and won by our ancestors. It is difficult to imagine living in a time when this freedom did not exist. However, we are still today surrounded by many who display the same attitude of self-sacrifice Emmet displayed in his time. Among us are persons who willingly leave family and loved ones to defend the rights of others, with the full knowledge that it may cost them their lives. These men and women are members of the United States Armed Forces. Throughout the history of the United States, they have shown their readiness to sacrifice for country. Irish nationalist leader Padraig Pearse eloquently conveyed his respect at a commemoration address for Robert Emmet on March 2, 1914 in Brooklyn, New York:

"There are in every generation those who shrink from the ultimate sacrifice, but there are in every generation those who make it with joy and laughter and these are the salt of the generations." (robertemmet.org)

A prime example of self-sacrifice in my generation is football player Pat Tillman. After the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Tillman felt it his duty to join the Army Rangers. With that decision, he walked away from a very successful career in the NFL; in fact, he turned down a $3.6 million offer from the Arizona Cardinals in order to join the Army (MSNBC). He then gave the ultimate sacrifice when he was killed by friendly fire in June, 2003 while serving in Afghanistan. Senator John McCain of Arizona described him as being "… the quintessential definition of a patriot" (Asfar).

On Thursday, March 1, as I drove from Gaylord to Petoskey for class, I listened to an interview on local radio station Eagle 101.5. Host Mike Reling was speaking with Tom Perry, a soldier recently returned from serving a year in Afghanistan. Perry spoke of the importance of being there and how the people greatly appreciated military presence. He was very humble when Reling thanked him for his service, but he expressed great pride in the military itself. Perry, himself a father of grown children, spoke of his tremendous respect for the young people that he worked with – their intelligence and dedication to doing their job well. He became emotional when he talked about his wife being here on her own for a year; he faltered when he told of her support and how much it meant to him. While serving his country, Perry sacrificed time with his family.

Then there are those from earlier generations who are gone but still reaching out to us from the past. A few years ago I was given several old and faded letters, written in 1942 and 1943 by my great-uncle while he was serving in England during World War II. They were simple letters to his sister, my grandmother, telling of the food and the plentiful, though "not very good", beer; describing the night he went dancing and had to leave early to make bed check at eleven. He expressed his hope that her husband, my grandfather, would not be drafted since he had a wife and two sons. There were never any complaints, just the realization that it could be worse. The letters were especially poignant because he died in combat a few months after the last one was written. I felt the significance of his sacrifice as well as the sacrifices of his family – my family.

These are just a few examples of people that have given up their careers, time with loved ones, their very lives, just as Emmet did. The heroism that is self-sacrifice is all around us. Emmet knew what he was giving up when he planned and attempted to carry out the Rebellion of 1803. In his final speech from the dock he said "I have parted with everything that was dear to me in this life for my country’s cause…My race is run…I am ready to die" (Geoghegan 253). Men and women today as well realize the sacrifices they make when they proudly serve their country. Yet they, like Emmet, continue unfaltering to the end.

No matter if rebellions succeed or fail, if battles are won or lost, Emmet and many like him must be remembered and honored with respect. We must keep alive the memory of those, past and present, who have sacrificed for their country and for a cause.

May his soul be on God's right-hand side.

Works Cited

Asfar, Roy. "HeroVet: Pat Tillman." Veterans Advantage. (2007) Retrieved March 7, 2007, from: http://www.veteransadvantage.com/herovets/PatTillman.html

Clark, Richard. "The Processes of Judicial Hanging: Short drop/Suspension." Retrieved February 26, 2007, from: http://www.richard.clark32.btinternet.co.uk/hanging2.html#short2

 

Eagleton, Terry. Scholars and Rebels in Nineteenth Century Ireland. Madden, MA: Blackwell Publishers.(1999)

Guiney, Louise Imogen. Robert Emmet: A Survey of His Rebellion and of His Romance. London: David Nutt, 57-59 Long Acre (1904). Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co. at the Ballantyne Press page 16

Johnson, Alex; Lewis, George; Miklaszewski, Jim. "Ex-NFL star Tillman makes ‘ultimate sacrifice’. Safety who gave up big salary to join Army, killed in Afghanistan." NBC, MSNBC (2004). Contributions made by Associated Press and Reuters. Retrieved March 6, 2007 from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4815441/

Life and Legacy of Robert Emmet, The: A Lecture By John Tunney. Videocassette, North Central Michigan College and The Robert Emmet Society (2003).

Michigan State University. The Death Penalty. Michigan State University Comm Tech Lab and Death Penalty Information Center (2000-2004). Retreived February 21, 2007, from http://deathpenaltyinfo.msu.edu/c/about/methods/hanging.htm

O’Donnell, Ruán. Robert Emmet and the Rising of 1803. University of Limerick. Dublin: Irish Academic Press (2003)

Oxford University. United Irishmen: A Dictionary of World History. Oxford University Press, (2000). Oxford Reference Online. North Central Michigan College. Retrieved February 10,2007 from http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t48.e3773

Robert Emmet.org Retreived February 9, 2007 from http://www.robertemmet.org/default.htm, Retrieved February 9, 2007.

United Irishmen. Retrieved February 9, 2007 from: http://www.unitedirishmen.org/