Writing Resources
Modern Irish history will forever remember the legacy left by Thomas Clarke and everything he did for the freedom of Ireland Historian Desmond Ryan once said that in a sense Thomas Clarke is a man of one small book a few letters and his signature in the 1916 Proclamation He was often referred to as the Old Fenian Clarke was aided by a young generation of Republicans whom he galvanised towards one of the most important events in Irish history Clarke was a man of a reserved nature someone who worked diligently behind the scenes As a result he was often overshadowed in the Easter Rising by the other leaders but the work he produced was highly influential and did not necessarily get the credit it warranted Thomas Clarke was amongst the seven signatories of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic and the oldest of the executed leaders of the Easter Rising He was born at the British Army barracks at Hurst Castle Isle of Wight on 11 March 1858 Clarke did not receive a great formal education yet he found supreme comfort and solace in the literary arts particularly writing Clarke attended national school in the town where he was later appointed a monitor a specific role given to older pupils who showed leadership qualities Even at a tender age Clarke showed promise it can be said this was the start of Clarke s legacy
