Robert Emmet Plans An Insurrection

Above : Picture Of Thomas Addis Emmet, Older Brother Of Robert Emmet

In speaking of the Rebellion of 1798 mention has been made of Thomas Addis Emmet, one of the United Irishmen, who, arrested before the outbreak, escaped a capital sentence, and ended his days in exile. He had a younger brother, Robert, who in 1798 was a student of Trinity College, Dublin. Robert adopted with enthusiasm the French Revolutionary principles, and enunciated them so openly that he was expelled from the University and noted to the Castle authorities as a dangerous person.

He was admitted into the confidence of the United Irishmen, who still pinned their faith to an armed insurrection aided by the French. It was as their agent that young Emmet visited the Continent in 1800. While in France he had interviews with Napoleon, and with other men in authority, but the promises of assistance for an Irish rising which he received appear to have been vague. Nevertheless when, in 1802, he returned to Ireland he had already determined to risk all, and to prepare for another rebellion.

He appears to have believed that he might count on support from the Continent; but that any positive engagement was made as to when this support would be forthcoming, or any information given as to what would be its nature and extent, has never been proved.

Below : Portrait Of Robert Emmet

The sanguine temperament of Robert Emmet led him, however, to assume that all would go as he wished, and soon after his return he began his preparations. The associates whom he gathered round him were not numerous, and those who were prominent were mostly people of comparatively humble condition. It is certain that other persons of more importance were involved in the plot, but, fortunately for themselves, their names did not transpire.

In April, 1802, Dr. Emmet died, and Robert employed the small legacy of £2,000 which he inherited from him in hiring two houses in Dublin, to be used as depots for arms, and in purchasing materials for their manufacture. Amongst those in his confidence were several skilled workmen, and by their help gun powder, hand-grenades and particularly great numbers of pikes were made ready.

The plan was to seize Dublin Castle by surprise, whilst the Pigeon use fort and some of the barracks were to be attacked at the same time by other parties of the Insurgents.

Emmet could scarcely have failed to be struck with the extent to hich the United Irishmen’s organisation had been honeycombed with Dies and to have drawn from this the lesson that the fewer persons admitted into the confidence of the leaders of a conspiracy the better. The secrecy which he maintained had, however, its disadvantages. It could hardly be expected that those who knew little or nothing beforehand of what was intended should be willing, when the insurrection actually broke out, to follow without question wherever they were led, and be ready to obey, like disciplined troops, the orders of almost unknown commanders.

To what extent the young leader succeeded in keeping his secret is not clear. There were certainly some spies amongst his followers, but, notwithstanding this, the information in the hands of the Government appears not to have been detailed. This was the case, even after an accidental explosion which took place at one of Emmet’s depots had put the authorities more on the alert (July 16th, 1803).

Attempts at organisation had been made in Dublin and the neighbourhood, and even in more distant parts of Ireland, but if the ultimate results can be taken as a criterion, the work had not been efficient.