1916 courts martial and executions: Willie Pearse

Willie Pearse, the brother of Patrick, was the only one of those who were executed to have pleaded guilty at his court martial.

Willie Pearse was tried on May 3rd, 1916, the same day his brother was executed.

The court martial members were Brig Gen Ernest Maconchy, Lieut Coll Arthur Bent and Maj Francis Willoughby Woodward.

Three other volunteers, John Dougherty, John McGarry and JJ Walsh, were tried with Willie Pearse and each received the death penalty, but their sentences were commuted, Dougherty and Walsh to 10 years’ penal servitude; McGarry to eight years.

Evidence against them was given by Lieut SL King, of the 12th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers who was taken prisoner by the rebels outside Clerys and held in the GPO for the week.

King claimed Dougherty pointed a rifle at him and told him that he would shoot him if he did not put his hands up. Dougherty denied the claim.

McGarry protested that he had “no intention of assisting the enemy. I had no position or rank of any sort”.

Walsh went further, stating that he was only a private in the volunteers, was completely immersed in his business and never fired a shot in the GPO. Instead he claimed to have been on “water and sand duty” in the event of fire.

King reported seeing Willie Pearse and surmised that he was an officer, but did not know his rank.

Though Willie Pearse pleaded guilty, he denied any involvement in the planning of the Rising. “I had no authority or say in the arrangements for the starting of the rebellion. I was throughout only a personal attaché to my brother PH Pearse. I had no direct command.”

Many historians believe that Willie Pearse was only executed because he was Patrick Pearse’s brother. His execution took place on May 4th, the day after his brother.