Eoin MacNeill sentenced to life in prison
Dublin, 2 June 1916 - Eoin MacNeill has been sentenced to penal servitude for life following a court-martial in Dublin.
Mr MacNeill is currently being transferred to Dartmoor Convict Prison, along with 11 other prisoners. Mr MacNeill’s conviction comes despite his attempts in the days before the Rising to ensure that it did not take place. His role as founding leader of the Irish Volunteers lies at the heart of his sentence.
The verdict was handed down as the Irish Parliamentary Party MP John Dillon launched a ferocious attack in the House of Commons on British government policy and demanded the release of many of the prisoners who have been arrested.
[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]
