Part Seven of our series on Great Irish Leaders 

 

Robert Emmet was tried for high treason for his part in leading an insurrection against British rule in 1803, found guilty and sentenced to death. His subsequent speech from the dock was an inspiration for generations of nationalists to come, particularly to Pádraig Pearse, writes Eoin Swithin Walsh.

 

“When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then, and not till then, let my epitaph be written”.

This one sentence is arguably the most famous quotation in Irish history. The words were said by 25-year-old Robert Emmet, just after he had been sentenced to death for leading the 1803 Rebellion. For many of us, these words are the only thing we know about Robert Emmet. Indeed, if it wasn’t for his ‘speech from dock’, the name Robert Emmet might just have been a footnote in Irish history, documenting yet another failed rebellion. So who was this eloquent young man?

Robert Emmet was born in March 1778, at the family home on St Stephen’s Green, Dublin. Although the original house no longer exists, it was close to the present day Fitzwilliam Hotel. A statue of Robert Emmet, facing his birth place, is at this side of St Stephen’s Green park.
Emmet’s father, Dr Robert Emmet, was an eminent state physician. His mother was Elizabeth née Mason. The family were of Anglican/Church of Ireland faith. Emmet’s mother is believed to have given birth to 17 children altogether, but tragically, only four survived. The Robert in question was the 17th child born. He had two older brothers and a sister.

Dramatic changes in Europe
It is difficult to understate the extraordinary political tumult the world was in during Robert Emmet’s formative years. He would have grown up with stories of the recent American Revolution against British rule. George Washington was a hero of his.
Then, during his teenage years, the radical theories of the French Revolution were all the rage. By all accounts, the Emmet siblings were encouraged to discuss politics around the dinner table. It really was an exciting and unique time to be alive.
The Emmet family was very high achieving. Robert’s two older brothers, Christopher Temple Emmet and Thomas Addis, were exceptional students and both were called to the bar. No doubt, they served as an inspiration for little brother Robert, who was 17 and 14 years their junior, respectively.
Their sister, Maryanne Emmet, later Holmes, was a noted poet and writer. Christopher’s promising career was cut short when he died of illness aged just 26. Robert was nine-years-old at the time.

Trinity College
In regards to his academic prowess, Emmet followed in his siblings footsteps. He was educated at the famed ‘Whites Academy’, a school then located on Grafton Street, where Bewley’s Cafe now stands. In 1793, at the age of 15, he entered Trinity College in Dublin, studying history and chemistry.
Young teenagers entering university was not unusual for the time. Life expectancy was lower. Moreover, schooling was intensive from an early age, for those lucky enough to receive an education that is. Emmet was a member of the History Debating Society (‘the Hist’), now considered the oldest student society in the world. In 1795, Emmet also entered the King’s Inn, with the aim of following a career in law.