In this study, Githens-Mazer analyzes the Easter Rising of 1916 as a "cultural trigger point" that moved the Irish people to support radical nationalism. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which the myths, symbols, and memories of a long-suffering Irish nation provided a framework for the ordering and interpretation of the events of 1916, and helped the ideas of a radical minority to catch on at the grassroots level throughout Ireland. The author teaches politics at Nottingham Trent University. The text is based upon his PhD thesis.