Christopher "Kit" Poole | |
|---|---|
 Poole (second from left) atop a building with three other Irish Citizen Army members. | |
| Born | 17 December 1875 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 27 November 1965 (aged 89) Dublin, Ireland |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom 1894 - 1906
 Irish Republic 1913 - 1918 |
| Years of service | 1894–1906 British Army 1913-1918 Irish Citizen Army |
| Rank | Private (British Army) Captain (Irish Citizen Army) |
| Unit | 2nd East Yorkshire Regiment (UK) |
| Commands | Second-in-command of Irish Citizen Army, St Stephen's Green Garrison, Easter Week, 1916 |
| Battles / wars | Tirah Campaign Second Boer War Easter Rising |
| Awards | King's South Africa Medal (1901 & 1902 clasps) Queen's South Africa Medal (1902) |
| Spouse(s) | Alice Fay |
Christopher "Kit" Poole (17 December 1875 – 27 November 1965) was an Irish soldier and military tactician who fought in the Tirah Campaign and the Second Boer War as a British Army private, as well as a captain of the Irish Citizen Army during the Easter Rising. During the Citizen Army's inception in 1913, he was a member of the group's initial provisional council alongside Captain Jack White, James Larkin, P. T. Daly and Constance Markievicz,[1] and would go on to take up a permanent position on its executive committee.[2] He was also a pivotal figure during the 1916 Easter Rising, as second-in-command at St. Stephen's Green under Citizen Army commandant Michael Mallin[3][4] where they held out for six days against British forces, ending the engagement when the British brought them a copy of Pearse's surrender order.[5]
- ^ Charles Townshend, "Easter 1916: The Irish Rebellion", p.41.
- ^ Matthews, Ann. The Irish Citizen Army (2014), p. 36
- ^ Seamus Kavanagh, letter in Military Service Pensions Collection, Military Archive IE/MA/MSPC/MSP34REF10145
- ^ Statement by Christopher Crothers, Military Service Pensions Collection, Military Archive IE/MA/MSPC/MSP34REF2186
- ^ "Mauser pistol handed to me by Countess Markievicz when she surrendered to me at the College of Surgeons Dublin in 1916 with Commandant Mallin. H. E. de C. Wheeler. This was presented to me by General Lowe". Catalogue. National Library of Ireland. Retrieved 5 January 2016.