You may know that Ireland has been marking the centenary of the Easter Rising this year. There have been many events to mark the occasion all over the country. So, for what it is worth, I decided to write this short post on what accounting was like back then.

The first thing of note is that Eamonn Ceannt, one of the signatories to the Proclamation of a Republic was in fact an accountant. He worked in the city council, and according to an article in the Irish Times dated March 14, 1916, an Accountant in such a role earned £300-450.  At this time not many accountants were actually professionally qualified as today.

Second, some useful insights are provided from a report of the AGM of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland – as reported in the Irish Times of May 22, 1916. The report notes that 82 members had enlisted for active service and were fighting on the European continent. The Easter Rising was condemned. The AGM report also notes an on-going wish to have the accounting profession legally recognised – something which was attempted in 1926, when the Irish Free State had been formed and began to enact its own legislation. It would not be until much later in 2003, that actual recognition was achieved. Finally, in a related point, the report notes the role played by Chartered Accountants in the calculation of excess income taxes to be paid to support the war effort. It is noted that the government of the time will likely not question any accounts or tax calculations prepared by responsible accountants.