On April 24, 1916, Easter Monday, Irish nationalists launched a rebellion on the steps of the General Post Office (GPO) on Dublin’s O’Connell Street just after noon. Patrick Pearse read a proclamation from the steps of the GPO establishing an Irish Republic under a provisional government. Elsewhere in Dublin, Irish revolutionaries had occupied important areas of Dublin including the Four Courts, the College of Surgeons, and Boland’s Mills. Due to the surprising and tactful timing of the rebellion, Easter Monday, there were few witnesses of the Rising.
The revolt was planned by leaders of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), a small, secret organization started in 1858. In August of 1914, after the break out of WWI, the supreme council of the IRB decided that this was the ideal time for one more attempt to end British rule in Ireland. After two years of secretly training the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army the date was set for April 22, 1916. Arrangements had been made with Germany to have arms and ammunition send by steamer to Tralee Bay. The date was later changed to Easter Monday due to the fact that it was a bank holiday and many of the British officers would be attending the Fairyhouse Races that day. The message to the Germans did not reach the ship before it departed, and it arrived 3 days early, with no one to meet them in the harbor. The having already been inspected by British naval forces it was not safe to stay for long, the ship was forced to depart without delivering the artillery to the Irish. Without weapons the leaders decided to continue with their plan of revolt. It was a hopeless effort, to grasp any sort of support from fellow Irishmen and to decrease the power of British rule in any way. P.H. Pearse and James Connelly, along with about 150 men took over the GPO, ejected the staff, barricaded the doors and prepared for the British retaliation.

On Tuesday the British launced their counter offense, headed by General Sir John Maxwell, it consisted of 6,500 trained troops equipt with artillery. This was significant compared to the Republic’s 1,600 Volunteers and 200 Citizen Army personnel. Throughout the week the British supplied with more men and artillery steadily infiltrated each of the Republican forces posts. After six days the fighting came to an inevitable end. At 3:45 on April 29th, 1916 Pearse signed and order for unconditional surrender. Casualties are hard to determine, but for the British it is estimated around 500, and for the Irish, including citizens, it is twice that figure. Dublin was left in ruins.
Fifteen executions occurred within the next twelve days, all signatories of the Proclamation and the eight other leaders made the ultimate sacrifice for their belief in their countries freedom.