The 1916 Rising
The Planning
Britain’s difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity.
Soon after the outbreak of World War I, the IRB leaders began to plan a rising. Home Rule
had been put on hold and the IRB(Irish Republican Brotherhood)believed that 'Britain's
difficulty was Ireland's opportunity' that Britain was distracted elsewhere and this would be
the perfect time to strike.
IRB form secret Military Council to plan rising
The IRB formed a council to organise the rising.Members included Thomas Clarke,Éamonn
Ceannt,Thomas McDonagh,Joseph Plunkett,Séan Mac Diarmada and Pádraig Pearse. The
council was secret due to the danger of invasion by spies of the British government.
Roger Casement secures a shipment of arms from Germany
The Military Council needed weapons. Sir Roger Casement(British)and Joseph
Plunkett(Irish) received money from the Irish-Americans who funded a large amount.
Casement used the money to buy weapons and ammunition from Germany 🇩🇪 (Britain’s
enemy in WW1)
The rising began on Easter Sunday, 23 April 1916. Pearse believed in blood sacrifice(giving
up your life for the good of the future of Ireland).
This was linked to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross during Easter.
And Some More Planning
The council learned that James Connolly, the socialist head of the Irish Citizen Army, which
was formed to protect workers during the 1913 Strike and Lockout, was also preparing for a
rising. In 1912, Connolly co-founded the Labour Party. Connolly was persuaded to join the
Military Council in the rising in January 1916.
The Irish Volunteers and Eoin MacNeill
Eoin MacNeill and the majority of the Irish Volunteers continued to practice and march as
usual, unaware of the impending Rising. MacNeill was not a member of the IRB and had
previously expressed opposition to the idea of a rising. He believed the Irish Volunteers
could only justify fighting if the British government attacked them first. The Military Council
realized that MacNeill and the Irish Volunteers would be essential to the Easter Rising's
success. They presented MacNeill with a false paper claiming the British government
intended to disarm the Irish Volunteers. Because the document was printed on Dublin Castle
paper, it was known as The Castle Document. The Irish Volunteers were granted permission
by MacNeill.
The arrival of the Aud is a signal for the Rising
, The Easter Rising was intended to be a nationwide rising. With Roger Casement on board the
Aud, arms and ammunition were to arrive in Co. Kerry and be distributed to Irish Volunteer
groups around the country. However, the plans quickly went wrong.
Casement captured and Aud scuttled
On the Friday before Easter, the British navy captured the Aud in Tralee Bay. It was sunk by
its captain, resulting in the loss of all 20,000 rifles. Casement was captured while traveling
on a German submarine.(Picture of the Aud below)
MacNeill finds out Castle Document is Fake
The Castle Document was discovered to be a fake by Eoin MacNeill. He put a message in
the Sunday Independent newspaper canceling the Irish Volunteers' participation.(Picture of
the Aud below)
The Planning
Britain’s difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity.
Soon after the outbreak of World War I, the IRB leaders began to plan a rising. Home Rule
had been put on hold and the IRB(Irish Republican Brotherhood)believed that 'Britain's
difficulty was Ireland's opportunity' that Britain was distracted elsewhere and this would be
the perfect time to strike.
IRB form secret Military Council to plan rising
The IRB formed a council to organise the rising.Members included Thomas Clarke,Éamonn
Ceannt,Thomas McDonagh,Joseph Plunkett,Séan Mac Diarmada and Pádraig Pearse. The
council was secret due to the danger of invasion by spies of the British government.
Roger Casement secures a shipment of arms from Germany
The Military Council needed weapons. Sir Roger Casement(British)and Joseph
Plunkett(Irish) received money from the Irish-Americans who funded a large amount.
Casement used the money to buy weapons and ammunition from Germany 🇩🇪 (Britain’s
enemy in WW1)
The rising began on Easter Sunday, 23 April 1916. Pearse believed in blood sacrifice(giving
up your life for the good of the future of Ireland).
This was linked to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross during Easter.
And Some More Planning
The council learned that James Connolly, the socialist head of the Irish Citizen Army, which
was formed to protect workers during the 1913 Strike and Lockout, was also preparing for a
rising. In 1912, Connolly co-founded the Labour Party. Connolly was persuaded to join the
Military Council in the rising in January 1916.
The Irish Volunteers and Eoin MacNeill
Eoin MacNeill and the majority of the Irish Volunteers continued to practice and march as
usual, unaware of the impending Rising. MacNeill was not a member of the IRB and had
previously expressed opposition to the idea of a rising. He believed the Irish Volunteers
could only justify fighting if the British government attacked them first. The Military Council
realized that MacNeill and the Irish Volunteers would be essential to the Easter Rising's
success. They presented MacNeill with a false paper claiming the British government
intended to disarm the Irish Volunteers. Because the document was printed on Dublin Castle
paper, it was known as The Castle Document. The Irish Volunteers were granted permission
by MacNeill.
The arrival of the Aud is a signal for the Rising
, The Easter Rising was intended to be a nationwide rising. With Roger Casement on board the
Aud, arms and ammunition were to arrive in Co. Kerry and be distributed to Irish Volunteer
groups around the country. However, the plans quickly went wrong.
Casement captured and Aud scuttled
On the Friday before Easter, the British navy captured the Aud in Tralee Bay. It was sunk by
its captain, resulting in the loss of all 20,000 rifles. Casement was captured while traveling
on a German submarine.(Picture of the Aud below)
MacNeill finds out Castle Document is Fake
The Castle Document was discovered to be a fake by Eoin MacNeill. He put a message in
the Sunday Independent newspaper canceling the Irish Volunteers' participation.(Picture of
the Aud below)
