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April: The I.R.B. / Irish Republican Brotherhood had by now received a captured British Imperial Government document, that revealed the fact that all of the Irish Associations were now under threat, and this was then circulated also to all of the members of the Irish Volunteers, and Patrick Pearse decided it was time to get on and begin the movement for Irish Independence, when as their Director of Operations, he sent out orders to all of their Irish Volunteer Brigades to engage in field manoeuvres. The day he chose for this to occur, was naturally the one set down for the Easter Uprising on Sunday, April 23rd, and this massive outward show of Irish physical strength worried Eoin Mac Neill, their Chief of Staff, who was then reassured personally by Patrick Pearse and Thomas Mac Donagh, that they had no aggressive action planned against the British Imperial Government authorities in the Dublin Castle. April 9th: On this day those in charge of the British Imperial Government forces in Ireland, should have become more aware of the coming intended Irish activities, when they were able to seize an Irish motor vehicle containing weapons and ammunition, at College Green in Dublin itself. April 19th: Professor Eoin Mac Neill, the Irish Volunteers Chief of Staff was originally from Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province, and he was also basically a scholar and a linguist, who had also co - founded the Gaelic League, and was actually it's first President, and for this reason he had also been elected the Chief of Staff of the Irish Volunteers. Also due to his particular outlook of non aggression, unless provoked, he had not been informed about the real plans of the I.R.B. / Irish Republican Brotherhood for their coming Easter Uprising, as they knew that he was against the use of force, unless provoked in the first place, as was Bulmer Hobson, the Secretary of the Irish Volunteer's, who nevertheless became aware to the fact that something was now going on out of the ordinary. April 20th - Thursday: Bulmer Hobson, advised Eoin Mac Neill, that he should put a stop to the Irish Volunteers' activities that were planned for the coming Sunday, April 23rd, and that it had all been organized by the Irish Republican group, so Eoin Mac Neill as the Chief of Staff of the Irish Volunteers then began to cancel all of the manoeuvres for that day, which was to lead on to untold turmoil among the ranks of the Irish Volunteers.

Due to the intervention of Eoin Mac Neill the Chief of Staff of the Irish Volunteers, the I.R.B. / Irish Republican Brotherhood Military Council, had a hurried meeting at the Liberty Hall in Dublin, and among them were Patrick Pearse, James Connolly, Tom Clarke the Old Republican, Thomas Mac Donagh, John Mac Dermot / Sean Mac Diamada, Eamonn Ceannt / Kent and Joseph Plunkett, who had also invited Eamonn de Valera, school teacher and the staid Irish Volunteer commander, who did not show up anyway, as he was against all Secret Societies, as they were castigated by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Those present decided, that it would be a dishonor to the existing generation of Irish men, if they were to call off the Easter Uprising now, as they would only be remembered as Tin Soldiers, if they did. Thomas Mac Donagh and John Mac Dermot / Sean Mac Diarmada went to see Eoin Mac Neill the Chief of Staff of the Irish Volunteers to try and get him to change his mind against calling off their manoeuvres for Sunday, and in desperation they were then forced to inform him of the expected arms supplies that were coming in from Germany. (Sir Roger Casement, had previously volunteered to go to Germany to obtain arms to be used towards the struggle for Irish Independence) The I.R.B. / Irish Republican Brotherhood had not been too sure that he would have any success, so they had also sent over their own representative. Robert Monteith, who was then able to obtain 20,000 old Russian rifles, which had been organized by John Devoy from the Clann na Gael in America.) As the plan by the Irish Republicans had by now gone too far, especially with the arrival soon of the arms, to which he knew the British Government authorities in Dublin Castle would react immediately, he decided to reissue the orders for the manoeuvres on the Sunday, and collaborate with the Irish Republicans, now purely as a defensive measure.

That same day, the supply ship, Aud / Libau, under the Norwegian flag, was to arrive 3 days ahead of schedule into Tralee Bay, off the coast of Co. Kerry in the south - west of the Munster Province, with 20,000 rifles and ammunition from Germany. Sir Roger Casement personally was not too happy with these particular arms, as they were too old, and he also believed that they were still not enough to ensure any sought of reasonable success against the Military might of the British Imperial Empire. He had also arrived separately, by submarine, in an endeavour to try and stop the Aud from entering the port, after he had come to realise that it would be arriving ahead of schedule. On coming ashore, he was captured by the Dublin Castle's R.I.C. police, near Ardfert at Mac Kenna's Fort in Co. Kerry, were he had arrived in a small boat, while his 2 companions had previously gone ahead onto Tralee, to inform the Irish Volunteers there, that the arms consignment was to arrive earlier then expected. April 21st - Friday: The Aud had been sighted by a British Imperial Government Naval vessel, and was ordered into Cobh / Queenstown Harbour, were Captain Spindler, on the Aud was forced to scuttle the ship with the rifles and ammunition still on board. Saturday - April 22nd: Eoin Mac Neill, the Chief of Staff of the Irish Volunteers, was informed, that the British Imperial Government's authorities in the Dublin Castle were not going to re - act to the activities carried out by the Irish Republicans so far, and he then once again reversed his decision to allow the Irish Volunteers to go along with the Irish Republican activities for the next day, Sunday 23rd, and sent out contrary orders this time by personal letters to the various Irish Volunteer Brigades at Belfast, Cork and Limerick. He called in Patrick Pearse to advise him of his decision, to once again stop the overall Irish Volunteer manoeuvres, planned for the next day, Sunday the 23rd, who never the less told him that the Irish Republicans were still determined to go ahead with the Easter Uprising although he had countermanded the original orders, and Eoin Mac Neill then informed him that he would do everything in his power to try and stop their plans.

Sunday - April 23rd: Eoin Mac Neill, as the Chief - of - Staff of the Irish Volunteers, also advertised the change to the orders in the Sunday Independent paper, calling off all of the Irish Volunteer activities, and informed Eamonn de Valera not to allow any of Irish Volunteer Brigade, to carry out any of the planned manoeuvres, who then advised him back, that he would only take direct orders from Thomas Mac Donagh, who was the Irish Volunteer Brigade's overall commander. Bulmer Hobson, the Secretary of the Irish Volunteers, who would also have nothing to do with any intentional violence, unless the Irish Volunteers came under attack, was then put under restraint by some of the members of the I.R.B. / Irish Republican Brotherhood to keep him out of the way. Although Eoin Mac Neill was the Chief of Staff of the Irish Volunteers, Patrick Pearse, as the head of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, was really the one who was really in control, and he had previously sent out the code word for go, "Howth," to all of the Irish Volunteer commanders. Augustine Birrell, the British Imperial Government's appointed Chief Secretary in the Dublin Castle, had been made aware of the arms aboard the Aud, and therefore was now well aware of the real intentions of the Irish Republicans, so Patrick Pearse and the others, decided to set a new date and time, for the Easter Uprising, and they chose the following day Easter Monday. Augustine Birrell the appointed British Chief Secretary in Ireland, was even more confident now, that the the Aud was scuttled, and Sir Roger Casement was locked away safely in jail, so he was sure that there would be no further trouble with the Irish now who were also involved in any plan to further resist the ongoing British Imperial occupation of Ireland. With 1200 British Military Forces still stationed in Dublin alone, he was to feel secure enough to allow their officers, on the following day, to go to the Fairy House Racecourse, 10 mile from Dublin, and only had 6 British Military men stationed in the Dublin Castle itself, whose guns were also only loaded with blanks.

April 24th - Easter Monday: Thomas Mac Donagh, the overall Irish Volunteer Brigade commander, ordered the 4 Dublin Brigades to assemble in their heather green uniforms at 10 a.m., and when they did, they then proceeded on with their journey into Irish History, James Connolly with his Irish Citizen's Army, who were now all resplendent in their their dark green uniforms, were marching out boldly in front. Patrick Pearse who was now 36 years of age, as the overall I.R.B. / Irish Republican Brotherhood Commander - General, marched on his right side, and Joseph Plunkett, another of the I.R.B. members, who had left his hospital bed, where he was being treated for tuberculosis, was on his left hand side, followed by Tom Clarke the Old Republican. Then came Michael Collins, Sean Mac Diarmada / John Mac Dermot the crippled Republican, then Sean O Kelly, who would one day become the President of Ireland in his own right, and Roddy Connolly, the young 15 year old son of James Connolly. Winifred Carney, was the only woman in their group, as she too set out to make her mark in Irish History with her 150 Irish comrades, who were endeavouring somehow, against all odds, to bring about Irish Independence, and self - determination, with the removal of the never ending domination of the British Imperial Government, after 750 years. Meanwhile, Countess Constance Markievicz nee Gore Booth was to be the second in command of a Citizen's Army Irish Volunteer group at St. Stephen's Green with Michael Mallin, and they barricaded it off, and all up they were to take over 14 buildings there. The 1st Battalion of the Irish Volunteers Dublin Brigade, under the command of Ned Daly was left to secure the north - west of Dublin, including the Four Courts / Riley's Fort, North Brunswick St, Church St and the north of King Street. The 2nd Battalion, under Thomas Mac Donagh, was to secure the southern end near Jacob's Biscuit Factory, while the 3rd Battalion, under Eamonn de Valera, was to secure the south east of Dublin and Boland's Flour Mill. The 4th Battalion, commanded by Eamonn Ceannt / Kent, included Cathal Brugha / Charles Burgess, who was to secure the south - west of Dublin, including the South Dublin Union. Sean Heuston, M.W.O Reilly and James Sullivan commanded their other forces, who raided the magazine fort in Phoenix Park, were they were able to obtain a few more rifles.

Due to Eoin Mac Neill the Chief of Staff of the Irish Volunteers, countermanding Patrick Pearse's orders, only 200 of the Irish Volunteers turned up out of a possible 1,000 that were originally organized for the Dublin area, but this particular movement towards Irish Independence had begun, as the I.R.B / Irish Republican Brotherhood under their leader, Patrick Pearse, ran up the Green Flag of the Irish Republic and posted up their Republican Proclamation at the Dublin Post Office, and also sent out hand bills proclaiming the Irish Republic. They then took over the Post Office, intending to use it as their G.H.Q., with the added fatalistic comment by Patrick Pearse, that, "We shall fail, but others will follow and succeed." Although Eoin Mac Neill the Chief of Staff of the Irish Volunteers had previously countermanded the orders, some of the Irish Volunteers, never the less, were to still turn out in preparation in Co. Galway in the Connacht Province and in Co. Wexford in Southern Leinster. Thomas Mac Swiney, who was the commander of the Irish Volunteers in Co. Cork in Southern Munster, was to obey the directions of Eoin Mac Neill, there, and many of the others also followed suite, and this was to mean that eventually only 1,200 of the Irish Volunteers were to finally turn up in Dublin, with 600 of these eventually defending at the Post Office, where James Connolly was the Commanding Officer. Many other Irish people, from all parts of Ireland, came forward also to try and support them in their hour of need, while Sean Connolly, James Connolly's son, with 24 men laid siege to the Devils 1/2 acre / the Dublin Castle, which had been the British Government's stronghold of mindless oppression for Centuries in Ireland, and as a first move there they were to cut off the telephone lines. Despite their best endeavours, their attempt to try and gain control of Dublin Castle was to be unsuccessful, so Sean Connolly then decided to take over the nearby buildings, from where they were to continue the fighting for 3 days, until he, and 25 other Irish were subsequently killed. Ivor Churchill / Lord Wimborne, who was the British Imperial appointed Viceroy in Ireland at this time, had 2,000 British Military Forces all up at his disposal in Dublin, and he also sent off messages to Belfast in Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province, and down to the Curragh in Co. Kildare in Central Southern Leinster, for more British Military Forces, and these reinforcements soon arrived on the scene, bringing with them British artillery. British Government Forces were then sent to attack the Post Office head on, but they were driven off by the Irish forces there, so Ivor Churchill then made another plea to London, to send over further British Government Forces.

Tuesday - April 25th: The Irish Volunteers, at the Four Courts, were able to capture 24 of the Dublin Castle's R.I.C. police members at the rear of their building, and then allowed them to leave unharmed. Michael O Rahilly / The O Rahilly, who had been against the Easter Uprising originally, had nevertheless, turned up to also give a hand, but he was to be killed in the fighting at the Post Office. Sean Lemass, who was now only 16 year old, was also there in the fighting, and he would one day become the Prime Minister of Ireland, together with William T. Cosgrave, who would also become the first Prime Minister of Ireland. Sean Hurley, who had previously been the secretary of the I.R.B in England, and a close friend of Michael Collins was another of those to be killed during the conflict. The British Military garrisons then closed in on the whole of the Dublin area, putting artillery into their base at Trinity College, with more British Military Forces arriving into Kingstown, under General Sir John Maxwell, the new British appointed Commander - in - Chief. They then began an all out artillery bombardment on the Irish forces, and a British Imperial Government gunboat, the Helga, was sent up the River Liffey to further attack other Irish positions.

April 26th - Wednesday: Michael Malone, another of the Irish Volunteers was killed at Haddington Road, while under the command of Eammon de Valera, who then promoted Joseph O Connor to the position of vice - Commandant there, and altogether 234 British Military Forces were either killed or wounded in the conflict, with half of the casualties being British Sherwood Foresters. The Irish forces at the Four Courts, also captured 40 unarmed British Military Forces in a barracks nearby. April 27th - Thursday: The British Military Forces now began hand to hand combat, and James Connolly, the strongly committed Labour leader, was severely wounded in the thigh during his command at the Post Office, and Michael Collins, who was an Irish Volunteer Staff Captain there, as a sign of things to come, was terribly upset over the lack of organization there.

April 28th - Friday: The British Military Forces began shooting anything that moved, which included many Irish women and children randomly and also deliberately, as they went throughout the various homes in the area, and the increasing numbers of the British Staffordshire Regiment and their Sherwood Foresters surrounded all of the Irish positions and forces at the Post Office, which was by now well and truly on fire. The Irish forces there at the Post Office, now gathered up the wounded James Connolly, and withdrew to King's Street near the Four Courts, were the final battle was to be fought against 5,000 British Military Forces their in armoured cars and their artillery, but despite this it was still to be 28 hours before the last 200 Irish forces were to surrender.

April 29th - Saturday: The British Military Forces' strength was by now up to 12,000 soldiers, (if they were needed,) and they continued to carry out an artillery bombardment on the Four Courts at dawn, where only 8 Irish men were still now surviving there, under the leadership of Jack Shouldice, who sent Patrick O Flanagan out to obtain more arms. He too was also killed, so they left the building there altogether, and another 60 of the Irish Volunteers then tried to retake it, but they were unsuccessful, and feeling that the Irish forces were now out of ammunition the British Military Forces made a bayonet charge, with disastrous results for both sides. Father Augustine, who was taking care of all the wounded at Father Mathew Hall in Dublin, asked for permission to take the wounded to hospital, but was refused permission by the British commander there. Patrick Holohan / Hoolahan / Ua hUallachain, an Irish Volunteer leader, was in charge of the Four Courts area, so Father Augustine then went to see him instead\ at great personal risk, to achieve a cease fire, to take away the wounded and he agreed and it was to last from Saturday 7.30 p.m. until Monday 10 a.m. (The Irish nurses during the conflict had been assisting the Irish wounded.) Patrick Pearse, the overall Irish Republican commander, realised that they had all by now, done as much as they were all physically capable of doing, in the circumstances, to promote their cause for Irish Independence / Self - Determination. He sent Elizabeth O Farrell, who was one of the Irish nurses, to the British Imperial Government's commander, Brigadier General Lowe, to discuss surrender terms, who then demanded an unconditional surrender. (Patrick Pearse tended their surrender, at approximately 3.30 p.m.) Elizabeth O Farrell, who was from the Cuman na mBan, took his decision to all the various Irish Volunteer Brigade commanders, including, Eamonn de Valera, who was in charge at Boland's Flour Mill, who was not sure whether it was genuine or not, as it had not been countersigned by Thomas Mac Donagh, who was the overall Irish Volunteer Brigade commander in Dublin. Both James Connolly and Thomas Mac Donagh shortly thereafter issued orders to the Irish Volunteer Brigades to surrender, and the staid Eamonn de Valera was to be the last of the Irish commanders to surrender.

Sunday - April 30th: Patrick Holohan surrendered at the Four Courts, together with his 58 men, and they were all taken to be imprisoned in Dublin Castle (The Devil's 1/2 acre), and Tom Clarke the Old Republican, and the rest of his particular group surrendered also after Cathal Brugha / Charles Burgess, their second in command, had received 25 bullet wounds, and Rory O Connor from the Dublin Brigade was also wounded and arrested. Count Plunkett, together with his wife, who were both the parents of Joseph, George and John Plunkett were also arrested just for being their parents. Captain Lee Wilson, a British Imperial Government officer, had some of the Irish prisoners stripped, while he beat them with a cane, until one of the Dublin Castle's R.I.C. policeman finally picked out Tom Clarke, the Old Republican, who he then began to torture. (Later on the I.R.B. / Irish Republican Brotherhood members were to settle old scores with these two particular men, for their inhuman actions on this day.)

+On to 1916 / 3 - May to June

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