▁develop ments ▁ultimately ▁contributed ▁to ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁popular ▁support ▁for ▁Irish ▁independence . ▁ ▁Organ ised ▁by ▁a ▁seven - man ▁Military ▁Council ▁of ▁the ▁Irish ▁Republican ▁Bro ther hood , ▁the ▁R ising ▁began ▁on ▁E aster ▁Monday , ▁ 2 4 ▁April ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁and ▁last ed ▁for ▁six ▁days . ▁M embers ▁of ▁the ▁Irish ▁Vol unte ers , ▁led ▁by ▁school master ▁and ▁Irish ▁language ▁activ ist ▁Patrick ▁Pear se , ▁joined ▁by ▁the ▁smaller ▁Irish ▁Cit izen ▁Army ▁of ▁James ▁Con n olly ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 ▁women ▁of ▁C umann ▁na ▁m B an , ▁seized ▁strateg ically ▁important ▁buildings ▁in ▁Dublin ▁and ▁proc laimed ▁an ▁Irish ▁Republic . ▁The ▁British ▁Army ▁brought ▁in ▁thousands ▁of ▁rein for c ements ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁art illery ▁and ▁a ▁gun bo at . ▁There ▁was ▁street ▁fighting ▁on ▁the ▁routes ▁into ▁the ▁city ▁centre , ▁where ▁the ▁reb els ▁slow ed ▁the ▁British ▁advance ▁and ▁inf lic ted ▁many ▁cas ual ties . ▁Else where ▁in ▁Dublin , ▁the ▁fighting ▁mainly ▁consisted ▁of ▁sn ip ing ▁and ▁long - range ▁gun ▁batt les . ▁The ▁main ▁re bel ▁positions ▁were ▁gradually ▁surrounded ▁and ▁bomb arded ▁with ▁art illery . ▁There ▁were ▁isolated ▁actions ▁in ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁Ireland ; ▁Vol unte er ▁leader ▁E oin ▁Mac Ne ill ▁had ▁issued ▁a ▁counter m and ▁in ▁a ▁bid ▁to ▁halt ▁the ▁R ising , ▁which ▁greatly ▁reduced ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁reb els ▁who ▁mobil ised