known st ▁to ▁Mac Ne ill , ▁the ▁document ▁had ▁been ▁for ged ▁by ▁the ▁Military ▁Council ▁to ▁persu ade ▁moder ates ▁of ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁their ▁planned ▁u pr ising . ▁It ▁was ▁an ▁edited ▁version ▁of ▁a ▁real ▁document ▁out lin ing ▁British ▁plans ▁in ▁the ▁event ▁of ▁cons cription . ▁That ▁same ▁day , ▁the ▁Military ▁Council ▁informed ▁senior ▁Vol unte er ▁officers ▁that ▁the ▁rising ▁would ▁begin ▁on ▁E aster ▁Sunday . ▁However , ▁it ▁chose ▁not ▁to ▁inform ▁the ▁rank - and - file , ▁or ▁moder ates ▁such ▁as ▁Mac Ne ill , ▁until ▁the ▁last ▁minute . ▁ ▁The ▁following ▁day , ▁Mac Ne ill ▁got ▁wind ▁that ▁a ▁rising ▁was ▁about ▁to ▁be ▁launched ▁and ▁threatened ▁to ▁do ▁everything ▁he ▁could ▁to ▁prevent ▁it , ▁short ▁of ▁inform ing ▁the ▁British . ▁Mac Ne ill ▁was ▁briefly ▁persu aded ▁to ▁go ▁along ▁with ▁some ▁sort ▁of ▁action ▁when ▁Mac ▁Di arm ada ▁revealed ▁to ▁him ▁that ▁a ▁German ▁arms ▁ship ment ▁was ▁about ▁to ▁land ▁in ▁County ▁Ker ry . ▁Mac Ne ill ▁believed ▁that ▁when ▁the ▁British ▁learned ▁of ▁the ▁ship ment ▁they ▁would ▁immediately ▁suppress ▁the ▁Vol unte ers , ▁thus ▁the ▁Vol unte ers ▁would ▁be ▁just ified ▁in ▁taking ▁def ensive ▁action , ▁including ▁the ▁planned ▁man oe uv res . ▁ ▁The ▁Aud ▁and ▁the ▁U - 1 9 ▁reached ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁Ker ry ▁on ▁Good ▁Friday , ▁ 2 1 ▁April . ▁This ▁was ▁earlier ▁than ▁the ▁Vol