9 1 3 . ▁In ▁response , ▁Irish ▁national ists ▁formed ▁a ▁rival ▁par amil it ary ▁group , ▁the ▁Irish ▁Vol unte ers , ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 1 3 . ▁The ▁Irish ▁Republican ▁Bro ther hood ▁( IR B ) ▁was ▁a ▁driving ▁force ▁behind ▁the ▁Irish ▁Vol unte ers ▁and ▁attempted ▁to ▁control ▁it . ▁Its ▁leader ▁was ▁E oin ▁Mac Ne ill , ▁who ▁was ▁not ▁an ▁IR B ▁member . ▁The ▁Irish ▁Vol unte ers ' ▁stated ▁goal ▁was ▁" to ▁secure ▁and ▁to ▁maintain ▁the ▁rights ▁and ▁libert ies ▁common ▁to ▁all ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁Ireland ". ▁It ▁included ▁people ▁with ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁political ▁views , ▁and ▁was ▁open ▁to ▁" all ▁able - b od ied ▁Irish men ▁without ▁distinction ▁of ▁cre ed , ▁politics ▁or ▁social ▁group ". ▁Another ▁milit ant ▁group , ▁the ▁Irish ▁Cit izen ▁Army , ▁was ▁formed ▁by ▁trade ▁union ists ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁Dublin ▁Lock - out ▁of ▁that ▁year . ▁When ▁the ▁Irish ▁Vol unte ers ▁sm ugg led ▁rif les ▁into ▁Dublin , ▁the ▁British ▁Army ▁attempted ▁to ▁stop ▁them ▁and ▁fired ▁into ▁a ▁crowd ▁of ▁civ ili ans . ▁British ▁Army ▁officers ▁then ▁threatened ▁to ▁res ign ▁if ▁they ▁were ▁ordered ▁to ▁take ▁action ▁against ▁the ▁U VF . ▁By ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁Ireland ▁seemed ▁to ▁be ▁on ▁the ▁br ink ▁of ▁a ▁civil ▁war . ▁This ▁seemed ▁to ▁be ▁a vert ed ▁in ▁August ▁of ▁that ▁year ▁by ▁the