ce ▁their ▁support ▁for ▁Irish ▁independence ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 1 4 . ▁Cas ement ▁also ▁attempted ▁to ▁rec ruit ▁an ▁Irish ▁Brigade , ▁made ▁up ▁of ▁Irish ▁prisoners ▁of ▁war , ▁which ▁would ▁be ▁armed ▁and ▁sent ▁to ▁Ireland ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁u pr ising . F oy ▁and ▁Bart on , ▁p . ▁ 1 0 5 ▁However , ▁only ▁ 5 6 ▁men ▁volunte ered . ▁Pl unk ett ▁joined ▁Cas ement ▁in ▁Germany ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁T ogether , ▁Pl unk ett ▁and ▁Cas ement ▁presented ▁a ▁plan ▁( the ▁' I reland ▁Report ') ▁in ▁which ▁a ▁German ▁expedition ary ▁force ▁would ▁land ▁on ▁the ▁west ▁coast ▁of ▁Ireland , ▁while ▁a ▁rising ▁in ▁Dublin ▁di vert ed ▁the ▁British ▁forces ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁Germ ans , ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁local ▁Vol unte ers , ▁could ▁secure ▁the ▁line ▁of ▁the ▁River ▁Sh annon , ▁before ▁adv ancing ▁on ▁the ▁capital . ▁The ▁German ▁military ▁rejected ▁the ▁plan , ▁but ▁agreed ▁to ▁ship ▁arms ▁and ▁am mun ition ▁to ▁the ▁Vol unte ers . ▁ ▁James ▁Con n olly — head ▁of ▁the ▁Irish ▁Cit izen ▁Army ▁( IC A ), ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁armed ▁social ist ▁trade ▁union ▁men ▁and ▁women — was ▁una ware ▁of ▁the ▁IR B ' s ▁plans , ▁and ▁threatened ▁to ▁start ▁a ▁re bell ion ▁on ▁his ▁own ▁if ▁other ▁parties ▁failed ▁to ▁act . ▁If ▁they ▁had ▁done ▁it ▁alone , ▁the ▁IR B ▁and ▁the ▁Vol