, ▁and ▁gr en ades . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁Vol unte ers ▁who ▁mobil ised ▁was ▁much ▁smaller ▁than ▁expected . ▁This ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁Mac Ne ill ' s ▁counter m and ing ▁order , ▁and ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁orders ▁had ▁been ▁sent ▁so ▁soon ▁before hand . ▁However , ▁several ▁hundred ▁Vol unte ers ▁joined ▁the ▁R ising ▁after ▁it ▁began . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁before ▁m idd ay , ▁the ▁reb els ▁began ▁to ▁se ize ▁important ▁sites ▁in ▁central ▁Dublin . ▁The ▁reb els ' ▁plan ▁was ▁to ▁hold ▁Dublin ▁city ▁centre . ▁This ▁was ▁a ▁large , ▁o val - sh aped ▁area ▁bounded ▁by ▁two ▁can als : ▁the ▁Grand ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁and ▁the ▁Royal ▁to ▁the ▁north , ▁with ▁the ▁River ▁L iff ey ▁running ▁through ▁the ▁middle . ▁On ▁the ▁southern ▁and ▁western ▁edges ▁of ▁this ▁district ▁were ▁five ▁British ▁Army ▁bar ra cks . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁reb els ' ▁positions ▁had ▁been ▁chosen ▁to ▁defend ▁against ▁counter - att acks ▁from ▁these ▁bar ra cks . ▁The ▁reb els ▁took ▁the ▁positions ▁with ▁ease . ▁C iv ili ans ▁were ▁ev acu ated ▁and ▁polic emen ▁were ▁e ject ed ▁or ▁taken ▁prisoner . ▁Windows ▁and ▁doors ▁were ▁bar ric aded , ▁food ▁and ▁supplies ▁were ▁secured , ▁and ▁first ▁aid ▁posts ▁were ▁set ▁up . ▁Bar ric ades ▁were ▁ere cted ▁on ▁the ▁streets ▁to ▁h inder ▁British ▁Army ▁movement . ▁ ▁A ▁joint ▁force ▁of ▁about ▁ 4