▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁civ ili ans ▁were ▁killed ▁or ▁wounded ▁by ▁British ▁art illery ▁and ▁machine ▁guns ▁or ▁were ▁mistaken ▁for ▁reb els . ▁O thers ▁were ▁caught ▁in ▁the ▁cross fire ▁in ▁the ▁crow ded ▁city . ▁The ▁shell ing ▁and ▁resulting ▁fires ▁left ▁parts ▁of ▁central ▁Dublin ▁in ▁ru ins . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁Act s ▁of ▁Union ▁ 1 8 0 0 ▁un ited ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Great ▁Britain ▁and ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Ireland ▁as ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Great ▁Britain ▁and ▁Ireland , ▁abol ishing ▁the ▁Irish ▁Parliament ▁and ▁giving ▁Ireland ▁representation ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁Parliament . ▁From ▁early ▁on , ▁many ▁Irish ▁national ists ▁opposed ▁the ▁union ▁and ▁the ▁en su ing ▁explo itation ▁and ▁imp over ishment ▁of ▁the ▁island , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁high ▁level ▁of ▁dep op ulation . ▁O pp osition ▁took ▁various ▁forms : ▁constitution al ▁( the ▁Re pe al ▁Association ; ▁the ▁Home ▁Rule ▁League ), ▁social ▁( dis est ab lish ment ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁Ireland ; ▁the ▁Land ▁League ) ▁and ▁revolution ary ▁( R eb ell ion ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 8 ; ▁Fen ian ▁R ising ). ▁The ▁Irish ▁Home ▁Rule ▁movement ▁sought ▁to ▁achieve ▁self - g overn ment ▁for ▁Ireland , ▁within ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁the ▁Irish ▁Parliament ary ▁Party ▁( IP P ) ▁under ▁Charles ▁Stewart ▁Par nell ▁succeeded ▁in ▁having ▁the ▁First ▁Home ▁Rule ▁Bill ▁introduced ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁parliament ,