The Rising was to have taken place on Easter Sunday. However, the failure of the Germans to land a shipment of weapons on the Kerry coast on Easter Friday called into question whether the Rising could take place. Eoin MacNeill thought not, and issued a countermanding order that was published in the Irish Sunday Independent on Easter Sunday. The more radical voices insisted that the Rising go ahead, even without the German arms, and fresh orders were issued by Pearse that the military plan be activated on Easter Monday.
On Monday 24 April, members of the Irish Volunteers, Irish Citizen Army and Cumann na mBan took control of several key buildings across Dublin city centre. While some of these buildings, such as the GPO and Boland’s Mills, would become iconic in the memory of the Rising, there were other key strategic sites that the rebels did not succeed in taking. The failure to control railway stations or the Dublin and Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire) docks meant that when the British needed to move troops into the city in large numbers to quell the Rising they could do so relatively unimpeded. The failure to take the HQ of the British administration, Dublin Castle, and a significant building that was stocked with arms, Trinity College, hampered the rebels. Both locations would be important bases for British forces during the week.
The British began pouring troops from across Ireland into the city from Monday afternoon, and from England by the dawn of Wednesday. With thousands of troops in the city the question for the rebels was for how long could they hold out. Some buildings held by the rebels, such as City Hall, fell quickly while others would resist until they formally surrendered on Sunday 29 April. The fighting was fierce, particularly around Mount Street Bridge and North King Street, where the death rate on both sides, and amongst civilians, was highest. Essentially the rebel positions spent the week under siege while they were shot at and had heavy artillery rained down on them. Given their resources the rebels had to largely rely on defending their positions with rifle and sniper fire as well as with improvised explosives.
The high levels of artillery used by the British led to a huge number of fires around the Sackville Street area, destroying the buildings of the street and ultimately forcing the rebels in the GPO to evacuate on Friday evening. Once they had left the GPO the Rising was effectively over. Pearse would surrender on Saturday afternoon to avoid any further loss of civilian life.
It was civilians who paid the highest price during Easter week. Recent research by the Glasnevin Trust has shown that of the 488 deaths during Easter week, 54% were civilians, 26% were British troops, 16% were rebels and 4% were police.
Bhí an tÉirí Amach ceaptha tarlú ar Dhomhnach Cásca. Mar sin féin, toisc gur theip ar na Gearmánaigh lastas armlón a chur i dtír ar chósta Chiarraí ar Aoine an Chéasta bhí amhras faoi cibé an bhféadfadh an tÉirí Amach tarlú in aon chor. Níor cheap Eoin Mac Néill go bhféadfadh, agus d’eisigh sé freasordú a foilsíodh in eagrán na hÉireann den Sunday Independent ar Dhomhnach Cásca. D’áitigh an dream ba radacaí go rachadh an tÉirí Amach ar aghaidh, fiú gan arm na Gearmáine, agus d’eisigh Mac Piarais orduithe nua go gcuirfí an plean míleata i ngníomh ar Luan Cásca.
Dé Luain, an 24 Aibreán, ghlac baill d’Óglaigh na hÉireann, d’Arm Cathartha na hÉireann agus de Chumann na mBan smacht ar roinnt foirgnimh thábhachtacha ar fud lár chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath. Cé go mbeadh roinnt de na foirgnimh sin, cosúil le hArd-Oifig an Phoist agus Muilte Uí Bheoláin, aitheanta i gcuimhne na ndaoine ar an Éirí Amach, bhí roinnt láithreáin straitéiseacha eile ann nár éirigh leis na reibiliúnaigh a ghabháil. Toisc gur theip orthu stáisiúin traenach nó dugaí Bhaile Átha Cliath agus Bhaile an Rí (Dún Laoghaire) a chur faoi smacht, bhí na Sasanaigh in ann lear mór trúpaí a bhogadh isteach sa chathair gan stró chun an tÉirí Amach a chur faoi chois. Theip ar na reibiliúnaigh Ceanncheathrú riarachán na Breataine a ghabháil, Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath, agus theip orthu chomh maith Coláiste na Tríonóide a ghabháil, foirgneamh suntasach a bhí pacáilte le harm – chuir na rudaí sin go léir srian mór ar na reibiliúnaigh. Ba bhunáiteanna tábhachtacha a bheadh sa dá láthair seo d’fhórsaí na Breataine i rith na seachtaine.
Thosaigh an Bhreatain ag seoladh trúpaí ó fud fad na hÉireann isteach sa chathair ó thráthnóna Dé Luain, agus ó Shasana faoi bhreacadh an lae Dé Céadaoin. Bhí na mílte trúpa sa chathair agus ba léir nach fada eile a bheadh na reibiliúnaigh in ann a dtalamh a sheasamh. Thit roinnt foirgneamh a bhí i seilbh na reibiliúnach, cosúil le Halla na Cathrach, tapa go leor agus lean roinnt eile orthu go dtí gur ghéill siad go foirmiúil Dé Domhnaigh, an 29 Aibreán. Bhí an trodaíocht fíochmhar, go háirithe timpeall ar Dhroichead Shráid an Mhóta agus ar Shráid an Rí Thuaidh, áit a raibh an ráta báis ab airde ar an dá thaobh, agus i measc na sibhialtach. Go bunúsach chaith na reibiliúnaigh an tseachtain faoi léigear agus urchair á gcaitheamh leo agus gunnaí móra á n-úsáid ina gcoinne. Mar gheall ar a laghad acmhainní a bhí acu b’éigean do na reibiliúnaigh a bheith á gcosaint féin den chuid ba mhó le raidhfilí agus le naoscairí chomh maith le pléascáin seiftithe.
Tharla go leor dóiteán timpeall ar cheantar Shráid Sackville mar gheall ar na gunnaí móra a bhí in úsáid ag na Sasanaigh, agus scriosadh na foirgnimh ar an tsráid sin agus sa deireadh thiar cuireadh iallach ar na reibiliúnaigh in Ard-Oifig an Phoist an foirgneamh a fhágáil tráthnóna Dé hAoine. Nuair a bhí Ard-Oifig an Phoist glanta amach acu ba é sin deireadh an Éirí Amach i ndáiríre. Ghéillfeadh an Piarsach tar éis am dinnéir Dé Sathairn ionas nach bhfaigheadh tuilleadh sibhialtach bás.
Ba iad na sibhialtaigh ba mhó a bhí siar le Seachtain na Cásca. Léiríodh i dtaighde a rinne Iontaobhas Ghlas Naíon le déanaí gur shibhialtaigh a bhí i 54% den 488 duine a fuair bás i rith Sheachtain na Cásca, ba thrúpaí na Breataine a bhí i 26% díobh, ba reibiliúnaigh 16% díobh agus ba phóilíní 4% díobh.
