Explain why there was a rising in Dublin in 1916.

Constitutional Nationalists, who worked through British Parliament, struggled for an Irish Parliament in Dublin and went about their aims with peaceful methods.

Physical Force Republicans, who believed in cutting all links from Britain. They followed Wolfe Tone's and the United Irishmen's tradition of Violence, usually forming secret Societies.

Famine neglect from the government at Westminster also led to dissatisfaction with British Rule.

A Gaelic revival began in the 1880s with the establishment of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884 and various other organisations thereafter. The Gaelic Revival of the Irish language was mainly promoted by the Gaelic League and Douglas Hyde. This began to create a nationalist atmosphere.

Short term causes of the Rising are as follows, There were 3 Paramilitary groups.

The ICA, were founded in 1913 in response to police attacks on striking workers. James Connolly soon arrived in Dublin to re-organise the new military force. He was prepared to strike for an irish Republic. Connolly never had a large following though.

The IVF, were formed on 25th November 1913 in Dublin after an Eoin Mac Neill article. By Mid 1914 they had 100,000 men.

The IRB Many of these members joined the IVF to use that organisation to stage a rebellion. People like Eamonn Ceant were IRB Men.

The Howth Gun Running was another cause, It was when IVF smuggled arms into Howth on 26th July 1914. Weapons were carried away safely after a brief police scare. British soldiers opened fire after onlookers jeers, killing three; this raised sympathy for the IVF.

The 3rd Home Rule Bill passed in 1912 and was due to become law in 1914. However when war broke out in August 1914, the British Government postponed Home Rule until after the war.

In September 1914 John Redmond in a speech at Woodenbridge urged the Volunteers to fight for Britain in the hope that Home Rule would be granted more quickly in return. This speech brought about the split of the IVF. The vast majority of the IVF followed Redmond's call and became known as the National Volunteers. A minority of 10,000 retained the name IVF and were under the leadership of Mac Neill. They refused to fight for Britain.

In January 1916 the IRB planned a rising against the British. Patrick Pearse became convinced that freedom could only be achieved by the spilling of Irish blood. This was known as Blood Sacrifice.

The IRB needed Mac Neill's support so they forged The Castle Document which stated that the government was about to suppress the volunteers and arrest its leaders, on Holy Thursday.

On Good Friday, the German Boat, the Aud with a supply of arms and ammunition was captured and the leader, Sir Roger Casement arrested.

On Holy Saturday Mac Neill discovers that the Castle Document was a forgery and therefore call off the Rising by putting an ad in the paper to his men.

On Easter Sunday the IRB decide to have the Rising the following day on Easter Monday.