The Easter Rising was a significant event in Irish history that took place in April 1916. It was a rebellion launched by Irish republicans with the aim of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing an independent Irish republic.

Key points about the Easter Rising include:

1. **Background**: The rising was fueled by a combination of factors, including Irish nationalist sentiment, frustration with British rule, and the desire for Irish independence. The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and other nationalist groups had been planning an armed uprising for some time, seeking to take advantage of Britain’s distraction with World War I.

2. **Execution**: On Easter Monday, April 24, 1916, around 1,200 Irish republicans, members of the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army, seized key buildings and landmarks in Dublin, including the General Post Office (GPO), the Four Courts, and Dublin Castle. They declared the establishment of an Irish Republic and raised the Irish tricolor flag.

3. **Suppression**: The British authorities responded swiftly and forcefully, deploying troops to quell the rebellion. Fierce fighting ensued throughout Dublin over the course of six days. The rebels faced superior firepower and were eventually forced to surrender.

4. **Leadership**: The leaders of the Easter Rising, including Patrick Pearse, James Connolly, and Joseph Plunkett, were subsequently arrested and tried by court-martial. Fifteen leaders were executed by firing squad between May 3 and May 12, 1916, including Pearse, Connolly, and Plunkett. These executions aroused public sympathy and led to a shift in public opinion towards the republican cause.

5. **Aftermath**: The Easter Rising initially met with widespread public apathy and condemnation, but the heavy-handed British response and the execution of the rebel leaders transformed public opinion in Ireland. The events of the Rising galvanized support for Irish independence and laid the groundwork for the War of Independence (1919-1921) and the eventual establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922.

The Easter Rising is commemorated annually in Ireland and is seen as a seminal moment in the struggle for Irish independence, symbolizing the spirit of resistance and the quest for self-determination.

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