On this day 109 years ago, on April 24, 1916 (March 22, 1916 in the lunar calendar), the Easter Uprising broke out in Ireland. British troops stand guard at a barricade in Dublin April 24, 1916 The Easter Uprising broke out in Ireland. In the early 20th century, Ireland was a British colony. After the outbreak of the First World War, Britain was busy with war, which created opportunities for the Irish national independence movement. On the Monday after Easter, April 24, 1916, about 1,000 Irish seized about 14 areas of Dublin and declared the Republic of Ireland. The leaders of the uprising were Pierce of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and Connolly, the leader of the "Civic Army". The headquarters of the uprising was located in the General Post Office. Sir Roger Casement, an Anglo-Irish leader of the Irish separatists, was captured while trying to bring 20,000 German-supplied weapons ashore. He tried to get military support from Germany, but the Germans were so busy with the war that they provided him with only a single shipment of ammunition. He was held by the army in London awaiting trial. 20,000 British troops were sent to Dublin, besieging the city center and shelling the rebel-held areas. Pierce and Connolly surrendered on April 29. In early May, 15 of the leaders of the rebellion were executed by court martial. Irish public opinion was not very supportive of the uprising at the beginning, and British repression changed the trend of public opinion and aroused Irish patriotism. After the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1921, the rebels were considered heroes of the Irish independence movement. British troops stood guard at a Dublin barricade. A funeral was held for them in 1921