oint of attack; it was
at most an emotional side-issue. The scheme for the defence of Dublin
was a far greater conception, and there was hardly a bookseller in the
city, as I learnt later from Fred Hanna, of Nassau Street, whose shop
had not been visited during the past few weeks by one or other of the
insurgent leaders with the object of securing all the standard works on
strategy and military operations--which rather goes to prove that the
step had been long in contemplation.

The idea seems to have been to draw a cordon around the city by securing
first of all the chief railway stations and the larger dominating
buildings, such as Jacob's biscuit factory, and then to man the corner
houses that overlooked the main roadways at the point where they crossed
the canals, and thus prevent all approach of the military till
messengers should be dispatched from Dublin to tell the counties to
rise.

Probably the greatest disappointment to the rebels was the capture of
the famous Magazine Fort in the Phoenix Park.

It was generally understood that this was crammed to the very door with
guns and ammunition--heavy guns especially--and the most elaborate
preparations had consequently been made for its capture, the idea
probably being that once Ireland had heard of the capture of Dublin
there would be a general movement from the country towards the capital,
and that the new recruits could be fitted out from the magazine and then
dispatched to provincial headquarters. It was probably for this reason
the long line of the quays along the Liffey had been kept clear--the
Four Courts being a sort of halfway fort.

The loss of the Magazine Fort--or rather the failure of their
expectation in its regard, for it was found to be practically empty
when searched--meant that they were bound to depend entirely upon
Germany for the larger ammunition. The railways were of course of
supreme importance, and simultaneously with the raid of the Post Office,
Jacob's, and the Castle, attacks were made on all the principal
stations.

At twelve prompt Westland Row was occupied without a struggle and the
doors closed, sentinels being placed on the bridge spanning the street
below--arousing no little local curiosity, for the news had not
circulated through the town by this time.

Harcourt Street Station was also taken over and an attempt made to
fortify it, but this was abandoned after some time, quite early in the
afternoon. Broadstone Station also f