ied way by the invaders, who fell head-over-heels into
the place, which was a couple of feet below the street-level--luckily
for themselves, their rifles not going off.

The telegraphic wires and apparatus were then broken up, and then,
proceeding in the direction of Donabate, the railway bridge at
Rodgerstown was blown up, cutting off Dublin.

Meanwhile, information had reached Malahide, and there the constabulary
at once proceeded to entrench themselves along the railway, in order to
protect the important bridge there; but the insurgents did not venture,
having already found the contingent that was engaged in a deadly
encounter with the Meath police at Ashbourne, towards the end of the
week, encamping between Fieldstown and Kilsallaghan.

Here, early on Sunday morning, they were surprised to receive a copy of
the proclamation issued by P. H. Pearse, advising them to surrender
unconditionally. So surprised in fact were they, that they determined to
keep "the ambassador of peace" as a hostage until they verified the
astounding news for themselves, one of their leaders motoring up to
Dublin with the Chief Constable. On their return, of course, with the
news confirmed, there was nothing to do but surrender, and this they
accordingly did--their only stipulation being that they should be spared
the humiliation of going back through Swords, where most of them lived.

The rising at Enniscorthy at one time threatened to be a more serious
affair, though it only began on the Thursday, when the Athenaeum, one of
the principal buildings of the town, was seized and turned into a
headquarters by the insurgent staff.

Several hundreds of Sinn Feiners now assembled outside, and several
dozen motor-cars which had been "commandeered," together with stores of
petrol and food, and the men were all served out with ammunition, while
amidst huge enthusiasm the green, white, and orange Republican flag was
hoisted over the building.

Afterwards railway lines and telegraphs were destroyed by a special
force and the town methodically taken over, all business houses and
licensed premises being closed, with the exception of the gasworks and
the bakeries, where the employees were compelled to perform their public
duties in the name of the Commonwealth.

The R.I.C. barracks alone held out, being well supplied with ammunition,
but the police there were powerless to interfere, having to stand a sort
of siege day after day.

Enniscorthy Castle