Eileen Keane

Liam Archer was a member of the I.R.B and in Easter week 1916 he and men from his company were guarding the Keating Branch, 18, North Frederick St. where some members of the Volunteer executive were living on the run. On Easter Sunday night one man was on guard in the hall and the rest were in a small room overlooking the hall. They passed the time playing cards. Michael Collins had been out at the Larkfield estate of the Plunketts helping with the military preparations and he arrived in North Frederick St.

According to Archer:

‘He forced his way to a seat at the table, produced two revolvers and announced he would ensure there would be nothing crooked about this game.’

Meanwhile Christopher Brady, a printer who worked for the ITGWU, helped by Michael Molloy and Billy O Brien, was busy printing the Proclamation of the Irish Republic in the basement of Liberty Hall. They had a dilapidated press and when they ran out of letters they used other fonts and even made letters from sealing wax.