As Irish nationalists plot to overthrow British rule, friends May, Frances and Elizabeth follow separate paths in order to do their bit.
The people of Dublin are divided as the rebels launch their attack against the authorities on Easter Monday, turning friends and family against one another as the violence spreads.
The siege enters its third day, and the rebels try to get governments of other nations to recognise Irish independence. However, the British forces are closing in on them. Elizabeth, Frances and Jimmy get caught up in the fighting at the GPO.
The reinforcements the rebels urgently needed fail to turn up, and they are forced to surrender to the British army. As the people of Dublin vent their rage, the captive militants await their fate as the first in a series of executions take place.
A ruthless campaign of executions is carried out, but the deaths have the unintended result of building public support for the defeated rebels. As prisoners are shipped to England, May is persecuted by the authorities, while Frances is driven to take drastic action.