The collision between forces of the Crown and Irish Volunteers trying to land arms, which Redmond had foretold and deprecated in his letter of June 30th, was fated to occur.
On Saturday, July 25th, five thousand Ulster Volunteers, fully armed, with four machine guns--in short, an infantry brigade equipped for active service--marched through the streets of Belfast, no one interfering.

On Sunday, the 26th, a private yacht sailed into Howth harbour with eleven hundred rifles on board and some boxes of ammunition.

By preconcerted arrangement a body of some seven hundred Irish Volunteers had marched down to meet the yacht.

These men took the rifles, and with them set out to march back in column of route to Dublin.

Two thousand rounds of ammunition were with them in a truck-cart, but none was distributed.
Meanwhile the telephones had been busy.