The 'Labour Hercules': The Irish Citizen Army and Irish Republicanism, 1913–23 by Jeffrey Leddin

Author:Jeffrey Leddin [Leddin, Jeffrey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Europe, Ireland, Social History, Great Britain, General, Political Science, Colonialism & Post-Colonialism
ISBN: 9781788550765
Google: cKaODwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Merrion Press
Published: 2019-03-20T22:33:11+00:00

10

‘THAT SMALL GARRISON CARRIED OUT

THEIR ORDERS’: DUBLIN CASTLE AND

ITS ENVIRONS

If one of the most striking features of the St Stephen’s Green garrison was that it began in conditions unusual to the ICA, the same could not be said of the republican unit that attempted to seize control of City Hall and its wider area. Not only had they carried out a mock attack on Dublin Castle in winter 1915 but they had also planned to attack the castle if they were the sole insurgents in the rebellion. However, the official plan for Easter Week never included an occupation of Dublin Castle.1 The joint republican forces did not consider that the capture of the building would be too difficult, a contention supported by Head Constable Folan who believed ‘the Volunteers could have easily taken the castle, there was not a gun in it, and any ammunition to be found was blank. Indeed, MacNeill’s countermanding of the parade order had lulled the Dublin Castle authorities with a sense of security.’2 However, the republican leadership believed that the castle was too spread out and that any occupation would have required ‘hundreds of men’.3 The castle made strategic sense for the republicans to attack even if it was not going to be occupied. Not only was it a central fortification for the British administrative authority but was also seen around the world as a symbol of their control in Ireland. Burning the citadel had been considered by the rebel leaders but was dismissed as it contained a Red Cross hospital and should any of the patients have died during an attack it would have severely damaged the Irish cause.4 Wisely, it was decided by the leaders that the best approach was to isolate it from the other bases.

In order to achieve that goal, William Oman noted that the ‘intention was to control the whole square’ around it.5 While City Hall on Cork Hill was the designated headquarters for this battalion, Emily Norgrove detailed the other outposts. As well as City Hall, these included Henry and James’s Tailors shop on Dame Street, the lower castle entrance on Cork Hill, the churchyard on Nicholas Street, Synod Hall at Christchurch Place and the Daily Mail’s office on Dame Street.6 Oman gave an account which differed slightly from Norgrove’s version. According to Oman, the Engineering Post beside City Hall as well as the Rates Department, which Robbins contended would have ‘dominated the castle’, were also to be taken. A group from Jacob’s factory was to command two houses in Stephen Street which overlooked the barrack square in Ship Street, opposite Leitrim House. Oman also stated that Martin Kelly was to take charge of the group in the Daily Mail’s office, Elmes was to take charge in Henry and James’s shop while George Oman was to lead a party of five, including William (contradicting Hanratty’s membership listing), up Castle Street to enter a house beside the steps of Ship Street. They were to enter an overhead viaduct which overlooked the upper and lower gates of the barracks in the hope of covering the entrance gates.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.