Custom House Burning - Part 1 / John Wilson

[seanod]

Hi. Just about to head off but briefly, thanks for the offer Shane and I will certainly take you up on it re. a couple of people. Gary, I don't know if you noticed this but if you follow the enaclann link to the CD Rom of Special Branch files, there is a list of the names of the subjects. The link to it is down below the system requirements. Not great business sense on their part putting that in, but highly commendable! No Denis Byrne, Philip Flynn, Eddie Dorins, unfortunately. Forgot to check for John Wilson. Slán go fóill!

[Gary Deering]

No Seanod I did not notice that link ! pity the 2 names I was looking for are not on it,there must be a lot more in the UK as the Tans & Auxs must have kept a lot too.Thanks for the offer Shanew but looks like the info I am looking for is not on the branch files.

[Gary Deering]

As promised, here is the information on John Wilson:

"Capt John Wilson, 51 Saul Road, Crumlin, who has died, was a former member of C Company 3rd Engineers, I.R.A., and of the Dublin Brigade Active Service Unit.
He was captured during the burning of the Custom House and interned. He was in later years a member of the staff of Bord na Mona.
The funeral took place after Mass in St Bernadette's Church, Clogher Road, Crumlin to Mount Jerome Cemetery.
The chief mourners were Mrs E Wilson (widow); Jack and Jerry (sons); Joan (daughter); Mrs M Quinn and Mrs Smith (sisters); Mrs McKenna (mother-in-law); George McKenna (brother-in-law); Mrs K Murphy (sister-in-law); Messrs J and M Scully (uncles); Miss Scully (aunt); Mrs M Wilson (sister-in-law).
The attendance included Mr J Carroll, T.C.; Col W Stapleton and Mrs Stapleton; Comdt T Donnelly; Comdt V Byrne; Capt W Corri agus Mrs Corri; Capt J Kerrigan; Capt D Hannon and Mrs Hannon; Capt E Breslin, Mr J Murphy and D Morrissey.
A firing party at the graveside consisted of members of the 2nd Batt Eastern Command, under Lieutenant Goggin."

Irish Independent, July 09, 1955. p. 13. Some of those mentioned were definitely at the Custom House - V Byrne, who is mentioned in the film Michael Collins (Vinny Byrne), Stapleton, Donnelly and Ned Breslin were all definitely there.

I dont know how I missed this on the thread again thanks Seannog, nice to see my grandmother listed Mrs M Wilson (sister in law)

[seanod]

No problem, Gary. This thread seems to have stalled temporarily! Aren't there any other people out there with Custom House connections? What about the Stapletons, Byrnes, O'Reillys, Heads, Freynes, Prendergasts, Dowdalls, etc. etc.?? Or even the relatives of the non-combatants who were killed and injured - Myers from the Fire Brigade, James Connolly the quay labourer, Davies the caretaker, Mahon Lawless? Or even the injured Auxiliaries, Beaumont, Lewis, Tottenham? If you have any information for us, then please sign up and share your information!

[corisande]

.

Aren't there any other people out there with Custom House connections

seanod

Things in Ireland are never that straightforward 

If you really want to know,  my grandfather was in the Custom House that day. If I were to start getting into what "your side" did to my family, I think we would take this thread away from the realms of genealogy

I suspect that there are many others in the same position!

[seanod]

Hi Corisande, I live in Ireland and I would agree with you, but I personally have no animosity towards anyone with regard to what happened back then. It is part of our history and we have to preserve as much of it as possible, and as objectively as possible. In other words, who was your grandfather and which side are we talking about? I am interested in anyone who was involved in the events of that day, regardless of who they are. 

[corisande]

 
 

[seanod]

I'll take that as a no! Hope you'll change your mind later as the thread continues. 

[corisande]

Had an eventful time did my grandfather. The Easter Rising and the Somme. This is his account of the Custom House

On 26th May 1921 the Custom House in Dublin was attacked  by a strong force of rebels who burnt and gutted the building. Some weeks before the attack leaders of Sein Fein had penetrated the buildings and offices in the Custom House, and took notice that military guards had been withdrawn from the protection of the premises and that only a few police patrolled the front and rear of the buildings. Plans were drawn up for attacking the Custom House and put into operation on 25th May. At about noon that day the attack was opened by the IRA troops with grenades, rifles and machine guns. The Custom House was cut off from all communication from the outside world at a time when most officials were out at lunch and only a skeleton staff was on duty. Large quantities of paraffin oil had been commandeered in the city and transferred to petrol tins which the IRA troops brought into the buildings. They saturated everything with the oil, including papers and other inflammable materials. In a short time the whole building was one mass of flame.

I was alone working in the legal department, and I went out onto the landing facing the Liffey. I was immediately stopped by two armed men and escorted down to a room on the basement floor. In that room I found a number of Inland Revenue and LGB staff, both male and female, who told me that the Custom House had been attacked. This was certainly apparent from the noise of explosions and rifle shots. We were held there by IRA sentries on the door for some time, till suddenly the window of the room was broken in by police with the butts of their rifles. We were ordered to put up our hands, and the rebel guards disappeared. The police asked us questions as to our identity. I fortunately had my army papers on me which I produced. In a few minutes they ordered us to get out of the building. I told the police officer that I knew the Custom House layout and offered assistance to guide them round. With a few of his men he came with me to my office. I noticed through the window that flames from the opposite side of the court yard had spread, and now the woodwork on my office window was alight. I realised that I ought to try to save many of the documents from the strong rooms of the office. With the aid of the police I threw papers down onto the Quays. After some time the woodwork round the windows was really blazing and the police ordered me to get out. The documents lay on the Quay for some time until retrieved by officials from Dublin castle.

On leaving the Custom House via a side door onto the Quays I found Mr Ernest Leach Assistant Secretary to the LGB and Mr Frank McCauly LG Inspector identifying a party of officials to military and other Government officials. I was told to get away as quickly as I could. I proceeded to move away when I was told that it would not be safe to go through the watching crowd of spectators.  An ambulance was standing by, and I was instructed that the driver would take me out of the area. I thought that TCD would be a good quiet pace to be dropped off at, and the ambulance took me there via the Lincoln Place Gate. We entered the grounds of TCD and seeing that there was nobody around, I stopped the ambulance and slipped out. I made for Westland Row Railway Station where I took a train to Bray

Maybe you can tell me who the IRA guards were.