Custom House Burning - Part 1 / John Wilson

[shanew147]

thanks for posting that information corisande... it's great to read a description of such an event written by someone who was actually there, rather that something 2nd hand in a history book.



Shane

[seanod]

Thanks for that, Corisande. I see what you mean by "the other side!" I've already come across that piece in the autobiography of Charles William Grant, presumably posted by you. There is a long piece in the book The Black and Tans about another man mentioned by your grandfather, Ernest Leach, though his name is not given in that book, only his rank. Having identified the rebels, he was warned by the police that he was in danger and went to England on holiday. There he was told to keep on moving as he was being followed. In the end, the poor man had a nervous breakdown and was pensioned out. I had often wondered what his name was and was pleased to find his name in your grandfather's account. It's all grist to the mill. A propos of nothing (as they say) we live quite near Holywood where your grandfather lived after he left Dublin and we often walk along the lough shore there.

[corisande]

My grandparents were eventually forced out of Dublin. Which is why I was brought up in Northern Ireland

I was christened in Holywood C of I. Fairly obvious why we were living in Holywood  We lived on the main road at Priory Corner then.

Another thing my grandfather was involved in was the relief of Dublin Castle during the Easter Rising. He took a group of Dublin Fusiliers from Royal Barracks to Dublin Castle and they got shot up by the rebel forces under Heuston in the Mendicity Institute. I have just fond the complete account by someone elses grandfather who was in the Institute and describes the action from their side.

I suppose it is only with the passage of time that all these stories are starting to be told

If nothing else I have the skills and resources to make information available, including that autobiography of my grandfather that you have read. I took the whole thing into Dublin Castle last year and spent several hours with the archivist then. Interestingly the only people who did not want to see me were the Shelbourne Hotel, where the British Machines were mounted to clear St Stephens Green - they claimed to have no knowledge of this!

I am not wanting to hi-jack your thread  - but you did lead a bit with your chin when asking for more information.

A propos of nothing - I live in Spain now!

[margnip2]

Thanks for that account of your grandfather corisande.  It is interesting to read about the story from the other side.  I knew little about Irish history having been brought up in England since I was a small child.  I knew about my granddad since an early age, but not about the history.

When I started doing my family history, a few years ago, was also when I started delving into the history of Ireland.  I have found it a very sensitive subject when asking my relatives questions.  Even my mother takes a bit of persuading to talk about things.  But if my mothers generation do not tell the stories now then they will be lost forever. 

I too would like to hear from others who were involved in the Customs House, this all adds to the history of the event.

[Oaks and Acorns]

…  if my mothers generation do not tell the stories now then they will be lost forever. 

 

In a nutshell I think you have explained why so much of our recent (200 years) history has been lost. It was not a fire in 1922 or inadvertent destruction of Census records.

“Who fears to speak of ’98?”

We don’t talk about ’98 or the Tithes Wars or the Widow’s Field or the Famine or the Fenians or the IRB or 1916 or the War of Independence or the Treaty or the Truce or the Civil War because we don’t want to upset “the other side”.

Well in my humble opinion, it’s about time we got over our shame about the past. There is no other side. It’s only us and if we don’t start talking soon, another layer of Irish History will be consigned to the official story of the History Book.

Dara.

[Ms. Smokestoomuch]

Ok to stay on track I'll add Michael Smith E company 2nd Batt to the role call that day. I don't have much detail. He brought a lorry of paraffin. Doesn't say he was arrested.

On the sensitivities, well, you just have to give people the benefit of the doubt. I haven't seen any dirty rubs on rootschat. It does seem like a pleasant chin wag. I think the way I look at each issue is, we're chatting here with common issues. I tend to adapt to the mindset of talking to a friend about their family. So I usually try to fall into their shoes.
I hope others feel relaxed enough to share everything and anything. Things get lost over sensitive hotspots.
My partners family did the opposite journey over the boarder. No sensitivities about that. If it hadn't happened  we would never have mix our genes and begot the next installment of the saga.

[margnip2]

Same company and battalion as my granddad, may have known each other then.  What relation was he to you, and do you have anymore info on E company?

[Ms. Smokestoomuch]

I'm afraid I haven't collected much info about E company itself. He joined 1915. He's my grand father. A basic summary would be: Jacobs, Great Northern Railway raid, Kilmainham escape, customs house, Four courts. He also served in the Emergency. He seems to be involved in raids and general shifting around of arms. He does mention Bloody sunday on his pension. But I'm not sure what he meant by that. He may have had mixed feeling about it. E company were used that day along with the squad.
So thats my biggest loose end. (I think because of the mixed feelings it really has intrigued me.)

E company seems to have many from the Ballybough area. He lived on Bayview Ave and then in Summerhill. He also was in the Laurence O'Toole GAA club, which seems to be common among them. He left a brief statement just with his family. I often wonder on roots, I'm I talking to someones who descends from a close friend of his.
It would be great if there was a general info pool that relates to the statements and stories past down. For instance. He drops these names. The Young bros, Paddy Mitchell, Davy bros[london], Mick mc Donnell, john comber, tom Keogh, Martin savage, Farren, Jim Dempsey, Dr Vincent white, comm.Kelly
also detective "flash" and detective O'Brien and detective Barton. I share these just in case it makes someones day. But I'd love to think if the name Michael Smith turned up on someone else's story, especially personal accounts,  that I'd get to hear about it.

I wonder too was the world and his wife attacking the Customs House. There seems to be loads involved. I never realised. It must have been madness on the day.

[Gary Deering]

Thanks for that Corisande,its great to get an inside view of the events, to be honest I am not interested in an us & them situation, I am just interested in what members of my family got up to in the past so I can pass it down to my son. Funny in 1916 2 members of my family where Dublin Fusiliers !

Its great to see this information seeing the light of day ! I just hope theres some left for Seannod`s book!