Custom House Burning - Part 1 / John Wilson

[seanod]

I read somewhere that the majority of IRA people during the W of I never fired a shot in anger or otherwise, though I think things would have been a lot busier in Dublin area. It didn't sound as if his grandfather played a major role though the attack on the railway yards at Inchicore is quite an important event and is given a section in the recently reprinted book from the Kerryman, Dublin's Fighting Story - which is very good, but doesn't give many of the names of people involved. The article on the Custom House is by Oscar Traynor himself.

[Ms. Smokestoomuch]

I was just about to ask had you got a hold of that. I actually had a few pages about the customs house from it copied.
I imagine the service of men also reflected how much time they had put in. Were they always at the ready.
My mother was lead to believe her father had never fired a gun. Maybe it's true. Its hard to tell really. Maybe daughters get one version of events. My uncle told me he was sent to shoot a judge. "Sweat dripping down his gun" affair. Seems to be a bit much. That didn't turn up anywhere I looked. I think the biggest exaggerators can be family rather than the men themselves.  It's hard to tell what the real picture is.

[seanod]

Most of them were unpaid volunteers and had jobs, so they wouldn't have been free to do very much. In fact, I think the reason for the Custom House attack being at one o'clock was so that a lot of workers in the area could do the attack in their lunch break! Of course, in those days people worked long hours. There were only a few people who were given a salary as full-time soldiers, like the ASU and the Squad.

[corisande]

, I think the reason for the Custom House attack being at one o'clock was so that a lot of workers in the area could do the attack in their lunch break! Of course, in those days people worked long hours

and the other side of the story is 
 "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"

Is I think more logical to attack the place when there are fewer people there.

[seanod]

That's also true, Corisande. The thing about the attackers being on their lunchbreak is mentioned in a couple of the printed accounts but the staff of the Custom House being on their lunchbreak would also be an important consideration. Interestingly, the Auxiliaries who arrived at the Custom House in their tenders were also in the Castle sitting down to lunch when a policeman arrived to tell them of the attack. Maybe patrols were less frequent at lunchtime! Stranger things have happened ... Incidentally, does anyone know anything about the people of the Custom House Memorial Committee? It seems very likely that they were in the Custom House but there is no evidence. A couple of the names are Murrin and Tallon. (There were a few Tallons involved in the Easter Rising). Another question I have concerns the Flood brothers. There were at least three of them at the Custom House but I only have two names. Anyone got any information?

[corisande]

Interestingly, the Auxiliaries who arrived at the Custom House in their tenders were also in the Castle sitting down to lunch when a policeman arrived to tell them of the attack. Maybe patrols were less frequent at lunchtime

I think those that worked in the Custom House were aggrieved that patrols had been scaled back

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 building

Place was a sitting duck!

[seanod]

That's correct. The head of the LGB had heard "on the grapevine" that an attack on the Custom House was coming and asked for some security. This was stepped up for a while but then the security was removed because Intelligence staff in Dublin Castle decided it wasn't a credible target for attack. Can't give you chapter and verse on that offhand but I can find out which books the information comes from if you're interested. 

[corisande]

That's OK I'll take your word for it.

We seem to agree on this at least 

[seanod]

I'm sure we agree on lots of things!