Fingal and the 1916 Rising Sheet
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10. Knocksedan Bridge, Swords 17. Tyrrelstown After the confusion caused by the Around 70 Dundalk Volunteers mobilised “Fingal has contributed more than its share.” countermanding order on Easter Sunday, on Easter Sunday and, after some confusion (Éamon de Valera, on the death of Richard Coleman) Irish Citizen Army Knocksedan Bridge was chosen as the rally caused by Eoin MacNeill’s countermanding point for the Volunteers who turned out on order, they marched in the direction of Dublin Fingal played a unique role in the 1916 Rising. Men and women from across 5. Baldoyle Easter Monday, 24th April 1916. An estimated through Slane and Dunboyne. They took over the county were members of the Irish Volunteers, the Irish Citizen Army and A unit of the Irish Citizen Army from Baldoyle had 50 - 70 men turned out, much fewer than had Tyrrelstown House near Mulhuddart and Cumann na mBan and played important roles in these organisations. These members who were based in locations around the city been anticipated. occupied it for several days, from where they could hear the sound of the fighting in Dublin. men and women contributed to events as they unfolded in Dublin city and in during the Rising. This was the only Irish Citizen Army 11. Swords Once news of the surrender filtered through north County Dublin. unit in north County Dublin. Many of the men from the the Volunteers dispersed and headed back unit served in St Stephen’s Green under Michael Mallin. Swords RIC barracks was attacked on Wednesday, 26th April 1916, by three columns home. One of the Baldoyle unit, James McCormack, was killed They instigated the event that became known as the Battle of Ashbourne – of Volunteers. They overpowered the small the largest engagement anywhere outside Dublin city during Easter Week during the Rising. number of RIC men, seized a quantity of 18. Dublin 1916. Their story and the story of Fingal and the 1916 Rising is told here, with weapons and ammunition, and put the Many Volunteers from Fingal served in Dublin telegraph machine in Swords post office out of city during the Rising. Some of the sites where important locations where actions took place, or that are associated with the action. they were positioned are listed but this is not events of 1916, indicated on the accompanying map. Action Sites an exhaustive list of all the places where they Sites of mobilisation of volunteers or troops, engagements 12. Donabate were posted: with the RIC, attacks on communication lines The RIC barracks was attacked on Thursday, Mendicity Institute 6. Ashbourne 27th April 1916. One Constable was wounded and a small number of rifles was seized. Located on Usher’s Island on the South Quays, On Friday 28th April, the 5th Battalion Irish this was the base of the 1st Battalion of Irish Volunteers attacked the RIC barracks at Volunteers. Men from the 5th Battalion (Fingal Kilmoon, Ashbourne. The RIC defended 13. Rogerstown, Rush Brigade), led by Captain Richard Coleman Irish Volunteers it for a period of time but the men inside Almost immediately upon being called out from Swords, fought in the Mendicity Institute There were four companies that formed the 5th Battalion (Fingal Brigade) of the Irish Volunteers: surrendered when the Volunteers threw on Easter Monday, 24th April 1916, a small after James Connolly asked Thomas Ashe for Lusk, Skerries, Swords, St. Margaret’s. bombs at the building. As the surrender was group of Volunteers attempted to destroy support. The men served here under Sean taking place a large force of RIC arrived from Rogerstown Railway Bridge with explosives. Heuston. The building was surrounded and Slane to reinforce their colleagues and fighting The bridge was only damaged. Another infiltrated by Wednesday 26th April 1916 and 1. Skerries began again. The Battle of Ashbourne, as it unsuccessful attempt was made the following Peter Wilson from Swords was killed when Skerries Company of the Irish Volunteers was formed on 24 became known, was the biggest engagement 7. Garristown Wednesday, 26th April 1916. the building was finally stormed. The garrison May 1914. It was led by Joseph McGuinness initially and later outside Dublin city during Easter Week and The RIC barracks was attacked late on Easter surrendered shortly afterwards. the only battle won by the Volunteers in the Wednesday, 26th April 1916. The barracks was Fingal and the Joseph Thornton. 14. Howth Rising. It demonstrated the advantages of empty as the RIC had evacuated to Balbriggan. A key event leading up to the 1916 Rising General Post Office 2. Lusk guerrilla warfare because even though the The communications equipment in the local was the landing of hundreds of German Men from Fingal were in the GPO, including Lusk Company of the Irish Volunteers was established on 19 Volunteers were outnumbered they managed post office was put out of action. rifles and ammunition at Howth on 26th July some of the men sent by Thomas Ashe into the May 1914 and had 40 members under Edward Rooney. The to successfully take on the larger RIC force. 1914 from Erskine Childers’ yacht the Asgard. city with Richard Coleman. Lusk Company Irish Volunteers trained in Donabate at the After a number of hours of fighting the RIC 8. Skerries The Skerries, Swords and Lusk Volunteer 1916 Rising surrendered, as they believed the Volunteer home of the McAllister family, leading local nationalists, where On Easter Monday 24th April 1916, the same Companies were among those which helped to Jameson’s Distillery force to be greater than it was. There were they also stored weapons. day as the Rising began, there was a large unload and distribute the weapons. Captain Séamus Murphy and Captain Con injuries and fatalities on both sides and Dr Colbert were in charge of the men from recruiting rally held in Skerries, seeking recruits 3. Swords Richard Hayes attended the wounded. Eight for the British forces. Later in the week, the 4th Battalion in Jameson’s Distillery on RIC men were killed, including the County Marrowbone Lane, some of whom were from Swords Company of the Irish Volunteers was established in rumours of a possible Volunteer attack on the 15. Howth the Fingal area. April 1914. Richard Coleman was appointed Captain. Inspector, Alexander Gray, and the District wireless station resulted in the dispatch of 200 During the Rising the authorities feared an Inspector, Harry Smyth. Two Volunteers died British troops to the town, as well as two naval attack on the Howth Head communications - John (Jack) Crenigan and Thomas Rafferty. vessels. An attack never took place. cable, which would have hampered Boland’s Mills 4. St Margaret’s Three civilians were also killed. Molly Adrien, communications with Britain. 20 British The 3rd Battalion under Éamon De Valera St Margarets Company of the Irish Volunteers was formed in Monica (Dot) Fleming and Eveleen Lawless soldiers were dispatched to guard the area, but occupied Boland’s Bakery and Mills. Several early 1914. James Vincent Lawless was the captain of the St. took part in the battle as messengers and 9. Rathbeale Crossroads, Swords no attack ever materialised. men from Fingal were posted here. Margaret’s Company. On Easter Sunday, 23rd April 1916, 120 also attending the wounded. Ashbourne was members of the 5th Battalion were mobilised a major victory for the Volunteers and they St. Stephen’s Green at Rathbeale Crossroads, before being were shocked when news came through of 16. Blanchardstown Men from the Baldoyle unit of the Irish Citizen informed that the Rising was off, following Eoin On Tuesday, 25th April 1916, the Volunteers the surrender of the 1916 leaders in Dublin Army served under Commandant Michael MacNeill’s countermanding order. made abortive attempts to destroy the railway city with the orders for them to lay down their Mallin at St. Stephen’s Green lines at Blanchardstown and Cabra. arms. commanding officer of the 5th Battalion (Fingal and the loss of the German guns, MacNeill 32. Carpenterstown, Castleknock 33. Clonsilla Brigade) of the Irish Volunteers, directing the countermanded the order for the rebellion and A number of Irish Volunteers from the William Evelyn Wylie of Clonsilla House was Camps Places with 1916 Link activities that took place in north County Dublin this reduced the number of Irish Volunteers Blanchardstown, Castleknock, Clonsilla appointed a Kings Counsel in 1914 and was during Easter Week, including the Battle of that were subsequently mobilised. He did and surrounding areas were members of a member of the Officers Training Corps that These are the sites where men from the 5th Battalion had billets or camps during Easter Week Locations with connections to certain events or people linked to 1916 Ashbourne. Ashe was an avid supporter of not take part in the Rising but was arrested battalions that were active within Dublin City defended Trinity College during the Rising. as they kept on the move. the Irish language and Irish culture. He was a and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was during Easter Week. Thomas Carty from He was unexpectedly appointed a Crown 24. Oldtown and was killed in an accident in 1922. member of the Gaelic League and founded the released in 1916, elected as a Sinn Fein MP in Carpenterstown was one such man. He was prosecuting officer during the courts martial Mary (Molly) Adrien was born in Co. Meath Black Raven Pipe Band and the Round Towers 1918 and took his seat in the First Dáil. He held a member of the 4th Battalion of the Irish of the 1916 leaders. He famously described and her family moved to Balbriggan when she GAA club in Lusk. Ashe was among the leaders a number of ministerial posts but lost his Dáil Volunteers and served in Jameson’s Distillery Éamon de Valera as an unimportant school- was young.