Impression sketch
of British soldiers under fire from 25 Northumberland Road. [online] See
original image at: <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140804121949-136260425-the-battle-of-mount-street-bridge-1916>
[Accessed: 26 April 2016]
Wednesday - Dublin Street Slaughter
i
The third day began as the second
Had ended - a small
Number of 26
Volunteers were led by
Sean Heuston, to hold
Mendicity
Institute - outside gathered
British troops to
Number hundreds, who then advanced.
Inside they were
running low
On ammo, as
British
Came close enough
to throw
Grenades inside -
The Irish threw
them back -
Slow exhaustion
Led Heuston to
make surrender.
Further English
troops arrived -
British troops to number
1000 - these Sherwood
Forresters
Marched from Kingstown's
Approach to
Dublin city centre;
Progressing via Mount
Street
Bridge and the Grand Canal.
Wednesday at 11 a.m. Malone
Led 17 Volunteers
To hold a key
crossing point,
In order to stop
Any British troops entering centre;
At junction
of roads,
Pembroke and Northumberland.
They held five positions at number
25, Parochial Hall,
A school and
Clanwilliam House;
A commanding
Georgian building - while Malone
Byrne and Rowe,
Looked from the windows of 25.
Looked from the windows of 25.
With Irish barricaded in, came
'Thud, thud' of British
Boots, to echo down Dublin's road -
'Thud, thud' of British
Boots, to echo down Dublin's road -
As they reached
The junction of
Haddington road
Two rebels fired;
Soldiers fell as
others ran to cover.
Without loaded
rifles the British
Could do nothing -
Shots rang across the street -
Casualties increased
Casualties increased
Until ceasefire - locals ran from
Houses to help
Carry the injured away to shelter.
These Sherwood
Forresters
Landing in Ireland
Had been given six
weeks basic
Training - many
Of them had yet to
fire a first rifle -
Some perhaps thought
They had finally arrived in France.
ii
Part way on their
march, news had
Come that rebels
Ahead occupied Northumberland
Road positions -
While Irish volunteers
sent away
The youngest
Of their
fighters, they waited.
The time was 12 O'clock when
Malone watched
British troops
reaching junction -
Malone and Grace
Opened fire - out in the open
Ten soldiers fell -
As the order was called to fall.
Attempts to charge were taken,
But an outflanked army
Failed - so casualties increased.
Without support
Of a lewis gun, a quick decision
Was taken, for covering
Fire and to charge
with grenades.
In a pincer
manouvre soldiers
With hand bombs
Rushed under
rifle cover -
Many fell - while
The door was
reached to be
Blown in - At Percy
Street, troops
entered house.
In the hall of no
25, Grace
Cursed, as his rifle
Jammed - shouting
to Malone
To get out - Grace
Took cover in the
basement -
In running down
Stairs Malone was shot
dead.
To clear any further
resistance
In the house
Grenades were
thrown, including
The cellar - hiding
Behind a metal
stove Grace
Remained
Hidden, until the fight ended.
Troops turned to
the schoolhouse -
But fire from
Parochial
Hall, cut into
ranks at point blank.
More men fell injured
Or dead - moving to
the back of hall,
Escaping volunteers
Were stopped by British military.
The schoolhouse
was found devoid
Of resistance - next was
Clanwilliam House - in this approach
Mount Street Bridge
Had to be crossed - General Lowe's
Orders, to take
bridge
At all costs - so
Forresters charged.
With volley after volley, the road
Became littered with
cries
Of wounded - a ceasefire raised
As doctors and
nurses
From Duns Hospital took wounded.
In resumption rebels
took shots, as an officer's whistle blew.
Another charge
and another, until
A breakthrough -
Smashing windows
they entered
With grenades
Into rooms - a fire
began that burnt
Down Clanwilliam;
Leaving 3 dead - 4
survivors fled.
Though other routes existed, Lowe
Kept a frontal fight.
Kept a frontal fight.
With tragedy and heroism, a leafy
Dublin suburb saw
Equal determination on a street
War - where soldiers
And civilians died side by side.
by Jamie Mann.
Source: File: Easter Rising 1916: Six days of armed
struggle that changed Irish and British history. Online. Available at:
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-35873316> [Accessed 26 April 2016]
Source: File: Easter Rising From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia. Online. Available at:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Rising> [Accessed 26 April 2016]
Source: File: Easter Rising. Online. Available at:
<http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/easter-rising> [Accessed
26 April 2016]
Source: File: The 1916 Easter Rising. Online.
Available at: <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ireland-1845-to-1922/the-1916-easter-rising/>
[Accessed 26 April 2016]
Source: File: The Battle for the South Dublin Union
1916 by Paul O'Brien Author, Irish Military Historian. Online. Available at:
<http://www.paulobrienauthor.ie/436-2/> [Accessed 26 April 2016]
Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie
Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 26 April 2016).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar
#WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Ireland
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