Fall of the Four Courts

Introduction from Chronology

In the morning, there is a temporary truce at the Four Courts so that anti-Treaty wounded could be evacuated.  Soon after fighting resumes and by the evening, the pro-Treaty army has taken the Four Courts and capture over 100 anti-Treaty prisoners.

More Detail

Paddy O’Connor leads a 50-strong pro-Treaty raiding party across Church St through a breach in railings.  They take over the Public Records Office (‘munitions block’) with two defenders (Tom Wall and John Cusack) killed during the fighting. 

Another pro-Treaty party, led by Joe Leonard, tried to cross the Liffey but came under fire from the dome of the Four Courts.  When O’Connor was organising his men for a push on the anti-Treatyites ‘Headquarters Block’, there is a large explosion inside the Four Courts – probably the explosives in the ‘munitions block’ going off.  No casualties of the explosion but many seriously wounded.  Irreplaceable archival records are destroyed.

 While the officers inside the Four Courts discuss surrender or fighting their way out, a message arrives from Traynor ordering them to surrender.  (Traynor ordered this apparently so that he could then evacuate his forces from the ‘Block’.) The men in the Four Courts debate further but eventually Joe McKelvey gives the order to surrender.  Shortly afterwards (about 4.00pm), the anti-Treaty garrison in Four Courts surrenders.  Many smash their weapons before surrendering.  Soon after the surrender there is another large explosion in the Four Courts

 

There had been eight casualties in the defence of the Four Courts including two fatalities (Tom Wall and John Cusack). At least eight pro-Treaty soldiers had been killed taking the Four Courts and dozens more wounded.  A number of civilians were also killed. Ferriter says that eight civilians were killed on June 28th alone.  Two of the civilians were 14-year-old Patrick Cosgrave and 18-year-old William Doyle who worked in the nearby Ormond Hotel.    Ó Ruairc and Power say that the first fatal casualty was John or Joseph Considine from Clooney in Co. Clare.

Joe McKelvey, Rory O’Connor, Liam Mellows, Sean McBride, Dick Barrett, Tom Barry and Ernie O’Malley are captured along with about 100 to 150 others.  JJ O’Connell is released.  O’Malley escapes on way to Mountjoy along with five others – including Sean Lemass, Paddy Rigney and Joe Griffith. (Paddy O’Connor was a friend of Rigney and arranged his escape.)  Barry escapes in August.

The O’Connor and Connolly book gives an account by Paddy O’Connor of the attack on the Four Courts.  He was the pro-Treaty officer who led the attack across Church St (see above).  He says that the Four Courts buildings were prepared for firing and is scathing about the military tactics of the anti-Treaty garrison: “If they wished to win in the field why allow us to attack and destroy them in detail, with our miserable small force, which was outnumbered three to one by the Dublin Brigade alone?” (O’Connor and Connolly (2011), pg 114).  O’Connor was underplaying the fact that the pro-Treaty forces were much better armed (in particular, the four pieces of artillery given to them by the British) but he us undoubtedly correct in saying that, with their greater manpower, more aggressive military tactics would have given the anti-Treaty forces a greater chance of success. 

The explosions and fires in the Four Courts destroyed the Public Records Office and the Records Treasury.  Millions of records were destroyed. Charred fragments of paper “fluttered down into the streets for hundreds of yards around”.  Ferriter quotes Regan as saying “The cultural vandalism involved in the destruction [of the records] was not deemed significant by those inside or outside the Four Courts”. 

Michael Fewer has written a detailed account of the fall of the Fourt Courts called The Battle for the Four Courts (published in 2018).  Information from this book not included in this chronology

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