The Burning of The Custom House
Introduction from Chronology
The IRA attempt to burn down The Custom House in Dublin. The Custom House is a large neo-classical
building, designed by James Gandon, on the north quay
of the River Liffey.
As this point, it housed several departments of the British
administration including Inland Revenue and the Local Government Board.
This operation was designed by the IRA to “reduce the most important
branch of British Civil Government in Ireland to virtual impotence”. However, it goes badly wrong for the
IRA. Five IRA men are killed along with
four civilians. Also
many IRA men are captured by the British.
More Detail
It was planned by Oscar Traynor, O/C Dublin Brigade, IRA and carried out
by men from the 2nd Battalion of the Dublin Brigade, the Squad and
men for the city’s ASUs. The 5th Battalion guarded various points
outside the building and cut communications.
It was led by Tom Ennis, O/C 2nd Battalion.
As noted, this operation goes badly wrong for the IRA and results in the
deaths of five IRA men and four civilians.
The four civilians were Francis Davis (who was a caretaker in the
Customs House – he was shot dead when he tried to telephone for help), John
Byrne, James Connolly (a quay worker) and Mahon Lawless (a clerk with the Local
Government Board). The five IRA men were Edwards Dorins,
Daniel Head, Patrick O’Reilly, Stephen O’Reilly and Sean Doyle.
Curran says 70 IRA men captured. Hopkinson says that between 80
and 130 captured. Townshend says that "Macready gave the number
arrested as 111, Greenwood as 127; Republican historians have preferred
80-90." Squad members, Jimmy Conroy and Tom Kehoe, were among the
captured and Jim Slattery was badly wounded.
Townshend describes it as a "disastrously mismanaged stroke".
O’Halpin and Ó Corráin say
that it was “Characterised by bad planning, bad execution and bad luck”.
One of the IRA men killed, Daniel Head had earlier dropped a grenade
from the Loop Line Bridge into a truckload of RIC men.
John Kiernan and Fred Lawlor (3rd Battalion, Dublin Brigade)
took over switchboard of Tara St Fire Station.
Even though the Dublin Brigade of the IRA claimed that it was “a
wonderful success as the Custom House is now a mass of ruins”, it was a serious
setback for IRA. Along with the capture of the IRA men in Blackhall Place (see
Apr-28-21/3), not only did the Dublin IRA lose many men but they also lost some
of their best operatives.