H  `."System- "System}gl,/YF-"System--@Times New Roman---@Times New Roman---@"Calibri------------ :2 x`cThe Burning of The Custom House         ---  2 xc ---  2 xc  @Times New Roman--- 52 `cIntroduction from Chronology         2 Sc  --- s2 `EcThe IRA attempt to burn down The Custom House in Dublin. The Custom                     )2 `cHouse is a large neo        2 c- d2 ;cclassical building, designed by James Gandon, on the north                  O2 `-cquay of the River Liffey. As this point, it           >2 "choused several departments of the           y2 `IcBritish administration including Inland Revenue and the Local Government                       2 `cBoard.    2 c   }2 "`LcThis operation was designed by the IRA to reduce the most important branch                     m2 7`Acof British Civil Government in Ireland to virtual impotence. Ho                 "2 7Ncwever, it goes     2 M`Ncbadly wrong for the IRA. Five IRA men are killed along with four civilians.                     P2 b`.cAlso many IRA men are captured by the British.              2 bc    2 ~`c  --------- 2 ` cMore Detail   ---  2 c  --- }2 `LcIt was planned by Oscar Traynor, O/C Dublin Brigade, IRA and carried out by                     @Times New Roman---------------  2 `cmen from the 2    --- 2 cnd---  2 c  2  cBattalion     2 1c  U2 61cof the Dublin Brigade, the Squad and men for the             ------------ &2 `ccitys ASUs. The 5    --- 2 cth---  2 c  b2 :cBattalion guarded various points outside the building and                  ------------ X2 `3ccut communications. It was led by Tom Ennis, O/C 2            --- 2 cnd---  2 c  2  cBattalion.   ---  2 kc  --- g2 `=cAs noted, this operation goes badly wrong for the IRA and res              (2 4cults in the deaths        2 )`Pcof five IRA men and four civilians. The four civilians were Francis Davis (who                  C2 >`%cwas a caretaker in the Customs House            2 >c   2 >c  >2 >"che was shot dead when he tried to            z2 T`Jctelephone for help), John Byrne, James Connolly (a quay worker) and Mahon                   2 i` cLawless (a    2 ic  h2 i>cclerk with the Local Government Board). The five IRA men were                 y2 `IcEdwards Dorins, Daniel Head, Patrick OReilly, Stephen OReilly and Sean                     2 `cDoyle.    2 c   ;2 ` cCurran says 70 IRA men captured.           2 hc   2 mc  F2 r'cHopkinson says that between 80 and 130             2 ` ccaptured.     2 c   2 c  42 cTownshend says that "Macrea         A2 $cdy gave the number arrested as 111,           a2 `9cGreenwood as 127; Republican historians have preferred 80                2 :c- 2 @c90."   2 ac   2 fc  2 kcSquad   s2 `Ecmembers, Jimmy Conroy and Tom Kehoe, were among the captured and Jim                 42 `cSlattery was badly wounded.          2 Ec   [2 "`5cTownshend describes it as a "disastrously mismanaged               2 "cstroke".   2 "Bc   2 "Gc  2 "L cOHalpin and       }2 8`Lc Corrin say that it was Characterised by bad planning, bad execution and                      2 M` cbad luck.     2 Mc   2 i`NcOne of the IRA men killed, Daniel Head had earlier dropped a grenade from the                     --- O2 `-cLoop Line Bridge into a truckload of RIC men.                 2 c   2 c ---  2 c  --------------- &2 `cJohn Kiernan and F     2  cred Lawlor (3    --- 2 gcrd---  2 qc  C2 v%cBattalion, Dublin Brigade) took over          --- D2 `&cswitchboard of Tara St Fire Station.           ---  2 c  --- |2 `KcEven though the Dublin Brigade of the IRA claimed that it was a wonderful                    2 `Ncsuccess as the Custom House is now a mass of ruins, it was a serious setback                    2 `cfor   t2 zFcIRA. Along with the capture of the IRA men in Blackhall Place (see Apr                   2 c- 2 c28   2 c- "Arial--ccbbaa