Burning of Dublin Custom House 1921

Some Custom House Fire Brigade Men in Kilmainham

Most Commemoration Group members will have already seen the original Custom House Prisoner list covering the men arrested on 25 May 1921. It was compiled immediately after the attack. Our own Gerry Cassidy posted it on the Facebook page last year (A second list was completed later, omitting some uninvolved civilians who were released. That has also appeared on the Commemoration Group page).

We thought it would be worthwhile publishing that original list again on this site where it may reach a wider audience.

We are delighted to have met descendants or relatives of many men listed below.

However we are always on the look out for more information and new relatives of the Custom House Fire Brigade.

We have corrected some names and addresses which were misspelled on the original and added real names in a few cases (with special thanks to John Dorins). All addresses were in Dublin City. Any further corrections are most welcome.

Interned in Kilmainham

Burning of Dublin Custom House 1921

A group of Custom House men in Kilmainham

Name Address
William Adderley 5 Wellington Place (Inn’s Quay district)
Thomas Bates 28 Goldsmith Street, Phibsborough
Frank Bolster 60 Oxmantown Road, Stoneybatter
Frank ‘Terry’ Brennan 1 Nugents Cottages, Broadstone
Christopher Byrne 45 St. Mary’s Road, East Wall
George Byrne 6 Quinn’s Cottages, Portland Row
Michael Byrne 8 Talbot Place, Talbot Street
Francis Joseph ‘Frank’ Carberry 2 Great Charles Street, North Circular Road
John Cullinane 9H Iveagh Buildings, Old Bride Street
Cyril James Daly 1 Leinster Avenue, North Strand
William ‘Bill’ Donegan 13 Dunne’s Row, Ballybough
Myles Doody 1 Addison Road, Fairview
Walter Doolan None shown (Came from New Ross, Co Wexford)
John Doran 17 Henrietta Street
George Joseph Dowdall 13 St. Patrick’s Terrace, North Circular Road
Richard Downes 11 Emerald Street, Seville Place
James Joseph Doyle 21 Rathmines Road, Rathmines
John ‘Jack’ Doyle 111 Philipsburgh Avenue, Fairview
Peter Doyle 11 Williams Place, North Wall
William ‘Billy’ Doyle 3 St. Kevin’s Cottages, Synge Street
Leo Duffy 9 Back Lane, Cornmarket
Michael Duggan 500 North Circular Road
John Dwyer 10 Lombard Street
Patrick Evers 28 George’s Place (Rotunda district)
Peter Anthony Farrell (Peadar O’Farrell) 11 Fontenoy Street
Daniel ‘Dan’ Finlayson 15 Northbrook Terrace, North Strand Road
Lawrence or Laurence Finnegan 34 Lower Glengariff Parade (Inn’s Quay district)
James Foley (under alias Stephen O’Neill) 12 Delahunty’s Buldings, Lower Mount Street
Gerald ‘Gerry’ Hughes (under alias Hugh William Fitzgerald) 111 Clonliffe Road
Christopher Fitzsimons 10 Newcomen Court, North Strand
Michael Fleming 140 Drumcondra Road
Patrick Fleming 11 St. Joseph’s Parade (off Nelson Street)
(Patrick) Anthony Flynn 28 Hardwicke Street
Philip Christopher Flynn Clarke’s Cottages, Lower Summerhill Bridge
(Nicholas) Edward Fogarty 15 Findlater Place, Sackville Street
John ‘Jackie’ Foy 28 Lower Gloucester Street
James Francis ‘Frankie’ Freyne (under alias Francis Lewis) 6 St Joseph’s Terrace, Phibsborough Avenue
James ‘Jimmy’ Gibbons 3 Dunard Terrace (Hanlon’s Corner)
John ‘Jack’ Gibson 7 Lower Gardiner Street
(Michael) Joseph Gilhooly 38 Hardwicke Street
James ‘Jem’ Goggins 96 Botanic Avenue
John ‘Jack’ Grace 50 North Strand Road
George Matthew Gray 12 Lower Dominick Street
Thomas Gregan 5a Upper Jane Place
Patrick Joseph ‘Specky’ Griffin 58 Dame Street
Robert Halpin 24 Summerhill Parade
Patrick Harold 43 Eccles Street
James ‘Jim’ Harpur Burren Cottages, Dillon Place
James Michael Heery 39 Hardwicke Street
James Angleton (or Ingleton) 62 Lower Gardiner Street
Thomas ‘Tom’ Kehoe or Keogh 3 Richmond Crescent, North Circular Road
James Kelly 9 Lower Gardiner Street
Michael Edward (O’) Kelly 20 Upper Oriel Street
Thomas ‘Tom’ Kilcoyne (under alias George Lewis) 4 St. Joseph’s Terrace, Phibsborough Avenue
(Christopher) Thomas Kilmurry 2 Luke Street (off Poolbeg Street)
Edward John ‘Ned’ Lane 613 North Circular Road
Michael Joseph Lane 613 North Circular Road
Patrick ‘Paddy’ Lawson 23 Lower Gloucester Street
(Peter) Joseph Leddy 14 Buckingham Street
Michael ‘Mick’ Love 10 Bessborough Avenue, North Strand
Thomas Maguire 45 Buckingham Buildings
Cecil Malley 7 Iona Drive, Drumcondra
Charles McCabe 5 Commons Street, North Wall
Thomas McCabe 93 Amiens Street
Patrick McCourt 76 Upper Dorset Street
Michael Christopher McEvoy 33 Lower Erne Street
Patrick McGlynn 10 Reginald Square, Meath Street
Bernard McGrath 9 O’Sullivan’s Avenue, Ballybough
Richard A. McGrath 3 Upper Northbrook Avenue, North Strand
Thomas Francis McKenna 10 Kings Avenue, Ballybough Road
Patrick Moore 6 Turvey Avenue, Inchicore
John George Mulcahy 26 George’s Place (Rotunda district)
John Joseph Muldowney 29 Hardwicke Street
James (Joseph) Murphy 6 Bessborough Avenue, North Strand
Michael Murphy 1 Leinster Avenue, North Strand
Thomas Murphy 9 Parkview Terrace, Wharf Road, East Wall
John ‘Jack’ Nolan 32 Norfolk Road, Cabra
James ‘Sean’ Nolan 17 Hawthorn Terrace, North Street end (North Dock)
Peter Paul O’Brien 43 Upper Wellington Street (off Mountjoy Street)
Thomas (O’)Flanagan 585 North Circular Road
Peter Ratcliffe 19 Emmet Street, North Circular Road
Patrick Reilly 107 Lower Gardiner Street
Thomas Patrick Rigney (now known to be an alias for Jim Conroy) 92 Lower Dorset Street
Jeremiah ‘Sam’ Robinson 38 Mountjoy Street
Daniel Rooney 3 Walsh’s Cottages, North Wall
Charles Ryan 11 North Wall
Joseph Ryan 10 Talbot Place, Talbot Street
Richard Joseph ‘Dick’ Seville 19 Findlater Place
Patrick Sharkey 1 Bella Street (off Upper Buckingham Street)
Patrick Swanzy 50 North Strand Road
Francis Leo Waldron 542 North Circular Road

Jailed in Mountjoy

Burning of Dublin Custom House 1921

Six of the men shown ended up in Mountjoy

Edmond Joseph ‘Ned’ Breslin 104 Seville Place, North Strand
Patrick ‘Paddy’ Brunton 128 The Coombe/James Street
Thomas Flood (under alias James Thomas Shiels) 6 Emmet Street, North Circular Road
John ‘Sean’ Sliney 15 Lower Dominick Street
Michael Watchorne (or Watchorn) 12 Paul Street (off Queen Street)
John James ‘Johnny’ Wilson 49 Thomas Street
John ‘Sean’ Ward 3 St. Teresa Place, Glasnevin

We should also mention Michael C. Stephenson who escaped from the Custom House but was arrested on another charge a week later and sent to Mountjoy. And, of course, Charles McMahon who was severely wounded at the Custom House and kept under guard in King George V Military Hospital for some months. And finally, Joseph Griffin, 2nd Battalion Intelligence Officer who is pictured in Kilmainham and later listed as a Custom House Prisoner but whose name is not on British files.

Burning of Dublin Custom House 1921

Some more of the men interned in Kilmainham

Our research into all the above-named has produced varying amounts of personal information, from lots to a little, to absolutely zero.

We have been able to tell the life stories posted on this site primarily using historical records in the public domain. In some cases relatives have been crucial contributors, sharing fascinating details and insights from family knowledge. And we can always use additional information on any of the men!

We are now appealing for help particularly with nine of the men listed above who were held in Kilmainham. Our digging has failed to unearth any details beyond the name and address given when they were captured. Unfortunately there are no records of residents in any of these houses in/around 1921 – almost all were described as ‘Tenements’.

It would be a great shame if these brave Old IRA Volunteers were forgotten or left in obscurity.

So, if you recognise a name or know anything about the individuals, please get in touch via this site or on the Facebook page.

Here are the men we need major help with (alphabetical order):

  1. Michael Byrne, 8 Talbot Place. UPDATE Nov 2019: Michael died in 1937. Outline here.
  2. John Doran, 17 Henrietta Street. Update 2020: Now resolved.
  3. Peter Doyle, 11 Williams Place, North Wall. Mentioned in a British raid report dated 26 May 1921, father’s name was Patrick. UPDATE 22 Feb 2019: Birth and census records found. Born 1902, Co Wicklow. Lived in Denzille Street, Dublin as a kid. No later record found. Known info here.
  4. William Doyle, 3 St Kevin’s Cottages, Synge Street. UPDATE 9 Feb 2019: Identity confirmed by granddaughter Winnie. Billy Doyle’s story is here.
  5. James Ingleton, 62 Lower Gardiner Street. Gary has a note in his files he was in F Coy, 2nd Batt. Surname may have been Angleton, as shown on a British report dated 19 October 1921 saying a “James Ingleton (Angleton)” had been released on 12 Oct. UPDATE 11 Feb 2019: Surname was definitely Angleton. Died in 1958. Patrick Johnson’s inputs very helpful again. Known info here.
  6. Thomas Kilmurry, 2 Luke Street (off Poolbeg Street).  UPDATE 29 Apr 2019: Traced by John Dorins. Christopher Thomas Kilmurry was a Limerick man who emigrated to the US after hostilities in Ireland, married in 1926 and died in Vermont, 1973. His story here.
  7. Charles J. McCabe, 5 Commons Street, North Wall. Listed in BMH WS0127 as a prisoner & Charley’s photo appears in the Kilmainham autograph book of Cyril Daly. UPDATE 10 Jan 2019: He was born in Co Clare 1899. In the Civil War he was a Commandant with 2nd Eastern Intelligence, National Army. He died in 1954. Full story here.
  8. Peter Paul O’Brien, 43 Upper Wellington Street (off Mountjoy Street). UPDATE 29 Apr 2019: A Dub from the Inner City, he married in 1922 and later emigrated to England. Peter died in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, 1981. His full story here.
  9. Patrick Reilly, 107 Lower Gardiner Street. UPDATE 28 May 2019: This young Dub, named in the Military Pensions as Desmond Patrick, was killed in action during the Civil War in Tralee, Co Kerry on 2 Aug 1922. He was buried in Glasnevin’s Army Plot with 8 other Dublin Guards who died at that time. Full story here.

We guess that in all probability Jim Conroy and Joe Griffin must be hidden under some alias among all those names….. UPDATE August 2020: Jim Conroy’s alias is now known – Thomas Patrick Rigney.

Held in Arbour Hill Detention Barracks and Released

These men were also rounded up and taken into military custody when they didn’t provide good enough reasons for being in the vicinity of the Custom House on 25 May. Over a period of 3 weeks or so they were all released after investigations proved nothing against them. However James Kelly was quickly re-arrested and sent to Kilmainham. But IRA Volunteers John ‘Jack’ Young and Thomas Mahon, as well as possible members Daniel Owens and Patrick Carpenter, managed to talk their way out of captivity and stayed free until hostilities ended with the Truce.

Myles Brady 13 Leinster Avenue, North Strand
Patrick Carpenter 7 South Cumberland Street (National Army 1922 census)
Michael Colley 24 Lower Buckingham Street
Vincent Dillon 1 Clonmore Villas, Ballybough
Thomas Doran 17 Botanic Avenue, Glasnevin
James Dorgan 26 Lower Dorset Street
Thomas Fitzpatrick 25 Blackhall Street
Edward Hackett 20 Warrenmount Place
Edward Hanbury 10 Tram Cottages
Thomas Hanefy 78 North Circular Road
Joseph Hennessy 129 Baggot Street
Patrick Hyland 17 Father Matthew Square, off Church Street
Michael Jenkins 29 Coleraine Street, North
James Kelly 9 Lower Gardiner Street
Thomas Kenny 14 Mountjoy Square
Thomas Mahon Carraig Uladh, Drumcondra (IRA. 2nd Battalion asst QM)
Joseph Mahony 21 Arbour Hill
James McBreen 88 Grosvenor Square, Rathmines
Thomas McDonnell 2 Temple Street
Thomas McKeon 33 Summer Hill
Michael McManus Silver Lodge, Harold’s Cross
James Motherwell 56 Botanic Avenue
Thomas O’Brien 21 Garden Lane, off Francis Street
Daniel Owens 13 Killarney Street (National Army 1922 census)
Christie Smullen 44 Seville Place
Thomas White 4 Rutland Square (Now Parnell Square)
John Young 2 North James Street (IRA)
William Young St. Thomas’ Church, Marlborough Street (Son of  the church Caretaker)

We have hardly any information at all about most men on this list and could really do with your help here ……. do you recognise any names or addresses on it?

Thank you in anticipation.

The Team