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Easter Rising 1916: South Dublin Union

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  • 03-02-2013 2:00pm
    #1
    Seanchai
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,401 ✭✭✭


    Does anybody know the name of the site today from which they fought?

    I travel down Marrowbone Lane regularly and each time to no avail I look for a marker for where the South Dublin Union was located there during the Easter Rising.

    The Wikipedia article on the 1916 Rising states:
    'The rebel position at the South Dublin Union (site of the present day St. James's Hospital) and Marrowbone Lane, further west along the canal, also inflicted heavy losses on British troops. The South Dublin Union was a large complex of buildings and there was vicious fighting around and inside the buildings. Cathal Brugha, a rebel officer, distinguished himself in this action and was badly wounded. By the end of the week, the British had taken some of the buildings in the Union, but others remained in rebel hands.[57] British troops also took casualties in unsuccessful frontal assaults on the Marrowbone Lane Distillery.'

    From this, it seems that the insurgents were based in a very wide area - what was the strategic sense in choosing that place, by the way? - and not confined to a single building.

    Does anybody know more about the South Dublin Union garrison, its numerical strength, the precise locations of that garrison and if there is a marker to it somewhere in the area today?


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    #2
    Dr.Nightdub
    Registered Users Posts: 108 ✭✭Dr.Nightdub


    The South Dublin Union of 1916 is what's known as St James Hospital today, a lot of the original buildings are still there. Paul O'Brien's Uncommon Valour says 120 Volunteers mobilised out of a 4th Battalion strength of 700. It's a quite detailed study of the fighting in and around the SDU and would answer your questions in depth. There is a memorial near the James St entrance of the hospital.


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    #3
    johnny_doyle
    Registered Users Posts: 1,021 ✭✭✭johnny_doyle


    have to agree with Uncommon Valour as a good read re the SDU.

    The SDU monument is near the St James's stop on the Luas

    http://www.nga.ie/1916-Memorials-South_Dublin_Union.php

    The NLI page re the SDU has a reasonable map of the area

    http://www.nli.ie/1916/pdf/7.6.pdf

    The box shape lorry in the heading graphic on the page is one of the Guinness lorries used as an improvised armoured car/personnel carrier.


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