The Fight for the Four Courts

Galway Observer, Saturday, July 1, 1922

Garrison Capitulated — Hail of Bullets on the Building — 170 Prisoners Taken, with Rory O'Connor and Liam Mellowes

A graphic description of the storming of the Four Courts the previous night was given a representative of the Freeman's Journal by Brigadier—General O'Daly at the Four Courts Hotel.

In a few simple sentences he described the thrilling dash which cleared the way for the last great offensive destined to accomplish the route of the Irregulars.

A Council meeting of Army officers was held in the Four Courts Hotel in the afternoon.

The whole plan of campaign for the storming of the besieged building was discussed, and the decision arrived at to strike suddenly and decisively at the munitions factory in the Law building. The Irregulars had stored the major portion of their arms and ammunition in the Record Office where the manufacture of bombs and grenades proceeded even during the hottest moments of the bombardment.

The Attack Launched

Two storming parties were under arms at 3.30 that evening, and half hour later the great attack was launched.

The artillery opened the assault. From Bridge Street and Hammond Lane the field pieces sent a torrent of shells crashing against the huge structure. A moment's silence, and then, before the boom of the big guns had died away, raking volleys of machine gun fire peppered the Four Courts.

Special instructions had previously been given the machine gunners to follow up the 18 pounders with a steady rain of barrage fire. Once more a momentary silence, and then, in the words of Brigadier O'Daly, "the 'cease fire' was blown".

The order to advance was given, and the National troops dashed forward under a deadly fire.

Into the Building

The assault was opened from two bases simultaneously—the Four Courts Hotel and Hammond lane.

Ninety men, led by Brigadier O'Daly and Commandant Leonard, made a sortie from the Four Courts Hotel and swept fearlessly into a beach in the wall at Morgan's place, on the quay side. Barbed wire obstructions and a network of land—mines failed to stem the onslaught of the National troops had won their way through at this point. While dashing forward in the front line one of the troops pitched forward with a bullet in his body.

Commandant Leonard turned back to his assistance, only to be rendered hos de combat. A bullet struck him in the fleshy part of the knee.

His place was taken, said Brigadier O'Daly, by Lieut Downey, who directed operations till Comdt—General McManus and Commandant Tom Floor arrived and assumed command. Hand—to—hand fighting took place; but our casualties were surprisingly small. One Irregular to my knowledge, was shot dead in this particular area.

The Second Shot

The second attack was conducted by Commandants McGuinness and O'Connor, who emerged with a storming party from Hammond Lane, which is situated, midway between Lower Church Street and the Brideswell, and convenient to Paterson's match factory. One headlong rush carried them to the bent and torn railings, disclosing a gap made by the artillery fire. It was barely passable, but the wire—cutters got quickly to work and in a flash the outer defences had been surmounted. Volley after volley spurted from the defenders guns but the blinding dashes were no obstacle to the attackers, who charged straight for the Record Office.

They got it.

The enormity of the task cannot be too highly stressed. Mines were strewn along the stretch of ground leading to the objective, but the high courage and efficiency of the storming party disposed of this deadly danger without the loss of a single man.

Once inside the defences the National forces occupied every possible point of vantage at this particular spot. Darkness was falling when they rushed the Record Office, and a fierce fighting at close quarters ensued.

Taken Prisoners

The attack in general proved more or less of a surprise to the Irregulars, who, however, put up a stubborn resistance. They met the unbroken advance of the troops with a continuous rain of fire, but were finally beaten out by showers of hand grenades. They then surrender and were made prisoners.

In the ammunition factory were discovered a number of mines, two tons of explosives, machinery, and a considerable quantity of arms and ammunition.

This, in brief, was the story told by the little and energetic young Brigadier who had commanded the entire operations since the inception of the bombardment. He had no time to go into details, and with his usual modesty, made no reference to his own experience. He showed no signs of the strain of the last few days, and laughed and chatted freely with his men.

The Mine Explosion

Dealing with the situation immediately preceding the big explosion after midday that day Brigadier O'Daly stated.

The battle reached its fiercest height at 12.30. Severe fighting had been going on in the interior of the building throughout the morning, and the presence of a land mine was then discovered. An expert engineer was sent to disconnect it, but he fell back wounded.

Another man replaced him, but he also was hit. The two men had scarcely been carried out of the danger zone when the mine exploded with a deafening crash. At least twenty of my men were wounded, mostly by flying masonry.

We were holding an Army Council in the hotel at the time, and the force of the explosion knocked us all off our feet.

No Alternative

Some time after this occurrence, he continued. Father Albert came to me as an intermediary from the Four Courts and we discussed the situation. I told him we would have nothing but unconditional surrender, and he returned to the building. He came back several times afterwards, and I again told him that there could be no alternative to the demand for unconditional surrender. I heard nothing further from the Irregulars leaders, but at 3.45 the defenders rushed out of the building.

At the time they had given no notice of surrender; but though I did not give the order to 'cease fire'. I ordered my red men to withhold their fire. The men filed out of the burning into the street; and were already prisoners when Ernest O'Malley came and announced the surrender. Firing was still going on up to this point, and the Irregulars forces were lined up along the quay outside the firing line.

Father Albert and Father Dominic, said the Brigadier, in answer to a query, have been allowed to go free.

In all, it is stated, close on 200 prisoners have been taken, including 32 Irregulars captured that night.

Commandant General O'Malley, it is believed succeeded Commandant Barry as Chief of Staff of the Irregulars. The latter was captured by National Troops that night.

But the lot of those who lived and remained was sorer far than of those who went either to exile or to death.

The great wrong inflicted upon those who were robbed of their all, to enrich James' Scots and English, is well exemplified in an incident related by the Loyalist Duchess of Buckingham (married to the Earl of Antrim), who, when she was taking a thousand men southward, to strengthen the cause of Charles, went aside at Limavaddy to see the wide of O'Cathain, late chieftain of that country. In the ruined hall of the O'Cathain castle—once the frequent scene of light hearted revelry but whose window casements now were stuffed with straw—was huddled. O'Cathain's lady whose beauty and whose bounty had evoked sweet tunes from many harps, and inspired many a minstrel's lay. Wrapt in an old blanket she was seated on her hams on the hearth, cowering over a miserable fire of brambles which she had laboriously gathered from the woods.