On This Day / May 28, 1921
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19210528
Reference Date
19210528
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 28th May 1921, reports detailed how the IRA launched a dramatic attack on Dublin’s Custom House, leaving the landmark in flames amid fierce fighting and mass arrests. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Custom House Burnt | On This Day – 28th May 1921
DUBLIN was the scene of the most desperate struggle and tragic happenings recorded in that troubled city or in any part of Ireland since the Insurrection of 1916.
The Custom House on Eden Quay, one of the finest edifices in Ireland, was set ablaze shortly before 2 p.m.
Those who undertook the attempt – and who seemed to have succeeded in destroying the Custom House almost as completely as the GPO was shattered in 1916 – paid a heavy toll in life and more than a hundred prisoners were taken.
Seven civilians were killed, ten wounded and 111 taken prisoner. Other reports place the casualties at higher figures. Four [Auxiliary] Cadets were killed..
Preparations for the onslaught on the famous building were elaborately made.
The Dublin Fire Brigade were ‘held up’ for an hour. At the end of that time the Custom House was ‘a seething mass of flame’.
Bombs were flung at a party of Auxiliary police in motor lorries as they were passing under the railway bridge at Beresford Place.
Fire was opened by the Crown forces and almost immediately afterwards two other motor lorries containing Auxiliaries and accompanied by an armoured car arrived on the scene.
Firing continued for about fifteen minutes and revolvers, rifles and a machine-gun were in action.
Within 10 minutes of the first explosion a huge volume of smoke was seen ascending from the Custom House.
It grew rapidly in extent and by 1.45, flames were shooting up many feet above the roof. Terrible scenes were witnessed following the initial volley of shots.
A veritable hail of bullets swept the streets.
Our Dublin correspondent wires: ‘On effecting an entry, the raiders proceeded to the different departments and held up the staffs at the point of their revolver.
‘For about half an hour tins of petrol were being carried into the building by the raiders. Soon the building had to be abandoned.
‘The whole interior was completely gutted and valuable papers, including the records and books of the Local Government Board and of the Income Tax and Estate Duty departments were destroyed.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: The IRA attack on the Custom House was planned by the Dublin Brigade of the IRA at the insistence of Eamon de Valera.
The plan was opposed as potentially too high-risk by Michael Collins but the Dail President contended that the destruction of the records of the Local Government Board would weaken the British regime and gain world attention.
Several hundred IRA men were engaged in the operation. However, the splendid Georgian building was quickly surrounded by Black and Tans. Five Volunteers were killed and scores captured.)
On This Day – 28th May 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210528
Reference Date
19210528
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 28th May 1921, reports detailed how the IRA launched a dramatic attack on Dublin’s Custom House, leaving the landmark in flames amid fierce fighting and mass arrests. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Custom House Burnt | On This Day – 28th May 1921
DUBLIN was the scene of the most desperate struggle and tragic happenings recorded in that troubled city or in any part of Ireland since the Insurrection of 1916.
The Custom House on Eden Quay, one of the finest edifices in Ireland, was set ablaze shortly before 2 p.m.
Those who undertook the attempt – and who seemed to have succeeded in destroying the Custom House almost as completely as the GPO was shattered in 1916 – paid a heavy toll in life and more than a hundred prisoners were taken.
Seven civilians were killed, ten wounded and 111 taken prisoner. Other reports place the casualties at higher figures. Four [Auxiliary] Cadets were killed..
Preparations for the onslaught on the famous building were elaborately made.
The Dublin Fire Brigade were ‘held up’ for an hour. At the end of that time the Custom House was ‘a seething mass of flame’.
Bombs were flung at a party of Auxiliary police in motor lorries as they were passing under the railway bridge at Beresford Place.
Fire was opened by the Crown forces and almost immediately afterwards two other motor lorries containing Auxiliaries and accompanied by an armoured car arrived on the scene.
Firing continued for about fifteen minutes and revolvers, rifles and a machine-gun were in action.
Within 10 minutes of the first explosion a huge volume of smoke was seen ascending from the Custom House.
It grew rapidly in extent and by 1.45, flames were shooting up many feet above the roof. Terrible scenes were witnessed following the initial volley of shots.
A veritable hail of bullets swept the streets.
Our Dublin correspondent wires: ‘On effecting an entry, the raiders proceeded to the different departments and held up the staffs at the point of their revolver.
‘For about half an hour tins of petrol were being carried into the building by the raiders. Soon the building had to be abandoned.
‘The whole interior was completely gutted and valuable papers, including the records and books of the Local Government Board and of the Income Tax and Estate Duty departments were destroyed.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: The IRA attack on the Custom House was planned by the Dublin Brigade of the IRA at the insistence of Eamon de Valera.
The plan was opposed as potentially too high-risk by Michael Collins but the Dail President contended that the destruction of the records of the Local Government Board would weaken the British regime and gain world attention.
Several hundred IRA men were engaged in the operation. However, the splendid Georgian building was quickly surrounded by Black and Tans. Five Volunteers were killed and scores captured.)
On This Day – 28th May 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19210528
Reference Date
May 28, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 28th May 1921, reports detailed how the IRA launched a dramatic attack on Dublin’s Custom House, leaving the landmark in flames amid fierce fighting and mass arrests. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Custom House Burnt | On This Day – 28th May 1921
DUBLIN was the scene of the most desperate struggle and tragic happenings recorded in that troubled city or in any part of Ireland since the Insurrection of 1916.
The Custom House on Eden Quay, one of the finest edifices in Ireland, was set ablaze shortly before 2 p.m.
Those who undertook the attempt – and who seemed to have succeeded in destroying the Custom House almost as completely as the GPO was shattered in 1916 – paid a heavy toll in life and more than a hundred prisoners were taken.
Seven civilians were killed, ten wounded and 111 taken prisoner. Other reports place the casualties at higher figures. Four [Auxiliary] Cadets were killed..
Preparations for the onslaught on the famous building were elaborately made.
The Dublin Fire Brigade were ‘held up’ for an hour. At the end of that time the Custom House was ‘a seething mass of flame’.
Bombs were flung at a party of Auxiliary police in motor lorries as they were passing under the railway bridge at Beresford Place.
Fire was opened by the Crown forces and almost immediately afterwards two other motor lorries containing Auxiliaries and accompanied by an armoured car arrived on the scene.
Firing continued for about fifteen minutes and revolvers, rifles and a machine-gun were in action.
Within 10 minutes of the first explosion a huge volume of smoke was seen ascending from the Custom House.
It grew rapidly in extent and by 1.45, flames were shooting up many feet above the roof. Terrible scenes were witnessed following the initial volley of shots.
A veritable hail of bullets swept the streets.
Our Dublin correspondent wires: ‘On effecting an entry, the raiders proceeded to the different departments and held up the staffs at the point of their revolver.
‘For about half an hour tins of petrol were being carried into the building by the raiders. Soon the building had to be abandoned.
‘The whole interior was completely gutted and valuable papers, including the records and books of the Local Government Board and of the Income Tax and Estate Duty departments were destroyed.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: The IRA attack on the Custom House was planned by the Dublin Brigade of the IRA at the insistence of Eamon de Valera.
The plan was opposed as potentially too high-risk by Michael Collins but the Dail President contended that the destruction of the records of the Local Government Board would weaken the British regime and gain world attention.
Several hundred IRA men were engaged in the operation. However, the splendid Georgian building was quickly surrounded by Black and Tans. Five Volunteers were killed and scores captured.)
On This Day – 28th May 1921
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
On This Day is a daily column in the Irish News looking back either 50 or 100 years. The column was compiled by Dr Éamon Phoenix from the mid 1980s until autumn, 2022. The Foundation is very grateful to the Irish News for giving permission to reproduce Eamon’s columns. Funding gratefully received from Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Magill Trust.
* The Foundation has worked hard to recreate Eamon’s distinctive voice through AI. Since this is an emerging technology, occasional imperfections may be audible.