Nov 27

Jack Nalty : “In support of an Ideal”

Categories:

East Wall, History

“It’s marvelous what men can endure in support of an ideal”

On the 23rd September 1938 East Wall man John ‘Jack’ Nalty died on the final day of combat for the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War . The 80th anniversary of his death was marked by the unveiling of a plaque near his former family home (East Road) and the publication of a book on his life .

This book is now available for in PDF format here

(just click on link) :

Jack Nalty In pursuit of an ideal

A short video of the unveiling can be seen here :

This book was published by the East Wall History Group in association with Friends of the International Brigades (Ireland) .

Supported by Dublin City Council Commemorations fund for Communities .

Tags: Friends of the International Brigades Ireland, Jack Nalty, Spanish Civil War

Oct 12

North Wall and the War of Independence : A docklands walking tour .

Categories:

Bloody Sunday 1920, DOCKERS, History

“Ambushes , arms raids and assassins”

The War of Independence in North Wall (1919 – 1921)

Saturday 23rd October @ 12pm

Just over a century ago the War of Independence came to an end , with a truce signed on July 11th 1921 . For almost two and a half years a brutal military campaign raged across the country , with the British administration unleashing not just their army , but also the Black & Tans , the Auxillaries plus a network of spies and informers upon the rebellious population. And no more so than in the capital , where some of the most infamous events took place .

Join us for this new walking tour which will take you into the heart of Dublin’s Docklands , where we will meet some of the key players of the Irish Revolution , relive the events of Bloody Sunday and stand in the locations where assassins gathered , and where fierce gun battles , ambushes and daring arms raids occurred.

Approx : 2 hours

Route : From the Five Lamps (North Strand Road) via Seville Place / Sheriff Street to North Wall Quay.

FREE EVENT , BOOKING ESSENTIAL :

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/north-wall-and-the-war-of-independence-a-docklands-walking-tour-tickets-187786142407?fbclid=IwAR2r9_6pVhBdDRnpugv6rFkTISjckcDA50JkdLSfUC9dCteI_LaMJWS5bLA

Tags: Bloody Sunday 1920, Custom House Burning, war of independence

Oct 12

On the Waterfront: A ramble through the haunted history of North Wall Quay

Categories:

halloween, History

A special Halloween walking tour walking

Saturday 30th October @ 6pm

Meeting Place : Custom House (River Side)

“An after dark stroll down by the Quayside like you’ve never experienced , for an exploration of a grim and haunted past that’s rarely discussed.”

Hear true historical accounts of Ghoulish body snatchers , grisly murders and the gruesome execution spot where rotting corpses were left hanging as a warning to other criminals.

And as for the supernatural ? You may be a believer , a sceptic or just open-minded , but we guarantee the stories we will share of ghosts, poltergeists and even a headless horseman are genuine local folklore passed down from previous generations … You can make your own mind up !

Approximately: 90 minutes

FREE event , all welcome .

Strictly over 12 years .

Afterwards you are welcome to join us as we retire to the Bottle Boy pub (at the Mayson Hotel) , a location where SPIRITS have been enjoyed for over a century and a half !

Tags: Big Scream (NEIC), east wall history group

Jun 22

Canon D.H. Hall, the Building Parson: Celebrating the centenary of a housing revolution in Dublin.

Categories:

History, St Barnabas Church

The 24th of June marks the centenary of the official opening of ten houses at St Barnabas Gardens in East Wall. Described by the Lord Mayor as “A beacon light, the influence of which would spread throughout their native land” these houses were the brainchild of Canon David H Hall of Dublin Docklands’ St Barnabas Parish. These were only the first of many built locally and would indeed inspire other innovative housing projects across the country.

Join us on the centenary of that historic event when Dr Ruth McManus will tell the full story behind the ‘building parson’, the St Barnabas Utility Public Housing Society and how Hall set out to achieve his goal to “render happy the lives of many existing under conditions too awful to be described”.

In a city blighted by tenements, poor quality housing and an appalling mortality rate, between 1921 and 1926 the Society would be responsible for building 170 innovative, high quality houses in East Wall and North Strand, more than was achieved by Dublin Corporation during those years. This would influence housing policy throughout the entire country in subsequent years, inspiring the construction of 17,000 ‘self-help’ houses nationwide.

St Barnabas Gardens (early 1920's)

St Barnabas Gardens (early 1920′s)

With the current housing crisis being one of the most important issues facing the country, it is the perfect time to share again the story of this most inspirational figure in our community’s history and celebrate his remarkable achievements in housing reform and his national relevance.

Thursday 24th June
@ 7pm

ZOOM LINK:

https://dcu-ie.zoom.us/j/97811051604

Dr Ruth McManus is an Associate Professor in Geography at the School of History and Geography in DCU. Her books include Dublin 1910-1940: shaping the city and suburbs, which will shortly be reissued in a new edition, and Leaders of the City, a co-edited volume on the history of Dublin’s lord mayors. Building Healthy Homes, Dublin Corporation’s first housing schemes, 1880-1925, co-authored with Joe Brady, will be published by Dublin City Council later this year. She has recently been appointed to the editorial board of the Irish Historic Towns Atlas and is an editor of the Making of Dublin City book series with Four Courts Press.

Canon DH Hall - "The Building Parson"

Canon DH Hall – “The Building Parson”

Tags: Dr Ruth McManus, St Barnabas Utility Housing Society, The Building Parson

May 23

“A most distressful Country: The War of Independence in Dublin Port and Inner City” – videos

Categories:

FF

For further information, clarifications or corrections please contact :

eastwallhistory@gmail.com

Tags: Brian Hanley, Brian Hughes, Dublin Port Company, Irish War of Independence, Lar Joye, Liz Gillis, LNWR Hotel

Apr 10

“War and Peace in a Docklands Hotel” – new documentary available

Categories:

north wall atttack

The East Wall History Group marked the centenary of the War of Independence attack on the LNWR Hotel with this video documentary telling the story of these historic events. It premiered at 8am on Sunday 11th April 2021 , the exact centenary of the attack .

The 30 minute documentary was made by young film-makers Louis Maxwell and Conor Forkin , shot on location on North Wall , with interviews conducted in The Bottle Boy .

Supported by the Dublin City Council Decade of Commemorations Fund for Communities .

#lovedublinhistory

Tags: Ciara Byrne, Conor Forkin, Dublin City Council Decade of Commemorations Fund, LNWR Hotel, Louis Maxwell

Mar 29

Roxanna Nic Liam : Three performances (2020 / 2021)

Categories:

East Wall, Writing/Arts/Poetry/Theatre

Tags: Axis Ballymun, Roxanna Nic Liam, Sean O'Casey Festival

Feb 05

Ben Hannigan R.I.P.

Categories:

DOCKERS, East Wall, sport

Remembering with pride the great Ben Hannigan , a local legend, soccer star and deep-sea docker.

(Thanks to East Wall History Group , Dublin Dockworkers Preservation Society , David Whittaker and Gaye Dunne for providing photographs for this tribute)

Tags: Ben Hannigan, dublin dockers, Dublin Dockworkers Preservation Society, Shamrock Rovers

Nov 21

Bloody Sunday 1920 – Remembered in song by Joe O’Grady / Paul O’Brien

Categories:

Bloody Sunday 1920, History, Paul O Brien

This special video performance was premiered by the East Wall History Group to mark the centenary of Bloody Sunday – the tragic events at Croke Park on 21st November 1920. It is a true East Wall presentation being written , arranged and performed by three local men from different generations.

The song was written by East Wall man Joe O’Grady (1891- 1960) , a testimony to that terrible events. As a football player himself , and a loyal supporter of the local and county teams , he knew very many of those caught up in the British military outrage . He wrote this song to remember the day and those who died and were injured . The original lyrics have been adapted by his nephew Gerry Smullen and singer / songwriter Paul O’Brien .

Here are two versions of the song as originally composed by Joe O’Grady , this one being his ‘final’ version :

This one we believe to be an earlier draft he composed :

It is a real honour for us to have this song performed on the centenary of Bloody Sunday , particularly with so many of the players (and indeed the supporters) coming from the North Dock community. Joe O’Grady was a prolific songwriter , capturing many aspects of local life in his lyrics – not just the big issues of the day but the characters , the concerns and the humorous incidents of a proud working class community. And now, sixty years after his death these songs are a valuable contribution to our preserving of local history.

We are grateful for the family of Joe O’Grady for their generosity is sharing this treasure trove of material , and we look forward to working with them to further enhance the legacy of Joe and his work.

Contact : eastwallhistory@gmail.com

Tags: Bloody Sunday 1920, Croke Park, Joe O'Grady, Paul O'Brien

Nov 21

Bloody Sunday 1920 : Selection of local history articles .

Categories:

The events of November 21^st 1920 are among the most talked about from the Irish Revolutionary period. Remembered as ‘Bloody Sunday’, the day saw a total of 31 violent deaths in the city – 14 targets associated with British Military Intelligence , 14 shot dead when British forces opened fire at Croke Park and three men summarily executed in Dublin Castle that night.

To mark the centenary of these events , we are delighted to re-present this series of previously published articles of local interest. These cover the stories of some of those involved in the events of the early morning and afternoon, and based on research and interviews carried out by the East Wall History Group :

“Bloody Sunday 1920, the G.A.A. and “Stonewall” Jack O’Reilly”

The late Jack O’Reilly talks about his mother and father who were both present in Croke Park on Bloody Sunday and witnessed the bloodshed. His mother was a spectator , while his father was part of the Dublin team.

SEE LINK HERE : http://eastwallforall.ie/?p=727

“A FAMILY AT WAR WITH AN EMPIRE – Christy and ‘Dina’ Crothers of the Irish Citizen Army”

The story of a couple who met on active service after the Easter Rising. Christy served as an intelligence gatherer during the War of Independence and information he uncovered helped lead to the IRA operation on Bloody Sunday.

SEE LINK HERE : http://eastwallforall.ie/?p=2734

“Sean Hunter, Bloody Sunday and his tragic death in 1922″

Sean Hunter was the brother of ‘Dina’ Crother , a resident of Irvine Terrace. He took part in operations on Bloody Sunday , and would be killed in tragic circumstances just two years later .

SEE LINK HERE : http://eastwallforall.ie/?p=2542

“Bloody Sunday 1920, East Wall and the one who got away.”

The majority of operations targeting British Intelligence Officers on the morning of November 21st 1920 were successful. However, in one instance , the agent in question had moved from his lodgings in East Wall just the evening before. This is the story of “the one who got away”.

SEE LINK HERE : http://eastwallforall.ie/?p=2612

Bloody Sunday centenary: A wreath from the communities of East Wall and North Wall , in remembrance of those who died at the hands of Crown Forces on November 21st 1920.

Contact: eastwallhistory@gmail.com

Tags: Bloody Sunday 1920

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