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‘They blew up the best portion of our city and … it is their duty to replace it’: compensation andreconstruction in the aftermathof the 1916 Rising1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2015

Daithí Ó Corráin
Daithí Ó Corráin*
Affiliation:
History Department, St Patrick’s College, Dublin City University
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Extract

In his vivid account of Easter Week 1916, The insurrection in Dublin, the writer James Stephens observed: ‘The finest part of our city has been blown to smithereens, and burned into ashes. Soldiers amongst us who have served abroad say that the ruin of this quarter is more complete than anything they have seen at Ypres, than anything they have seen anywhere in France or Flanders.’ In a letter to his sister, Henry Beater, company secretary of Arnotts, also likened the smouldering ruins of Sackville Street and the adjoining thoroughfares to a scene from the war:

House after house destroyed utterly. Clery & Co., D.B.C., Eason, G.P.O., Metropole and Imperial Hotels, Freeman’s Journal and literally dozens of other establishments in ruins. Henry St. on both sides from the pillar to Arnott & Co. nearly every house down and absolutely ruined.

Type
Research Article
Information
Irish Historical Studies , Volume 39 , Issue 154 , November 2014 , pp. 272 - 295
Copyright
Copyright © Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd 2014

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Footnotes

1

Comment by James Gallagher, lord mayor of Dublin, regarding the government’s responsibility, Freeman’s Journal, 31 May 1916.

References

2 Stephens, James, The insurrection in Dublin (Dublin, 1916), p. 73.Google Scholar

3 O’Connell Street became the official name of the street in May 1924.

4 Henry Beater to his sister, Margaret, 5 May 1916, in Nesbitt, Ronald, At Arnotts of Dublin, 1843–1993 (Dublin, 1993), p. 72.Google Scholar

5 Irish Independent, 4 May 1916. No edition was produced between 25 April and 4 May.

6 Irish Times, 6 May 1916.

7 Royal Commission on the Rebellion in Ireland: report of commission (June 1916), Cd. 8279.

8 Birrell, Augustine, Things past redress (London, 1937), p. 221.Google Scholar

9 Robert Chalmers to H. H. Asquith, 9 May 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26186); Hansard 5 (Commons), 82, col. 630 (10 May 1916).

10 The issue is referred to briefly in Townshend, Charles, Easter 1916: the Irish rebellion (London, 2006), pp 297–8Google Scholar and Yeates, Padraig, A city in wartime: Dublin 1914–18 (Dublin, 2011), pp 120–3.Google Scholar

11 Hansard 5 (Commons), 82, col. 952 (11 May 1916).

12 J.J. Clancy, William Field, P. J. Brady, W. F. Cotton, Alfred Byrne and J.D. Nugent to Asquith, 8 May 1916 (Bodl., Asquith papers, MS 44, ff 47-8); Freeman’s Journal, 15 May 1916.

13 Ibid., 12, 13 May 1916.

14 On this see Jackson, Alvin, Home Rule: an Irish history, 1800-2000 (London, 2004), pp 183–202Google Scholar; Maume, Patrick, The long gestation: Irish nationalist life, 1891-1918 (Dublin, 1999), pp 180-4Google Scholar; O’Day, Alan, Irish home rule, 1867-1921 (Manchester, 1998), 269-76.Google Scholar

15 Freeman’s Journal, 10 June 1916.

16 Gwynn, Stephen, John Redmond’s last years (London, 1919), p. 239.Google Scholar

17 See, for example, the Keogh collection in the N.L.I.; Dublin after the six days’ insurrection: thirty-one pictures from the camera of Mr. Murphy, T. W., (The O’Tatur), sub editor of the ‘Motor News’ (Dublin, 1916)Google Scholar and The ‘Sinn Féin’ revolt, illustrated (Dublin, 1917).

18 Geraghty, Tom and Whitehead, Trevor, The Dublin Fire Brigade: a history of the brigade, the fires and the emergencies (Dublin, 2004), p. 148.Google Scholar

19 Widespread looting has been described by several commentators, see Brennan-Whitmore, W. J., Dublin burning: the Easter Rising from behind the barricades, ed. Travers, Pauric (Dublin, 1996), pp 69–71Google Scholar; Foy, Michael and Barton, Brian, The Easter Rising (Stroud, 2004), pp 298–300Google Scholar; McGarry, Fearghal, The Rising. Ireland: Easter 1916 (Oxford, 2010), pp 144–8Google Scholar; Townshend, Easter 1916, pp 263–5.

20 ‘Story of the great fires told by Captain Purcell, chief of Dublin Fire Brigade’, 1916 Rebellion handbook (Belfast, 1998), p. 30. A lively portrayal of the bombardment and destruction, through the eyes of participants, is provided in McGarry, The Rising, pp 192–6.

21 ‘Sinn Féin’ revolt, pp 17–19.

22 Jeffery, Keith, The G.P.O. and the Easter Rising (Dublin, 2006), p. 76.Google Scholar

23 Geraghty, and Whitehead, , Dublin Fire Brigade, p. 152.Google Scholar

24 Irish Builder and Engineer, lviii, no. 10 (13 May 1916), p. 213.

25 ‘Story of the great fires’, p. 29.

26 Daily Express, 13 May 1916; Freeman’s Journal, 13 May 1916; Irish Independent, 14 May 1916.

27 Daily Express, 13 May 1916.

28 Chalmers’s private secretary was Joseph Brennan, who had previously served Nathan.

29 See G. C. Peden, ‘Chalmers, Robert, Baron Chalmers (1858–1938)’, in Oxford D.N.B.; Robinson, Henry, Memories: wise and otherwise (London, 1923), p. 246.Google Scholar

30 Chalmers to Asquith, 9 May 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26186).

31 Chalmers to Asquith, 11 May 1916 (ibid.); Chalmers to Samuel, 7 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26187).

32 Note of communication by Bonham Carter, 7 June 1916, (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26187); Samuel to Chalmers, 15 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26008).

33 Edward O’Farrell (assistant under-secretary) to secretary Treasury, 16 Sept. 1916 (T.N.A., T 1/11985); Irish Times, 17 Oct. 1916.

34 Boyce, D. G. and Hazlehurst, Cameron, ‘The unknown chief secretary: H. E. Duke and Ireland, 1916–18’, I.H.S., x, no. 79 (Mar. 1977), p. 287.Google Scholar No reference is made in this worthy article to the issue of compensation.

35 Daily Express, 9 May 1916; Irish Independent, 9 May 1916.

36 They included W. P. Robertson, a director of Alex, Thom & Co., a publishing and printing house; James C. Percy, proprietor of Mecredy, Percy and Co., a newspaper publisher; Sir Thomas Robinson, director of the Metropole Hotel; Charles Eason of Eason & Sons; George Stapleton, a solicitor and owner of several properties in Sackville Street; M. J. Minch, a former M.P. and director of the Grand Canal Company; Sir Joseph Downes, merchant and owner of a successful bakery business; William Bewley of Bewley Sons & Co.; Dr J. A. Mitchell, managing director of Hamilton, Long and Co., pharmaceutical chemists; J. F. Potter representing the Munster and Leinster Bank; Martin Fitzgerald, proprietor of Fitzgerald and Co, distillers; Gerald Curtis of W. Curtis & Sons; Marcus Goodbody representing Hugh Moore & Alexanders, tobacco manufacturers; Patrick Rooney, solicitor; Patrick White M.P. for North Meath; and Lorcan Sherlock, a prominent businessman and a former lord mayor of Dublin.

37 Daily Express, 9 May 1916.

38 Irish Independent, 7 June 1916.

39 Daily Express, 20 May 1916.

40 Property Losses (Ireland) Committee, Register of Claims, vol. 3, claim 2082 (N.A.I., 3/083/37).

41 Irish Times, 11 May 1916.

42 Ibid., 13 May 1916.

43 Ibid., 20 May 1916.

44 Kidney to Chalmers, 12 May 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26186).

45 Chalmers to Asquith, 11 May 1916 (ibid.).

46 Note by Asquith, 13 May 1916 (ibid.).

47 Chalmers to Kidney, 16 May 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26186).

48 Kidney to Chalmers, 20 May 1916 (ibid.).

49 Chalmers to Bonham Carter, 20 May 1916 (ibid.).

50 Ibid.

51 Bonham Carter to Chalmers, 27 May 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26186).

52 Irish Times, 23 May 1916.

53 Law and Procedure (Emergency Provisions) (Ireland) 6 & 7 Geo. 5, c. 46 (23 Aug. 1916); Francis Greer (parliamentary draftsman, Irish Office) to R. S. Meiklejohn (Treasury), 3 Aug. 1916 (T.N.A., T 1/11982).

54 Irish Independent, 27 May 1916.

55 Ibid., 25 May 1916.

56 Freeman’s Journal, 1 June 1916.

57 Note by Chalmers, 22 May 1916; Chalmers to Kidney, 25 May 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26186).

58 Irish Times, 24 May 1916.

59 Kidney to Bonham Carter, 26 May 1916 (Bodl., Asquith papers, MS 44, ff 52-4).

60 Bonham Carter to Chalmers, 30 May 1916; Bonham Carter to Kidney, 30 May 1916 (ibid.).

61 Samuel, Herbert, Memoirs (London, 1945), p. 116.Google Scholar

62 Irish Times, 1 June 1916.

63 Memorandum of meeting with deputation from Dublin Fire and Property Losses Association, 5 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26187).

64 ‘Notes of claim for compensation as drawn up by Mr W. M. Murphy, Chairman of the Committee’ [June 1916] (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26187). It appears that only Curtis & Sons of 98/99 Middle Abbey Street were insured against civil commotion. Lloyds, their insurers, repudiated the claim but when taken to court were ordered to pay c.£25,000 compensation, Minute ‘ex gratia building grant 98/99 Middle Abbey Street, Curtis V Lloyds’, 19 June 1920 (T.N.A., T 161/65).

65 Civics Institute of Ireland, The Dublin civic survey (Liverpool and London, 1925), p. 72.Google Scholar

66 ‘Notes of claim for compensation as drawn up by Mr W. M. Murphy, Chairman of the Committee’, [June 1916] (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26187).

67 Murphy to Chalmers, 3 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26186).

68 Peden, ‘Chalmers, Robert, Baron Chalmers (1858–1938)’; handwritten note by Chalmers, 4 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26186).

69 Memorandum of meeting with deputation from Dublin Fire and Property Losses Association, 5 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26187).

70 Ibid.

71 Ibid; Freeman’s Journal, 14 June 1916.

72 Daily Express, 14 June 1916.

73 Freeman’s Journal, 19 June 1916.

74 Osborn to Bonham Carter, 23 May 1916 (T.N.A., T 1/11999).

75 Samuel to Chalmers, 13 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26187).

76 Property Losses (Ireland) Committee, 1916. Report, paras 17 & 18 (T.N.A., T 1/12090).

77 Healy to Chalmers, 25 July 1916; memo by Maurice Headlam (Treasury Remembrancer Dublin Castle), 31 July 1916; John Taylor (assistant under-secretary) to Treasury, 7 Sept. 1916 (T.N.A., T 1/11999).

78 Healy to Chalmers, 22 June 1916 (T.N.A., T 1/11999).

79 Property Losses (Ireland) Committee, 1916. Report, para. 23 (T.N.A., T 1/12090).

80 William Byrne to Treasury, 28 Dec. 1916 (T.N.A., T1/12023); Property Losses (Ireland) Committee, 1916. Report, para. 14 (T.N.A., T 1/12090).

81 Property Losses (Ireland) Committee, 1916. Report, para. 24 (T.N.A., T 1/12090).

82 Ibid., para. 8.

83 Ibid., para. 9.

84 Hansard 5 (Commons), 86, col. 174 (12 Oct. 1916); Freeman’s Journal, 13 Oct. 1916.

85 Property Losses (Ireland) Committee, Register of Claims, vol. 1, claim 368 & claim 441 (N.A.I., 3/083/37).

86 Ibid., vol. 5, claim 3774 (N.A.I., 3/083/37).

87 Ibid., vol. 7, claims 6755–6 (N.A.I., 3/083/37).

88 Memo by Major-General L. B. Friend on claims arising out of disturbances, 5 June 1916 (T.N.A., T 1/11985).

89 Property Losses (Ireland) Committee, Register of Claims, vol. 7, claim 6415 (N.A.I., 3/083/37).

90 Property Losses (Ireland) Committee, 1916. Report, para. 16 (T.N.A., T 1/12090).

91 Ibid., para. 24.

92 Property Losses (Ireland) Committee, Register of Claims, vol. 5, claims 4395–8 (N.A.I., 3/083/37).

93 Property Losses (Ireland) Committee, 1916. Report, para. 15 (T.N.A., T 1/12090).

94 Property Losses (Ireland) Committee, Register of Claims, vol. 8, claim 6936 (N.A.I., 3/083/37).

95 Property Losses (Ireland) Committee, 1916. Report, para. 24 (T.N.A., T 1/12090).

96 Ibid., para. 11.

97 Ibid., para. 13.

98 Property Losses (Ireland) Committee, Register of Claims, vol. 5, claim 4071 (N.A.I., 3/083/37).

99 J. J. Clancy, W. Field, Patrick J. Brady, W. F. Cotton, J. D. Nugent and Alfred Byrne to Chalmers, 19 May 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26186).

100 Dublin Express, 11 May 1916; Memorandum of meeting with deputation from Dublin Fire and Property Losses Association, 5 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26187); Healy to Chalmers, 4 Apr. 1917 (T.N.A., T 1/12090).

101 Law and Procedure (Emergency Provisions) (Ireland); Healy to Headlam, 26 Oct. 1916 (T.N.A., T 1/11982).

102 Irish Builder and Engineer, lviii, no. 22 (28 Oct. 1916), p. 532.

103 Irish Times, 7, 10 and 11 Nov. 1916.

104 Freeman’s Journal, 23 Nov. 1916.

105 Spender, J. A. and Asquith, Cyril, Life of Herbert Henry Asquith, Lord Oxford and Asquith (2 vols, London, 1932), ii, 281.Google Scholar

106 Memorandum by H. E. Duke ‘Dublin Reconstruction – the ex gratia grant’, 15 Dec. 1916 (T.N.A., T 1/12023).

107 Irish Builder and Engineer, lix, no. 2 (20 Jan. 1917), p. 29.

108 Rebuilding claim of William McDowell (N.A.I., C.S.O.R.P. 3/690/11 (1917), 30142).

109 Thomas Heath (Treasury) to William Byrne, 7 Dec. 1916 (T.N.A., T 1/12023).

110 See McManus, Ruth, Dublin, 1910–1940: shaping the city & suburbs (Dublin, 2002), pp 54–68.Google Scholar

111 Originally from Leitrim, Gallagher established a successful wholesale and retail tobacco business. First elected to the Corporation for the Fitzwilliam Ward in 1908–9, he became lord mayor in 1915 as a nationalist and served three consecutive terms.

112 Gallagher to Samuel, 3 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26186).

113 Frederick Hayes (honorary secretary R.I.A.I.) to Samuel, 1 June 1916, (ibid.). On this debate see Rothery, Seán, Ireland and the new architecture, 1900–1940 (Dublin, 1991), p. 83.Google Scholar

114 Irish Builder and Engineer, lviii, no. 10 (13 May 1916), p. 202.

115 Butler, R. M., ‘The reconstruction of O’Connell Street, Dublin’, Studies, v, no. 20 (Dec. 1916), pp 572–3Google Scholar.

116 Memorandum of meeting with deputation from Dublin Corporation, 5 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26187).

117 Irish Times, 19 Sept. 1916.

118 Memorandum of meeting with deputation from Dublin Corporation, 5 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26187).

119 Freeman’s Journal, Irish Times, 31 May 1916.

120 Irish Independent, 1 June 1916.

121 Irish Times, 31 May 1916.

122 Ibid., 4 Jan. 1926.

123 Daily Express, 19 May 1916; Campbell to Chalmers, 24 May 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26186).

124 Chalmers to Bonham Carter, 25 May 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26186).

125 Chalmers to Campbell, 31 May 1916 (ibid.).

126 Chalmers to Bonham Carter, 24 May 1916 (ibid.).

127 Memorandum of meeting with deputation from Dublin Corporation, 5 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26187); Irish Times, 6 June 1916.

128 Memorandum of meeting with deputation from Dublin Corporation, 5 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26187).

129 Gallagher to Samuel, 6 June 1916 (ibid.).

130 Samuel to Reginald McKenna (chancellor of the exchequer), 14 June 1916 (T.N.A., T 1/12038).

131 Samuel to Gallagher, 20 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26187).

132 Gallagher to Samuel, 22 and 30 June 1916; Samuel to Gallagher, 27 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26187); Freeman’s Journal, 7 July 1916; ‘Report of the Special Committee, in re Dublin (Destroyed Areas) Reconstruction’ (Dublin City Library and Archive, Reports and Printed Documents of the Corporation of Dublin, i (1917), pp 57–64).

133 ‘Transcript of deputation from the Lord Mayor and Corporation of Dublin to the Prime Minister regarding relief for rebuilding in Dublin’, 6 July 1916 (Bodl., Asquith papers, MS 91, ff 73-7); Dublin Express, 7 July 1916; Freeman’s Journal, 7 July 1916; Robinson to Chalmers, 16 July 1916 (T.N.A., T 1/12038); Irish Builder and Engineer, lviii, no. 15 (22 July 1916), p. 338.

134 Robinson to Chalmers, 17 July 1916 (T.N.A., T 1/12038).

135 Francis Greer to Thomas Heath, 21 July 1916, enclosing memorandum: ‘Draft clause as to loans in aid of expenses in reconstruction’ (T.N.A., T 1/12038).

136 Samuel to Gallagher, 20 June 1916 (N.L.I., Joseph Brennan papers, MS 26187).

137 Irish Times, 6 Aug. 1916.

138 Hansard 5 (Commons), 85, cols 2166–7 (17 Aug. 1916).

139 Ibid, col. 2168.

140 Report of the work and conclusions of the expert committee on the reconstruction of the damages area, 1916, (Dublin City Library and Archive, Reports and printed documents of the Corporation of Dublin, iii (1916), pp 619–38). Unwin apparently played a pivotal role in brokering a compromise, see Miller, Mervyn, ‘Raymond Unwin and the planning of Dublin’ in Bannon, Michael J. (ed.), The emergence of Irish planning, 1880–1920 (Dublin, 1985), pp 286–7.Google Scholar

141 Irish Builder and Engineer, lviii, no. 25 (9 Dec. 1916), p. 619.

142 Freeman’s Journal, 1 Dec. 1916.

143 Ibid., 18 Dec. 1916.

144 Dublin Reconstruction (Emergency Provisions), 6 & 7 Geo. 5, c. 66 (20 Dec. 1916), clause 2(2).

145 Ibid., clauses 2(4) & 2(7).

146 Hansard 5 (Commons), 88, cols 1224–38 (18 Dec 1916); Freeman’s Journal, 19 Dec. 1916; Dublin Reconstruction (Emergency Provisions), clauses 6 & 7.

147 Irish Independent, 19 Sept. 1916.

148 Irish Investors’ Guardian: banking & insurance review, xxiv, no. 11 (2 June 1917), p. 137.

149 See Clark, Gemma M., ‘The fiery campaign: new agenda and ancient enmities in the Irish Civil War – a study of arson in three Munster counties’ in Griffin, Brian and McWilliams, Ellen (eds), Irish studies in Britain: new perspectives on history and literature (Newcastle, 2010), p. 73.Google Scholar

150 Hugh Moore & Alexander Ltd. to Healy, 29 Mar. 1917 (N.A.I., C.S.O.R.P. 3/690/2 (1917), 24665).

151 Clark, ‘The fiery campaign’, p. 76.

152 Irish Builder and Engineer, lix, no. 3 (3 Feb. 1917), p. 58.

153 Irish Times, 1 Feb. 1918.

154 Irish Builder and Engineer, lxii, no. 1 (3 Jan. 1920), p. 14.

155 Andrew Cope to assistant secretary, Treasury, 18 Nov. 1920 (T.N.A., T 192/35).

156 Thom’s directory 1921, pp 1696–7.

157 Costello, Peter & Farmar, Tony, The very heart of the city: the story of Denis Guiney & Clerys (Dublin, 1992), pp 55–8.Google Scholar

158 Irish Builder and Engineer, lxii, no. 1 (3 Jan. 1920), p. 14.

159 Rothery, , Ireland and the new architecture, p. 84.Google Scholar

160 Irish Builder and Engineer, lix, no. 12 (9 June 1917), p. 284.

161 Ibid., no. 5 (3 Mar. 1917), p. 101. The Hibernian Bank was rebuilt on the site of its destroyed premises at 12–13 Sackville Street Lower at the junction with Lower Abbey Street. The Munster and Leinster Bank, which had been at 30 Sackville Street Lower, acquired the site of Reis & Co. at 10–11 on the corner facing the Hibernian Bank. The Bank of Ireland built a new branch at 28 Sackville Street between 1919 and 1921. The Provincial Bank built a new branch at 37 Sackville Street Upper in 1921–22 and the Ulster Bank premises at 2–4 Sackville Street Lower reopened in 1923. See O’Neill, Michael, Bank architecture in Dublin: a history to c. 1940 (Dublin, 2011), p. 54.Google Scholar

162 I am grateful to Professor James Kelly and Clare F. Murphy for comments on earlier drafts of this article.