Mount Street Bridge 1916

By Denis Roe

On Easter Monday James Grace, Patrick Roe and Michael Burn arrival at Mount Street Bridge around 11:30am. Lieutenant Micheál Malone told Grace to take Roe and Byrne with him and cover the gates of Beggars Bush Barracks. Later Malone  told Grace they were to take possession of Number 25 Northumberland Road.

Lieutenant Malone, James Grace, Paddy Roe (aged 20) and Michael Byrne were in  25 Northumberland together till very early Wednesday morning. Lieutenant Malone called  Patrick and Michael to go on dispatch work, the dispatches were two letters for each of there mothers. The lads realised that the dispatches were only an excuse to get them out of danger. They protested and said they would rather stay, but under orders Patrick Roe and Michael Burn unwillingly left the house trough a sky light under sniper fire, knowing they were leaving Malone and Grace to die.

Lieutenant Micheál Malone was the only one not to survive in Number 25 Northumberland Road, James Joseph Grace was very lucky to Survive.

Malone’s post was the furthest outpost from Boland’s Mill not too sure if there was men still in the outpost of Parochial Hall, 7 or 8 houses down from Malone but there was the School House on the far side of the road next to the Grand Canal and directly over Mount Street Bridge was Clanwillian House and next to it was Roberts Yard. Clanwilliam House was the last outpost to fall.

I believe their were three dead Volunteers George Reynolds, Paddy Doyle and Dick Murphy. Their bodies were never found, the flames of Clanwillian House was the funeral pyre of the three dead men. I believe it was 13 men from the Third Battalion that held an army on the bridge and 9 of the men from the Third Battalion IRA survived the Battle.

The bloodiest battle of the 1916 Rising, The battle of Mount Street Bridge.

My Grandfather Patrick Roe and Michael Burn side of this story is unknown or just not told, there names been spell’t  wrong and there age too. Patrick Roe joined Fianna Eireann in 1909 aged 15 years old and later with Liam Mellows, helped to form a branch in Inchicore.

In front (L, to R,) Willie Ronan, James Doyle, Middle row standing up: James Walsh, sitting down (Eddie} Michael Byrne, (Seumas) James Joseph Grace, Joe Clarke, standing up Thomas Walsh, Back row: Patrick Doyle, Patrick Roe.

Story was in the Irish Press, Monday April 23 1966, in bureau of military history and my Grandfathers records. I believe picture was taken in the back garden of Lieutenant Micheál Malone’s home late 1916  early 1917