This cache was inspired largely by an interesting book written by Mick O’Farrell and published by Mercier Press (A Walk Through Rebel Dublin 1916 – ISBN 1-85635-276-5). To get the full flavour, you should purchase a copy and visit each location with the text in hand – it will give you a different view on Ireland past and present.
To get to the cache area is very straightforward – either by car or by public transport (DART to Lansdowne Road, or bus routes – Aircoach or Dublin Bus routes 7 & 45).
Mount Street Bridge was seen by the rebels as one of the key strategic points of access to Dublin and they deployed men accordingly. Our first point is at coordinates N 53 19.937 W 006 14.125, on the corner of Pembroke Road and Northumberland Road. Carisbrook House is currently a bank building, but in 1916, on this site, there was an imposing residence on a direct route from Dun Laoghaire (where British troops were landed) to Dublin city. The rebellion had commenced on Easter Monday, 24th April, 1916 – this was Wednesday morning, 26th April, and the closer the troops got to the city, the greater was their wariness.
They had set out from Dun Laoghaire at around 10 am on Wednesday morning and were generally welcomed by residents along the way, with pots of tea, sandwiches and fruit. At about midday, the column of men rested near Carisbrook House, smoking, eating fruit and chatting with civilians who gathered around. All of a sudden several volleys of sniper fire shattered the calm – thinking Carisbrook House was the source of the gunshots, the soldiers took cover and peppered the house with bullets.
(A) Take a note of the 4th digit in the telephone number on the alarm box on Carisbrook House - IT'S A 2!! Please don't loiter here - it's near embassy security, which is why I'm giving you the number!
(B) Across the road on a traffic island, there is a small kiosk / shop - take a note of how many sides there are to this small building
The house had been occupied by rebels briefly on the previous Monday, but they had all left at this stage – there were still some volunteer snipers, who fire several volleys of revolver shots at the soldiers before withdrawing. Carisbrook House was soon occupied by some of the troops, while the rest regrouped and marched on towards 25 Northumberland Road, Mount Street Bridge and Clanwilliam House towards an engagement which would be arguably the most famous struggle of the whole insurrection.
25 Northumberland Road (N 53 20.166 W 006 14.293) was chosen by the rebels for its excellent position commanding the route from Dun Laoghaire to the city via Mount Street Bridge. The house had been evacuated by the sympathetic owners and was occupied by Lieutenant Michael Malone and Section Commander James Grace (two younger rebels were with them at first, but were sent home by Malone).
When the British soldiers approached No. 25, ten were felled by the first volley from the house, beginning what was to be five hours of fierce fighting. The fire from No. 25 was augmented by fire from Clanwilliam House , on the far side of Mount Street Bridge. Eventually, the house was stormed by the troops and taken – Malone was shot dead as he came down the stairs to meet them and Grace escaped into the kitchen, and thence into another garden where he hid in a shed, only to be arrested some days later.
(C) Take a note of the number of floors / storeys at the front of No. 25
The capture of Mount Street Bridge (N 53 20.247 W 006 14.424) was the goal of the advancing British troops, who were halted by fusillades fro No. 25, the Parochial Hall and the Schoolhouse on the other side of the road, and Clanwilliam House on the other side of the canal. There was minimal cover near the canal – just a low wall behind which the troops lay and crouched, with their packs giving their positions away and the rebels simply blazed away at the khaki humps.
Again and again, an officer would lead a charge over the bridge – again and again they would be shot down, falling to join the heap of bodies at the bridge. After a time, some civilians and staff from nearby Sir Patrick Dun’s hospital were given permission by the rebels to go to the aid of the wounded soldiers. There was only a brief lull, though – soon a whistle blew and a wave of troops charged the bridge and were promptly mown down. Every 20 minutes or so, another whistle would blow and another wave of soldiers would charge the bridge, only to be cut down to join the heaps of bodies at the bridge’s entrance.
When the firing from Clanwilliam House seemed to stop (the rebels had run out of ammunition) the Battle of Mount Street Bridge was over, with 234 British soldiers killed – the number of rebels in the area was 17. By Wednesday evening, Clanwilliam House was ablaze and the rebels made their escape through a basement window less than a foot square into the garden – of the seven rebels in the building, four escaped capture and three died during the fighting.
To find the cache, you must perform some calculations -
To N 53 19.935, add 0.[A][C-1][B+1]; to W 006 14.293, add 0.[A][A+1][B ]
As you walk towards the cache, you will see the minimal cover offered by the wall alongside the canal to the British troops as they tried to take cover from rebel fire.