The Igoe Gang:
Previous to the Half-Way House ambush we had, on numerous occasions, acting in conjunction with the Squad, and on information supplied, gone to different locations in an endeavour to get the Igoe Murder Gang. On one occasion towards evening in the City, When returning from one of these chases, Johnnie Wilson of the Squad and myself, having dumped our guns in the Strand Street dump, were walking up along the Quays towards O’Connell Bridge we heard an order from behind us to keep going ,not to move our hands or make a move in any direction. Turning round, we saw Igoe and his Bunch immediately behind us.
We did as we were told and as we reached the ‘Home of Billiards’ on Bachelor’s Walk we were told to turn left down the laneway alongside the billiards saloon. Igoe & Co. came after us, some of them blocking the entrance to the laneway and others going to the far end. Igoe and his Assistant started to question us. We always had our individual stories made up as to what we would say in the case of such an eventuality and we gave an account of our movements accordingly. (They questioned us together and since I was unaware of Johnnie’s story until I heard him tell it and likewise, he was unaware of mine until he heard me, I felt fortunate that they questioned us jointly rather than separately.) Whether they trying to frighten us or not I’m not sure, but they told us that they had decided to shoot us there and then and ordered us to turn our faces to the wall and gave us three minutes to make our preparations. At this point I had given up all hope of coming out of the laneway again, knowing the record of Igoe and his henchmen; but as the men he had placed at the entrance to the lane were having difficulty with the crowd which had collected, they decided to take us to Dublin Castle. A strange coincidence arose here regarding our route to the Castle They took us via Eustace Street, where our own Headquarters was situated. I was sure that in passing our Headquarters something was bound to happen as we had been chasing the Igoe Gang for weeks and as someone was always on observation duty at Headquarters I had no doubt our side would avail of this opportunity of getting, at least, some of the gang. As luck would have it no one was observing at this particular time and as we went up Dame St towards the Castle I felt disappointed and depressed. At the Castle we were separated and questioned individually but by this time we were each on our guard. When I was questioned about Wilson I stuck to his story and when he was questioned about me he stuck to mine. After about three-quarters of an hour we were told we could go but this did not allay our fears as we now believed we would be shot ‘trying to escape’. To our amazement we reached the Castle gate and gained the street without being shot. Neither one of us could believe our luck that we were alive and free.
My one purpose now was to get home to my own house as quickly as possible. I knew that Padraig O’Connor was there, in bed and seriously wounded ,and as the British now had my address and would most likely raid the house it was imperative to get him away. Fortunately the house was not raided and shortly afterwards it continued to be used as a First Aid Station for the wounded of the Squad and the ASU. Simon McInerney of the ASU., Joe Byrne of the Squad and Harry Pender of the 4th. Battalion were each subsequently treated there.

The Burning of the Custom House May 25th 1921:

A few days before the burning of the Custom House the entire ASU. was called together at Strand St and we given an outline of the proposed action by our O/C., Paddy Flanagan. He told us the 2nd. Battalion would do the job and that we, in conjunction with the Squad would protect the 2nd. Battalion in the operation. For this purpose a number of us were detailed for ‘outside’ protection aid others for ‘inside’ protection. As far as I can remember, the majority of the ASU. were to be used for outside protection and a small number, who would work with the Squad would go inside the building. I was one of those sent inside and I think the majority of the 1st Battalion were also inside. Our mission inside was, first of all, when we entered we were to cover all the doorways and allow no one out and allow no British Forces in. We were to shut the doors; if the British arrived they would be engaged, on the outside of the building, by our comrades outside and if they got into the building, we were to engage them. On the day of the operation I assembled with some others of the ASU. and the Squad in the vicinity of Brook Thomas’s at about 12:45p.m. At 1:00p.m. we crossed the street and entered the Custom House by the Beresford Place door. At the same time I saw other parties converging on the Custom House from other directions. As soon as all the lads were inside we closed the doors and remained there until the fighting started. The first we heard was the explosion of grenades and the sounds of gunfire outside. At this time our men had not commenced to burn the building, so we mounted the windows and I could see in Beresford Place that two British trucks were pulled up and British Auxiliaries were lying on the ground firing at the building. We returned fire and whilst engaged on our block we could hear firing all round the building. I saw military in lorries moving into position along the Quays covered by an Armoured Car. The Armoured Car, as it approached, was also firing at the Custom House. Eventually we were forced back from the windows but by this time fires were starting all over the inside of the building.

I heard the order being passed that all guns were to be dumped and that all Volunteers were to mix themselves amongst the staff At this time I was in an office which 1 believe was the Stationery Office. It was adjacent to the Custom House Dock. There I met Tom Keogh of the Squad. I asked him how the job was going and what the instructions were regarding the guns of the ASU. and the Squad. Tom, at this time, looked very happy and said that the job was going to be a huge success. Nothing could now stop the fire. It would now be safe to dump the guns and mingle with the staff and try to get away. There was no other hope, he said, as he had already tried himself and could see no other way out. In a corridor off the Stationery Office some other offices were burning furiously. Tom Keogh and I, and I think, Tom Flood with some other Volunteers from the 2nd Battalion, smashed our weapons and threw them into the fire. At this time we felt very naked and at the mercy of the British who were already in the building. We mixed with the staff and eventually found ourselves outside on the Custom House Dock. However, in passing out, there was a gentleman present, with some Auxiliary Officers, who was identifying Custom House staff to the Officers. He did not identify Tom Flood, Tom Keogh, Ned Breslin, Mick Dunne or myself as staff and we were separated from the staff and brought down to another group on the Quays. We recognised all of this group as Volunteers. We were searched and during the search a hole was discovered in the lining of Ned Breslin’s pocket. On feeling around at the back of Ned’s coat a round of ammunition was discovered. The Auxiliaries who were searching him then took him out and gave him an unmerciful beating. Ned was then separated from us, as was Tom Flood. Both, I learned afterwards, were taken to Mountjoy Gaol. Mick Dunne, during his interrogation, persuaded his questioners in his inimitable way that he was a respectable business man of the city and he was allowed to go free. The rest of us were bundled into lorries and taken to Arbour Hill Barracks.
During the time we were held on the Quay, our lads were still sniping from the south side of the River Liffey. On our departure from the scene on the lorries it was good to know that there were still people left outside who were not going to be subdued by the fact that more than half our number were either killed or captured during the operation. We were kept in Arbour Hill for about a fortnight and then transferred to Kilmainham Gaol where we were imprisoned until December 1921.

END

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