Armoured car on Henry Street, Dublin
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Where: Dublin, Ireland
Try to find the spot where the photographer was standing.
When: 01 January 1922
Try to find the date or year when this image was made.
We have had armored cars on this stream before and whereas I do have that "déjà vu" feeling, I believe we have not seen this particular one. We are in the center of Dublin the questions are what is the date and what are they doing there?
While there were not as many unknowns here, when compared to our other more evasive mysteries, derangedlemur, Beachcomber, and guliolopez have corroberated the key points; Of location, subject and date. The location is unequivocal - the corner of Henry Street and O'Connell Street (beneath Nelson's Pillar and the GPO). The principal subjects are confirmed as members of the Pro-Treaty National Army, including Captain Patrick (Specky) Griffin on the right, their Rolls-Royce Armoured Car (number ARR6), and an effigy they appear to have made of Anti-Treaty republican Rory O'Connor. The date, based on this effigy and other clues, is suggested as sometime within the first week of July 1922 - during the Civil War's 'Battle of Dublin'. Probably within a day or so (or even just a few hours or minutes) of Hogan's image of the evacuation of a nearby hotel.....
Photographer: W. D. Hogan
Collection: Hogan Wilson Collection
Date: Catalogue range c.1922. Likely first week of July 1922
NLI Ref.: HOG134
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
Source: Flickr Commons
Views: 20700
While there were not as many unknowns here, when compared to our other more evasive mysteries, derangedlemur, Beachcomber, and guliolopez have corroberated the key points; Of location, subject and date. The location is unequivocal - the corner of Henry Street and O'Connell Street (beneath Nelson's Pillar and the GPO). The principal subjects are confirmed as members of the Pro-Treaty National Army, including Captain Patrick (Specky) Griffin on the right, their Rolls-Royce Armoured Car (number ARR6), and an effigy they appear to have made of Anti-Treaty republican Rory O'Connor. The date, based on this effigy and other clues, is suggested as sometime within the first week of July 1922 - during the Civil War's 'Battle of Dublin'. Probably within a day or so (or even just a few hours or minutes) of Hogan's image of the evacuation of a nearby hotel.....
Photographer: W. D. Hogan
Collection: Hogan Wilson Collection
Date: Catalogue range c.1922. Likely first week of July 1922
NLI Ref.: HOG134
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
Info:
Owner: National Library of Ireland on The CommonsSource: Flickr Commons
Views: 20700
hoganwilsoncollection
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henrystreet
dublin
codublin
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armoredcar
armouredcar
speckygriffin
gpo
generalpostoffice
nelsonspillar
customhouse
arr6
rollsroycearmouredcar
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trooptransport
nationalarmy
freestatearmy
battleofdublin
effigy
roryoconnor
irishcivilwar
civilwar
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radiatorarmour
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derangedlemur
National Army armoured car at Henry Street near Nelson’s Pillar during the Battle of Dublin in late June/early July 1922. Attached to the car is an effigy of anti-Treaty IRA leader Rory O’Connor, reading derisively ‘Rory Boy’. The British army gave thirteen of these rolls royce armoured cars to the Provisional Government in early 1922. Impervious to small-arms fire, they carried a Vickers machine gun in a rotating turret. Soldiers named them after songs, patriotic heroes or separatist victories. In the case of this armoured car, the name ‘Customs House’ celebrates the burning of that structure by the IRA’s Dublin Brigade in May 1921, an operation many National Army officers had participated in. theirishrevolution.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/U8.-TY-U...
derangedlemur
The ARR known as the The Customs House, named due to the IRA attack on the building during the War of Independence. The figure on top has a noose around its neck and bears a placard entitled “Rory Boy” after Rory O’Connor, an Irregular leader captured during the first few weeks fighting Certainly, the Irregulars had nothing to match them. Crewed by three soldiers, with a top speed of 45mph and armed with a .303 Vickers machine gun on a rotating turret, the ARR’s played a vital part in the opening stages of the war, whether it was supporting infantry, providing generals with mobile-command centres, or spearheading frontal assaults. These ARR’s included such notable examples as The Customs House (pictured above), from which General Seamus Hogan led the Dublin Guards on their assault on the village of Bruree during the Battle of Killmallock, or the Ex-Mutineer, captured from the Irregulars during the first week of fighting and which subsequently spearheaded the seaborne landings on the Irregular stronghold of Kerry. www.quora.com/How-were-armored-cars-used-during-the-Irish...
derangedlemur
The internet's full of this stuff - looks like it's a famous enough photo.
derangedlemur
Seems to have been replaced with an Opel now: www.google.ie/maps/@53.3497326,-6.2607722,2a,75y,76.57h,9...
BeachcomberAustralia
Patrick J. "Specky" Griffin on the right, according to www.customhousecommemoration.com/2018/03/18/who-was-speck...
Dún Laoghaire Micheál
Great treads in this thread.
coordinated window
Very interesting photograph.
guliolopez
I do love a good Hogan shot. [https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]] and [https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia] have pointed out the key points already. Location. People. Etc. I only have three observations. Mainly on the date: (1) Timing. I think this is early July 1922. During the Battle of Dublin. I say this because the radiator armour doors at the front of the car are closed. Suggesting that they expected trouble. When not needed they are left open. Otherwise the engine would easily overheat. Compare to the previous shot we had of this model cars from before. Below. In which the armoured gates/doors are open. (2) Effigy. This is intended to represent Rory O'Connor. I expect it was made around the time of his surrender/capture. On 3 July 1922. I hope it wasn't made much later than that. And would be in particularly poor taste if it was made after his reprisal execution in December 1922. (3) Corner. It's interesting to consider how much action and how many key events occured within 10 years and 100 yards of this corner. (Bloody Sunday 1913, Easter Rising 1916, etc). Cathal Brugha was shot within a few yards of this corner. On 5 July 1922. During the breakout from the Four Courts. As part of Brugha's rear-guard action. Which allowed Oscar Traynor to escape. I suspect we are within a few days or hours of that event. All told (effigy/armour/etc), I suspect that we are after the capture of O'Connor. On 3 July 1922. But not much later than the Brugha's final actions. On 5 July 1922. Probably around the same time or day as the previous Hogan "escape" photo. Also below. www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/6340864262/ www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/6531043199/
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
Great! Thanks all. I've tried (as usual) to boil down the main points in an update to the description. I hope I did it (and ye) justice!
oaktree_brian_1976
If that's what it is, the .303 Vickers machine gun in the turret would leave a nasty aftertaste with anyone caught on the wrong end of it.
oaktree_brian_1976
Oh I know where we are. That's Nelson's Pillar that was blown up in 1966 in another photo we had here.
nlpnt
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected] Probably more so than anything in Spring Grove Services' cube van! (Or maybe not?)