Kitty Collins
Transcript

M. Ní hA.: And… so then you were… you must’ve lived, well you’ve lived through 1916 and the rest?

Ms. C.: Oh yes.

M. Ní hA.: Have you any particular memories? Do you remember that at all?

Ms. C.: Oh the 1916?

M. Ní hA.: Yeah.

Ms. C.: Ah yes, I remember that

M. Ní hA.: What was it like for you?

Ms. C.: Oh… a bit tough. ’Cos when the… when the Volunteers took over like, they took over the… the post office. They took over the City Hall, they took over… all down around town. And then when the Army came in, they came in by the North Wall and they went all up along the quay, and they started like firing from Wood Quay straight across to the Four Courts. That was the… Then they were in Marrowbone Lane Baker… Marrowbone Lane Bakeries up there. And they were in Jacobs, and they were in… I forget what brewery they were in... They were in at the corner of York Street, the White Swan – that was the Public House there. They fought from there. They fought from the College of Science, into Stephen’s Green. The Countess Markievicz was in the College and… they went all up along Stephen’s Green. They were all scattered all around.

M. Ní hA.: And the people from the Liberties, the men from around here, were they much involved on the one side or the other?

Ms. C.: Well, no, the only thing there was like, in the Liberties now, we’ll say Francis Street, there was martial law. We had to be in again seven o’clock because the soldiers used to go up and down.

M. Ní hA.: They’d be watching. And what was the attitude to the soldiers generally?

Ms. C.: Pardon?

M. Ní hA.: What was the attitude to the soldiers?

Ms. C.: Ah no, they were alright now, the soldiers were alright.  The only thing… you were ordered to stay in… off of the streets; had to be in again eight o’clock was the latest. Ah but they used to only march up and down. Then there was a couple out of Francis Street, there was the Gilmores out of Francis Street, they were taken away with the Black and Tans. And… there was somebody… I forget now the name of them… I can’t think of their names. There was a few of them taken away like with the Black and Tans, finishing up like of the Volunteers of 1916.

  • Informant
    Miss Collins (Ms. C.)
  • Age
    84
  • Address
    Portobello, Dublin 8
  • Collector
    Móna Ní hAilbheartaigh (M. Ní hA.)
  • Date of recording
    06/04/1980
  • Recording context
    Informant’s home
  • Reference
    (ms.) NFC 2003: 79-169, (audio) UFP0471
  • Faisnéiseoir
    Miss Collins (Ms. C.)
  • Aois
    84
  • Seoladh
    Baile Átha Cliath
  • Bailitheoir
    Móna Ní hAilbheartaigh (M. Ní hA.)
  • Dáta Taifeadta
    06/04/1980
  • Comhthéacs Taifeadta
    Teach an fhaisnéiseora
  • Tagairt
    (ls.) NFC 2003: 79-169, (fuaim) UFP0471
The Royal College of Science, Merrion Street (now Government Buildings) [Carl W. von Sydow, circa 1925]