Riots in Dublin

Troops fire on the crowd

Volunteers exploit

Four killed and sixty wounded

An appalling sequel to a successful gun running exploit by the Irish volunteers at Howth some ten miles from the capital occurred.

Police soldiers and volunteers came into collision with the result that four persons two being women were killed and 60 others are in hospital suffering from series injuries.

It is stated that from a private yacht nationalists handed over 2500 rifles and 170,000 rounds of ammunition. They cut the telegraph wires and stopped communication with Dublin nine miles away. Motor cars awaited the yacht and conveyed the rifles and ammunition to Dublin.

They were stopped at contralto by the King's Own Scottish Borderers and the police and some firing occurred. The troops seized a few of the rifles. When the troops and police marched back into Dublin in the evening they were followed by a crowd, mostly lads and women who cheered for Mr Redmond and home rule.

Stones were thrown and near the O'Connell bridge the troops turned and fired on the crowd. In Liffey Street the pavements were covered with blood. All the available city police were sent down to Howth by train and tramcar, but they got the too late to be of any use.

At the Sam time a large force of the Royal Irish constabulary armed with carbines and 100 of the Kings Own Scottish Borderers were turned out to take up positions barring the re-entry into the city.

Who fired first The police proceeded to disarm the volunteers and seized a number of rifles. This was naturally resented and shots rang out, coming it is said from the volunteer forces.

Fighting at once became general and the volunteers struck out with the butt end of their rifles. Volunteers anxious to make sure of their guns, took off across the fields and safely brought their arms into the city.

Marching back to barracks the Scottish Borderers again met with a hostile crowd with others following at their heels.

For a while the crowd was content to boo and shout but steadily their fury grew and they began to throw stones and bottles. Smarting under this onslaught many of the soldiers broke rank and charged with fixed bayonets, the crack of rifles then rang out followed by the agonised shrieks of men, women and children.

Nobody knows who gave the order to fire and the officer in charge of barracks declined to give any statement. Three women were the first to fall with the first volley and it was asserted that at this time there were no volunteers armed or otherwise at this spot.

When the order was given for the police, who were 300 strong in front of the soldiers, to draw their batons and charge, 20 or 30 of them would not carry out the order, with a few of them shouting 'We are Irish and we will remain Irishmen'