1910s | The Little Museum Collection

St. Stephen’s Green Garrison, 1916/1940s

This somewhat gory souvenir placard recalls the aftermath of the Easter Rising

Michael Mallin’s garrison of 200 men was camped across the road in the Green during the Rising. (Countess Markiewicz was his second- in-command). The British forces made use of the high buildings surrounding the square to gain the upper hand on the rebels.

Each morning both sides halted fire in order to let the ducks in the Green be fed.

Eventually the rebels were forced to retreat to the Royal College of Surgeons on the other side of the Green. The casualties are remembered on this gory souvenir placard from the 1940s; as you can see, Mallin was executed for his part in the Rising.

Permanent Collection

Watch a documentary about the Easter Rising:

Postcards from the Easter Rising, 1916

Dublin suffered a lot of damage during the rising

In ascending order (left): wrecked shops on Sackville Street, smoking ruins on the side of the Liffey, the shelled remnants of Liberty Hall (headquarters of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union). (Right): damaged buildings on Abbey Street, the remains of the Hotel Metropole and the General Post Office, and the scene on a Sackville Street corner.

Permanent Collection

Watch a documentary about the 1916 Easter Rising:

HMS Dublin Flag, 1910s

This was the flag of the HMS Dublin

The Battle of Jutland was one of the key naval engagements of the First World War. HMS Dublin played a part in the battle, which was fought in 1916. The ship had been adopted by a committee of Dublin citizens and businessmen who raised funds to provide it with a band and other amenities.

When the ship was decommissioned in 1926, Dublin Chamber of Commerce was presented with its battle-scarred ensign – complete with Union Jack – and in turn the Chamber donated it to Christ Church, since when it has languished, unseen, in the cathedral crypt.

With thanks to Christ Church Cathedral

Watch the first part of a Battle of Jutland documentary:

St. Columba’s Appeal, 1910

St. Columba’s College appeal to widen the cricket pitch

Just up the road from Patrick Pearse’s school, Scoil Éanna, there was a Protestant boarding school, St. Columba’s College, where the aim was to furnish the sons of the landed gentry with a decent education. Here the college appeals to old boys for a few quid to widen the cricket pitch, a need that is all the greater in view of the upcoming game against sister school Radley.

With thanks to St. Columba’s College

Sinn Féin Rebellion, 1916

Sackville Street in the aftermath of the Easter Rising

This picture shows Sackville Street (now O’Connell Street) before and after the 1916 Rising. Like many documents of the period, it refers to the Rising as the Sinn Féin Rebellion. Sinn Féin had nothing to do with the Rising, though nationalists flooded into the party as public opinion turned against British rule.

Permanent Collection

Watch a documentary on the rise of Sinn Fein:

Scoil Éanna Prospectus, 1910

The 1910 prospectus for Patrick Pearse’s Irish-language school Scoil Éanna

This school prospectus encapsulates the two great loves of P.H. Pearse’s life: education and the Irish language. Greatly encouraged by the example of Belgian schools, in 1908 Pearse founded Scoil Éanna in Ranelagh, a bilingual school for boys, followed shortly in 1910 by a girls’ school, Scoil Íde.

As well as teaching through both Irish and English, Pearse pursued and pioneered a child-centred approach to education. His 1912 collection of essays, The Murder Machine, was an indictment of the British education system, placing Pearse at the forefront of educational innovation.

With thanks to Richard Brett

Lemonade Bottle, 1918

Lemonade bottle recovered from the wreck of the RMS Leinster

This unopened bottle of lemonade was found by David Casserly in the wreck of the RMS Leinster, which was sunk by a German submarine in October 1918, two months before the end of the First World War. The greatest disaster in Irish maritime history, the loss of the mail boat off the coast of Dún Laoghaire took the lives of 501 people, including about 300 soliders and nurses returning to the front.

The bottle was manufactured by Cantrell and Cochrane, better known as C&C. It was made in Bristol, by the Price stoneware company.

With thanks to David Casserly

Watch a lecture about Ireland and WWI:

The Freeman’s Journal, 1916

The Freeman’s Journal account of the executions of the leaders of the Easter Rising

This edition of the Freeman’s Journal lists the names of the four men executed the previous day, among them Michael Mallin who was in command of the garrison stationed in St Stephen’s Green. It also gives the reaction of the British press, with the Manchester Guardian predicting: “Further executions can only create martyrs to refresh and renew the old bitterness between England and Ireland.”

Permanent Collection

John Bull and Hibernia, 1912

Cartoon commenting on Anglo-Irish relations in 1912

This cartoon by John Fergus O’Hea shows John Bull (Britain) and Hibernia (Ireland) shaking hands in front of the burning fire of an Entente Cordiale. O’Hea, who worked under the pseudonym Spex, was one of the most prolific Irish political cartoonists of his time. The cartoon suggests that love is in the air, although Hibernia seems a little unsure.

Permanent Collection

Eamon De Valera by Mick O’Dea, 1916

Ten of Ireland’s most accomplished artists have each produced a piece that reflects on some aspect of life in Dublin during the 20th Century

Mick O’Dea RHA tackles the second decade, a seismic period in Irish life, where rebellion was followed by a War of Independence. Making compelling work in his signature style, from the photographs of the day, Mick uses brilliantly economic handling of line and colour to breathe new life into the telling of the tale. Steeped personally in the history of the period, Mick’s painting, Commandant De Valera in Custody, 1916 shows De Valera arrested by two Tommies in the aftermath of the 1916 rising. The future Taoiseach and President of the Republic, spared execution because of his foreign birth, stands tall between his captors. He would cast a long and controversial shadow.

With thanks to Mick O’Dea

Watch the first part of a documentary on De Valera;

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