Howth gun-running
Encyclopedia
The Howth gun running took place in Ireland
on 26 July 1914. It was a key step in providing arms to the Irish Volunteers
, and played a role in the run-up to the Easter Rising
of 1916.
In response to the success of the Larne gun-running in arming the Ulster Volunteers, the Howth gun running intended to redress the balance by providing arms to the Irish Volunteers
. Senior Irish Volunteer
Patrick Pearse
had commented that: "the only thing more ridiculous than an Ulsterman with a rifle is a Nationalist without one".
The idea was conceived by a group of nationalists, residents of Howth
, among them Erskine Childers
, Molly Childers
, Sir Roger Casement, Alice Stopford Green
and Mary Spring Rice . Molly Childers and Spring Rice established a board to raise funds for the arms, and succeeded in acquiring just over £2000. Molly kept a diary of the events, a priceless (and witty) historical document. The Childers offered their yacht, the Asgard
, a pleasure craft, to run the guns into Ireland. The arms were sourced from Germany, 900 Mauser M1871
11 mm calibre single shot rifles and 29,000 rounds of its black powder ammunition
. The guns, dating from the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870–71 but still functioning, are remembered in the song "My Old Howth Mauser", and were used in the GPO in the Easter Rising
of 1916.
A much smaller number of rifles was landed from the Chotah simultaneously at Kilcoole
in County Wicklow
by Sir Thomas Myles
, a surgeon, barrister and politician Tom Kettle
and barrister James Meredith
.
, where they met the ship carrying their weapons at the mouth of the Elbe. The arms filled the boat's cabin entirely, leaving little space to sleep or prepare food, all of which was done on top of the arms. On the return journey, they were met with bad storms, and had to sail their illicit cargo through an entire fleet of the British navy, out in anticipation of the outbreak of the coming war.
, led by Countess Markievicz, ready with hand carts and wheelbarrows. Present were Bulmer Hobson
, Douglas Hyde
, Darrell Figgis
, Peadar Kearney
and Thomas MacDonagh
. The harbour master informed the authorities about the situation, and a detachment of the King's Own Scottish Borderers
were dispatched from their barracks at Kilmainham
. The two groups met at Clontarf. Thomas MacDonagh and Bulmer Hobson succeeded in engaging the soldiers in conversation long enough for the back ranks of the Irish Citizen Army
to quietly relay the guns away and hide them in the nearby Christian Brothers'
grounds. In total, three guns were seized, however these had to be returned as they were seized illegally by the authorities.
Whilst returning to their barracks, some soldiers from the Borderers reached Bachelors Walk, where they came across an unarmed but hostile crowd who baited them. The crowd mocked them for not seizing the arms. An officer who had joined them en route was unaware that their arms were prepared to fire, and gave the order to face the crowd. While he was addressing the civilians, a shot was fired by one of the troops and this was followed by a volley. Three people were killed instantly—Mrs Duffy, James Brennan and Patrick Quinn—and thirty-eight were injured. One man died later of bayonet wounds.
A subsequent commission of inquiry censured the use of the military. The incident caused widespread indignation throughout Ireland.
The weapons in both landings were also very different. The Mauser M1871
used gunpowder (black powder) that can foul a gun after several shots, and each round had to be hand-loaded individually. The unionists had mostly landed Gewehr 88s and M1870/87 Vetterli-Vitali
s of the next generation of rifles, each with a magazine for rapid firing and smokeless powder
ammunition in stripper clip
s for faster loading. Smokeless powder yields about 4 times the energy of black powder, resulting in flatter trajectories
and longer range, and produces less muzzle blast than black powder. The comparison adds to the conclusion that the Howth guns were bought primarily for the publicity effect and, while lethal, did not compare to the Larne guns on a like-for-like basis. Given his experience in the Second Boer War
, Childers would have been well aware of these differences.
swelled as a result.
In 1961, the Irish government arranged a reenactment of the Howth gun running, procuring the original Asgard from its owner and featuring some of the original Mausers and surviving Volunteers who were present that day. An address was read by then president Éamon de Valera
, and a plaque was erected on the pier commemorating the events.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on 26 July 1914. It was a key step in providing arms to the Irish Volunteers
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
, and played a role in the run-up to the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
of 1916.
The gun-running plan
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
. Senior Irish Volunteer
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
Patrick Pearse
Patrick Pearse
Patrick Henry Pearse was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist and political activist who was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916...
had commented that: "the only thing more ridiculous than an Ulsterman with a rifle is a Nationalist without one".
The idea was conceived by a group of nationalists, residents of Howth
Howth
Howth is an area in Fingal County near Dublin city in Ireland. Originally just a small fishing village, Howth with its surrounding rural district is now a busy suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development and wild hillside, all on the peninsula of Howth Head. The only...
, among them Erskine Childers
Robert Erskine Childers
Robert Erskine Childers DSC , universally known as Erskine Childers, was the author of the influential novel Riddle of the Sands and an Irish nationalist who smuggled guns to Ireland in his sailing yacht Asgard. He was executed by the authorities of the nascent Irish Free State during the Irish...
, Molly Childers
Molly Childers
Mary Alden Osgood Childers MBE was an American-born Irish writer and Irish nationalist. She was the daughter of Dr. Hamilton Osgood and Margaret Cushing Osgood of Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts. Her older sister was Gretchen Osgood Warren and she was married to the writer and Irish...
, Sir Roger Casement, Alice Stopford Green
Alice Stopford Green
Alice Stopford Green was an Irish historian and nationalist.She was born Alice Sophia Amelia Stopford in Kells, County Meath. Her father Edward Adderley Stopford was Rector of Kells and Archdeacon of Meath. Her paternal grandfather was the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Meath...
and Mary Spring Rice . Molly Childers and Spring Rice established a board to raise funds for the arms, and succeeded in acquiring just over £2000. Molly kept a diary of the events, a priceless (and witty) historical document. The Childers offered their yacht, the Asgard
Asgard (yacht)
The Asgard is a yacht, formerly owned by the English-born Irish nationalist, and writer Robert Erskine Childers and his wife Molly Childers. It was bought for £1,000 in 1904 from one of Norway's most famous boat designers, Colin Archer...
, a pleasure craft, to run the guns into Ireland. The arms were sourced from Germany, 900 Mauser M1871
Mauser Model 1871
The Mauser Model 1871 adopted as the Gewehr 71 or Infanterie-Gewehr 71 was the first of millions of rifles manufactured to the designs of Paul Mauser and Wilhelm Mauser of the Mauser company.During 1870-71 trials with many different rifles took place, with the "M1869 Bavarian Werder" being the...
11 mm calibre single shot rifles and 29,000 rounds of its black powder ammunition
11x60mm Mauser
The 11mm Mauser was a blackpowder cartridge developed for the Mauser Model 1871 rifle, and used later in the 71/84 variant. It is no longer in production, but is available from custom loaders, and dies exist to handload it. It is also known as .43 Mauser....
. The guns, dating from the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870–71 but still functioning, are remembered in the song "My Old Howth Mauser", and were used in the GPO in the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
of 1916.
A much smaller number of rifles was landed from the Chotah simultaneously at Kilcoole
Kilcoole
Kilcoole is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is three kilometres south of Greystones, 14 kilometres north of Wicklow, and about 25 kilometres south of Dublin. It was used as the set for the Irish television series Glenroe, which ran through the 1980s and 1990s...
in County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
by Sir Thomas Myles
Thomas Myles
Sir Thomas Myles, CB was a prominent Irish Home Ruler and surgeon, involved in the importation of arms for the Irish Volunteers in 1914....
, a surgeon, barrister and politician Tom Kettle
Thomas Kettle
Thomas Michael "Tom" Kettle was an Irish journalist, barrister, writer, poet, soldier, economist and Home Rule politician. As a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, he was Member of Parliament for East Tyrone from 1906 to 1910 at Westminster...
and barrister James Meredith
James Creed Meredith
James Creed Meredith K.C., LL.D. was an Irish nationalist of the early 20th century, who upheld Brehon Law. He was President of the Supreme Court of the Irish Republic, Chief Judicial Commissioner of Ireland and a Judge of the High Court and the Supreme Court of Ireland...
.
Shipping the guns
Conor O'Brien, the Childers, Spring Rice and two Gola Island, County Donegal sailors, Patrick McGinley and Charles Dugen, sailed the Asgard and O'Brien's yacht Kelpie to HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, where they met the ship carrying their weapons at the mouth of the Elbe. The arms filled the boat's cabin entirely, leaving little space to sleep or prepare food, all of which was done on top of the arms. On the return journey, they were met with bad storms, and had to sail their illicit cargo through an entire fleet of the British navy, out in anticipation of the outbreak of the coming war.
Arrival in Howth
The Asgard unloaded the arms in Howth harbour on July 26 1914. It was met by the Irish Citizen ArmyIrish Citizen Army
The Irish Citizen Army , or ICA, was a small group of trained trade union volunteers established in Dublin for the defence of worker’s demonstrations from the police. It was formed by James Larkin and Jack White. Other prominent members included James Connolly, Seán O'Casey, Constance Markievicz,...
, led by Countess Markievicz, ready with hand carts and wheelbarrows. Present were Bulmer Hobson
Bulmer Hobson
John Bulmer Hobson was a leading member of the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Republican Brotherhood before the Easter Rising in 1916...
, Douglas Hyde
Douglas Hyde
Douglas Hyde , known as An Craoibhín Aoibhinn , was an Irish scholar of the Irish language who served as the first President of Ireland from 1938 to 1945...
, Darrell Figgis
Darrell Figgis
Darrell Edmund Figgis was an Irish writer, Sinn Féin activist and independent parliamentarian in the Irish Free State. The little that has been written about him has attempted to highlight how thoroughly his memory and works have been excised from Irish popular culture.-Early life:Darrell Figgis...
, Peadar Kearney
Peadar Kearney
Peadar Kearney was an Irish republican and composer of numerous rebel songs. In 1907 he wrote the lyrics to "The Soldier's Song" , now the Irish national anthem.-Background:...
and Thomas MacDonagh
Thomas MacDonagh
Thomas MacDonagh was an Irish nationalist, poet, playwright, and a leader of the 1916 Easter Rising.-Early life:MacDonagh was born in Cloughjordan, County Tipperary...
. The harbour master informed the authorities about the situation, and a detachment of the King's Own Scottish Borderers
King's Own Scottish Borderers
The King's Own Scottish Borderers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division.-History:It was raised on 18 March 1689 by the Earl of Leven to defend Edinburgh against the Jacobite forces of James II. It is said that 800 men were recruited within the space of two hours...
were dispatched from their barracks at Kilmainham
Kilmainham
Kilmainham is a suburb of Dublin south of the River Liffey and west of the city centre, in the Dublin 8 postal district.-History:In the Viking era, the monastery was home to the first Norse base in Ireland....
. The two groups met at Clontarf. Thomas MacDonagh and Bulmer Hobson succeeded in engaging the soldiers in conversation long enough for the back ranks of the Irish Citizen Army
Irish Citizen Army
The Irish Citizen Army , or ICA, was a small group of trained trade union volunteers established in Dublin for the defence of worker’s demonstrations from the police. It was formed by James Larkin and Jack White. Other prominent members included James Connolly, Seán O'Casey, Constance Markievicz,...
to quietly relay the guns away and hide them in the nearby Christian Brothers'
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
grounds. In total, three guns were seized, however these had to be returned as they were seized illegally by the authorities.
Bachelor's walk
By this stage a crowd had gathered, and on seeing the soldiers frustrated they began to heckle and jeer.Whilst returning to their barracks, some soldiers from the Borderers reached Bachelors Walk, where they came across an unarmed but hostile crowd who baited them. The crowd mocked them for not seizing the arms. An officer who had joined them en route was unaware that their arms were prepared to fire, and gave the order to face the crowd. While he was addressing the civilians, a shot was fired by one of the troops and this was followed by a volley. Three people were killed instantly—Mrs Duffy, James Brennan and Patrick Quinn—and thirty-eight were injured. One man died later of bayonet wounds.
A subsequent commission of inquiry censured the use of the military. The incident caused widespread indignation throughout Ireland.
Comparison with the Larne gun-running
Despite claims of collusion between the Ulster Volunteers and the authorities over the Larne gun-running, in contrast to the Irish Volunteers who were intercepted by the police and army, the manner of both gun-runnings say more about the strategies used by either side. Whilst the Ulster Volunteers planned theirs as a secret operation to arm their members, Bulmer Hobson of the Irish Volunteers sought to create a propaganda coup. This is emphasised by the fact the Ulster Volunteers split their weapons into three different caches, used a decoy vessel to distract the authorities, and landed their arms under the cover of darkness. The Irish Volunteers on the other hand landed theirs in daylight, under a "blaze of publicity", as close to the capital, Dublin, as possible.The weapons in both landings were also very different. The Mauser M1871
Mauser Model 1871
The Mauser Model 1871 adopted as the Gewehr 71 or Infanterie-Gewehr 71 was the first of millions of rifles manufactured to the designs of Paul Mauser and Wilhelm Mauser of the Mauser company.During 1870-71 trials with many different rifles took place, with the "M1869 Bavarian Werder" being the...
used gunpowder (black powder) that can foul a gun after several shots, and each round had to be hand-loaded individually. The unionists had mostly landed Gewehr 88s and M1870/87 Vetterli-Vitali
M1870 Italian Vetterli
The M1870 Vetterli was the Italian service rifle from 1870-1878, when it was replaced with the M1870/87 Italian Vetterli-Vitali variant. The M1870 was a single-shot bolt action rifle chambered for the 10.4mm Vetterli centrefire cartridge, at first with black powder and later with smokeless powder...
s of the next generation of rifles, each with a magazine for rapid firing and smokeless powder
Smokeless powder
Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced...
ammunition in stripper clip
Stripper clip
A stripper clip or charger is a speedloader that holds several cartridges together in a single unit for easier loading of a firearm's magazine. A stripper clip is used only for loading the magazine and is not necessary for the firearm to function...
s for faster loading. Smokeless powder yields about 4 times the energy of black powder, resulting in flatter trajectories
Trajectory
A trajectory is the path that a moving object follows through space as a function of time. The object might be a projectile or a satellite, for example. It thus includes the meaning of orbit—the path of a planet, an asteroid or a comet as it travels around a central mass...
and longer range, and produces less muzzle blast than black powder. The comparison adds to the conclusion that the Howth guns were bought primarily for the publicity effect and, while lethal, did not compare to the Larne guns on a like-for-like basis. Given his experience in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, Childers would have been well aware of these differences.
Commemoration
The killing of unarmed civilians at Bachelors Walk shocked many in Ireland and beyond. "Remember Bachelor's Walk" became a rallying cry, and the ranks of the Irish VolunteersIrish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
swelled as a result.
In 1961, the Irish government arranged a reenactment of the Howth gun running, procuring the original Asgard from its owner and featuring some of the original Mausers and surviving Volunteers who were present that day. An address was read by then president Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
, and a plaque was erected on the pier commemorating the events.
External links
- The Irish Times, "The 1916 Rising: The Uneasy Calm before the Coming Storm"http://www.irishtimes.com/focus/easterrising/sunday/
- The Bachelor's Walk song http://www.articlearchives.com/humanities-social-science/literature-literature/1481848-1.html
- The Howth Gun Runninghttp://www.triskelle.eu/history/howthgunrunning.php?index=060.120.020
- Bachelor's Walkhttp://www.triskelle.eu/lyrics/bachelorswalk.php?index=080.010.020.020&rec=27