Death of young girl shot during Dublin Lockout 1913.
Armed labourers delivering coal opened fire on crowd.
Alice Brady, the 16-year-old Dublin girl who was shot in on Mark Street in Dublin’s south inner-city in December, has died in hospital. Ms. Brady was suffering from lockjaw caused by a bullet wound. A Dublin labourer, Patrick Traynor, has been charged with her murder and was remanded in custody yesterday at the Southern Police Court. Mr. Traynor had been delivering coal for Messrs. Robinson, merchants.
The inquest into Ms. Brady’s death, held at the City Morgue yesterday, has heard conflicting accounts of what happened on Mark Street. Mr. Traynor claimed on arrest: ‘I did not fire the shot at the girl at all. I did not see the girl. It was the cause of the belt I got in the arm that the shot went off.’ Evidence given to the court by Police-Constable Allen said that he was escorting the coal delivery when it passed down Mark Street. On the street, there was a hostile crowd and a man struck a horse. That horse then started, and was soon followed by a second. Constable Allen said that he considered his life to be in danger from the hostile crowd that had gathered and that he also considered the lives of the men delivering the coal to be in danger. Constable Allen’s evidence was supported by another policeman, Constable Sherry.
This evidence was directly contradicted by other witnesses, however. Alexander G. Kennedy, a foreman employed by Dublin Corporation, told the court that his evidence had previously been suppressed. Mr. Kennedy told the inquest that he saw Mr. Traynor fire two shots, one of which was directed towards where a group of women were standing. He said he asked a man who appeared to be in charge, did he know that Mr. Traynor had a revolver? The man replied that he did and that its use was justified. Mr. Kennedy then told the inquest that he said to Mr. Traynor: ‘You fool, why did you shoot?’ and that he replied: ‘I did it in accordance with instructions.’
Under cross-examination, Mr. Kennedy told the court that there had been no stone-throwing at all and that it was ridiculous to suggest that the hostility of the crowd was such as to make it necessary for the policeman or any of the coalmen to draw a revolver to defend their lives. Mr. Kennedy’s evidence was supported by other witnesses, Patrick Ennis and Kate Nolan. The coroner’s jury found that Ms. Brady died from lockjaw following a wound caused by a revolved shot fired by Mr. Traynor who, they believed, had not intended to do bodily harm, but rather wished to frighten off a hostile crowd.
From RTE Century Ireland.
The inquest into Ms. Brady’s death, held at the City Morgue yesterday, has heard conflicting accounts of what happened on Mark Street. Mr. Traynor claimed on arrest: ‘I did not fire the shot at the girl at all. I did not see the girl. It was the cause of the belt I got in the arm that the shot went off.’ Evidence given to the court by Police-Constable Allen said that he was escorting the coal delivery when it passed down Mark Street. On the street, there was a hostile crowd and a man struck a horse. That horse then started, and was soon followed by a second. Constable Allen said that he considered his life to be in danger from the hostile crowd that had gathered and that he also considered the lives of the men delivering the coal to be in danger. Constable Allen’s evidence was supported by another policeman, Constable Sherry.
This evidence was directly contradicted by other witnesses, however. Alexander G. Kennedy, a foreman employed by Dublin Corporation, told the court that his evidence had previously been suppressed. Mr. Kennedy told the inquest that he saw Mr. Traynor fire two shots, one of which was directed towards where a group of women were standing. He said he asked a man who appeared to be in charge, did he know that Mr. Traynor had a revolver? The man replied that he did and that its use was justified. Mr. Kennedy then told the inquest that he said to Mr. Traynor: ‘You fool, why did you shoot?’ and that he replied: ‘I did it in accordance with instructions.’
Under cross-examination, Mr. Kennedy told the court that there had been no stone-throwing at all and that it was ridiculous to suggest that the hostility of the crowd was such as to make it necessary for the policeman or any of the coalmen to draw a revolver to defend their lives. Mr. Kennedy’s evidence was supported by other witnesses, Patrick Ennis and Kate Nolan. The coroner’s jury found that Ms. Brady died from lockjaw following a wound caused by a revolved shot fired by Mr. Traynor who, they believed, had not intended to do bodily harm, but rather wished to frighten off a hostile crowd.
From RTE Century Ireland.
Anniversary of Alicia Brady death 101 years ago on 18th December 2014.
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A group of people gathered at 1pm on Thursday 18th December 2014 to mark the 101st anniversary of a young girl who was 16 years old when she died. Alicia Brady was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The year was 1913 amid the time known as the Lockout, were workers struggled with employers who had locked them out of their employment. There was a struggle to establish worker rights by James Larkin and the unions for the workers of Dublin. Hunger and serious hardship had been experienced by the families affected by the Lockout.
The young Alicia Brady from Luke Street worked at Jacobs biscuit factory, she was locked out along with 600 men and women who worked in that factory. Alicia had gone to the Manchester sheds on Sir John Rogerson Quay on the Dublin docks to collect a charity food parcel to feed her family. Her return journey took Alicia along Mark Street passing the Church of Saint Mark just off Pearse Street. Saint Marks Church was erected in the 1750s off what was then Great Brunswick Street now Pearse Street. It was consecrated by the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Charles Cobb, on St Mark’s day the 25th April 1757. On approaching the Church Alicia would have noticed a gathering of men who were trying to stop a delivery of coal to St Marks Church. The "scabs" a term used to describe the strike breakers, were working for the coal company who had locked out their workers. In the melee which took place during the coal delivery one of the strike breakers Patrick Traynor had a revolver and fired shots to disperse the strikers. One of the bullets struck and wounded the young Alicia as she passed innocently by the church, later she died of Lockjaw in hospital as a result of the bullet wound. At the gathering of Family, friends and union members a wreath was laid to the memory of Alicia on the 101st anniversary of her sad death, she was the last person to die as a result of the conflict of that terrible year for working-class Dubliners. |
Commemoration of the Centenary of the death of Alicia Brady
Saturday 4th January 2014.
Alicia Brady Died over One Hundred Years Ago.
Alicia Brady, a 16 year old Jacob’s striker, was fatally injured by the ricochet from a revolver fired by a strike breaker, or scab, called Patrick Traynor on December 18th over 100 years ago. She would subsequently die from tetanus contracted from the ricochet, which struck her in the hand. At the inquest it was discovered that she had not been given an injection to prevent tetanus. Although this was standard practice in British and American hospitals, it was not routinely administered in Dublin. Her immune system was probably weakened by an inadequate diet over the previous three months. She was bringing provisions for her family from the Manchester Shed on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, where Food Ship supplies, were stored when a clash occurred between local women and two strike breakers delivering a cartload of coal to St Mark’s Church on Great Brunswick (now Pearse) Street in Dublin. It is not clear if she joined the protest. She was struck in an open hand which suggests she had put down the provisions and the family oral tradition is that she raised her hands to protect herself from the gunfire. It also suggests she was at or near the front of the group of protestors. |
Photographs from the commemoration of the death of Alica Brady in Glasnevin Cemetery and Museum on Saturday 4th January 2014 - 100 years after her untimely death at the tender age of 16 years.
Alicia Brady featured on the 1913 Lockout 100 year anniversary Tapestry.
Alicia is remembered on the impressive 1913 Lockout Tapestry Project, a collaborative arts project representing scenes from the Dublin Lockout.
Painters Cathy Henderson and Robert Ballagh have been commissioned by SIPTU and the National College of Art and Design to create a visual narrative of over 30 panels. The panels will be laid out in ‘comic book’ style and will be multimedia textile pieces measuring 60cm x 76cm (2ft x 2.5ft).
The panels themselves are being made by volunteers, including members of the Irish Guild of Embroiderers, the Irish Patchwork Society, RADE (Rehabilitation through Art, Drama and Education), the Irish Countrywomen’s Association, a number of Dublin schools, community arts groups, trade union activists and inmates of Limerick prison.
Painters Cathy Henderson and Robert Ballagh have been commissioned by SIPTU and the National College of Art and Design to create a visual narrative of over 30 panels. The panels will be laid out in ‘comic book’ style and will be multimedia textile pieces measuring 60cm x 76cm (2ft x 2.5ft).
The panels themselves are being made by volunteers, including members of the Irish Guild of Embroiderers, the Irish Patchwork Society, RADE (Rehabilitation through Art, Drama and Education), the Irish Countrywomen’s Association, a number of Dublin schools, community arts groups, trade union activists and inmates of Limerick prison.