The Hospital today...
...and as it would have looked at the time.
Images of graves below.
Seven men, two members of the Irish Volunteers and five British Army soldiers, are buried side by side in what is literally the back garden of Dr. Steeven’s Hospital.
This is not a graveyard, but as stated above quite literally a garden. The two graves could not be physicially closer, or more symbolically diffferent, than they are.
Of the British Army men, almost all belong to Irish Regiments.
The names of the men are provided in the images below underneath their respective headstones. Of the rebel casualties, one belonged to the Fingal Battalion and one to the 4th Battalion Dublin Brigade. The Fingal Battalion, or ‘North Dublin Battalion’, for the most part fought with Thomas Ashe during the insurrection. His burial here shows that sometimes people ended up in random locations owing to their time of arrival or other commitments, or simply due to the need for reinforcements in parts of the city. The 4th Battalion are associated with the action at the South Dublin Union where they served under Éamonn Ceannt. His Battalion is said to have numbered around 120 men. Volunteer Sean Owens, who belonged to that Battalion, was twenty four years old at the time of the insurrection, and from the Coombe area of Dublin.Interesting information regarding the fight leading to his death can be found in Uncommon Valour by Paul O’ Brien, published by Mercier Press. He is said to have been killed less than two hours into the taking of the South Dublin Union, and is therefore one of the earliest casualties of the Republican side.
Volunteer Peter Wilson, a Swords native, was shot after the surrender of the Mendicity Institution. This group of Volunteers were to hold the position for a number of hours, but managed to hold out until Wednesday. Despite emerging under a white flag, Wilson was shot and killed. He was 40 years old at the time.
By pure chance, the 1916 service medal of Volunteer Owens is currently listed in an upcoming auction at Whytes auction house in Dublin City. It is valued, amazingly, at €15,000 to €20,000.
Lot 165, its description reads:
“1916 Rising Service Medal to Private John Owens, B Company, 4th Battalion, killed in action, South Dublin Union, 24 April. €15,000- €20,000”
The medal of one of our Volunteers below
This amazing photograph below from the gravesite at Steeven’s Hospital is included in the lot, and more information is available here at invaluable.com
Photo of a memorial service in the hospital grounds, from the Irish Press September 1935
Notice that one of the British Army men buried here is a Lancer who died on the 24th of April, 1916. Lancers came under fire on the first day of the rebellion from the Four Courts Garrison and, more famously, the rebel headquarters at the General Post Office. Other Lancers are buried in Grangegorman Cemetery today, where one grave notes that the man was “Killed during the Irish Rebellion”
Three of the men buried here belonged to the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment, which was based at Richmond Barracks, under Lt.Col R L Owens. Their strength at the time of the insurrection was 18 officers and 385 other ranks.
Ceannt photographed with Irish Volunteers
A grave holding two Irish Volunteers sits right next to one holding five British Army soldiers (Four from Irish Regiments)
Easter lillies on the grave of the two Irish Volunteers
We had to rub the British Army headstone down with a wet cloth to be able to read the text, which I think you can see clearly below.
The headstone to the British Army casualties
G.W Barnett
Sherwood Foresters
27th April 1916
O. Bentley
5th Lancers
24th April 1916
M. Carr
3rd Bn. Royal Irish Regiment
24th April 1916
J. Duffy
3rd Bn. Royal Irish Regiment
24th April 1916
T.Treacy
3rd Bn. Royal Irish Regiment
24th April 1916
The text of the Volunteers gravestone. Notice the 'Oglaidh na hÉireann' logo.
Vol. Sean Owens
4th Batt. Dublin Brigade
Vol. Peter Wilson
Fingal Brigade
Want to visit the graves? Dr. Steeven’s Hospital is the building right across the way from Heuston Station.
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 
Great find lads.
Deans Grange has a similar case, a Scots Guard if I remember right buried alongside Irish Volunteers.
Pity to see a gem like that medal go under the hammer, when i win the lotto….
A photo of that Scots Guard, Peter Ennis can be see here on page 20 …
Click to access Glasnevin_booklet_for_web.pdf
Not been to Deans Grange, but as I mentioned in the piece Grangegorman is well worth a look. I’ll do a piece on it down the line.
There are a lot more British army graves (I’m guessing around 40) from 1916 in the old military graveyyard on Blackhorse avenue, about 200m past McKee Barricks.
Yep, that’s Grangegorman, amazing ones there too. As I mentioned above one even states “killed during the irish rebellion” which is unusual to see.
I sought out these graves myself after reading Paul O’ Briens book, which I see you’ve included a nod to in your piece. A great work that brings the period back to life vividly.
I found this while looking for the auction lot on google, so if it goes for well over €20,000 someone owes your site a few pennies. marvellous work for such youngsters, long may you continue.
Some info for you on Wilson, from the NGA:
“Peter Wilson was 40 years of age and a native of Swords when mobilised on Easter Monday, 1916. He was sent to Finglas on Tuesday. There was an order from Dublin for reinforcements. Wilson was sent with 20 men to the G.P.O., and from there he was sent to Capt. Heuston. He was killed on 26th April near the Mendicity Institute on the Quays. He is buried in Dr Steevens Hospital. The memorial was unveiled in September 1935”
Very interesting post, but just a minor note. The old picture you show is of Steeven’s Hospital from the side ie the hill that the Red Line luas now runs on (Steeven’s Lane). Your modern picture is of the hospital from St John’s Road West.
The Dean’s Grange situation is unique. There are three headstones beside each other known as the 1916 Plot, one a CWGC headstone names the British soldier mentioned above, the second a NGA headstone erected circa 1935 names two Irish Volunteers and the third which has only been erected in the last year by Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council names three civilian casualties of the Rising.
What makes it unique is that the British soldier and one of the Irish Volunteers are actually in the same grave.
For more on these six men, see Ray Bateson’s latest publication “Dean’s Grange Cemetery & The 1916 Rising”
It doesn’t mention much about the civilians buried there. My Great-Grandmother, Mrs.Rosanna Heffernan, was killed by a ricochet bullet. Family history said that she was “buried with the soldiers”. A family friend has a photo of her funeral and recently found her grave.
Patricia could you get in touch with me Declan Collinge also a great-grandchild of Rosanna. Our family and relations would be thrilled to find her grave or see a photo of her funeral.
I’d be interested in contacting you for further information on Rosanna Heffernan’s grave side. LG
Patricia Kapur – I would be interested to find out further information about Rosanna Heffernan’s grave – I’m a great-great granddaughter. LG
Hi, I am trying to locate a grave of rose a heffernan, 176 St James’s Street who sustained a bullet to the neck in her own room on 24th April 1916. She was brought to Dr Steeven’s Hospital where she died 27 th April. We have her death cert & on a irish fusiliers + 1916 site she is noted on the bottom left as being non military fatality. The family were told by the priest that she was buried in Steeven’s Hospital with quick lime thrown in the grave to prevent contamination. rose was a widow with young adult children. They never received her body for burial & were treated appallingly.
We would as a family to bless her resting place. Does anyone know where she is buried?
Rosemary Tallon.