Albert Palmer was among the British soldiers who having landed at Kingstown came under fire in Northumberland Road as they marched to the city centre.
When Albert Palmer returned to barracks in Watford after an evening in London he was quickly on the move again. It was Easter Monday and a rebellion was taking place in Ireland. Albert Palmer was among the first contingent of British soldiers sent to Dublin. In this interview he describes how the march from Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire) was uneventful until they were attacked approaching Mount Street bridge.
It wasn't until the whole battalion were in Northumberland Road that the fire opened from the bedroom windows and the roof tops of the houses.
In his description of the battle Albert Palmer describes how Lt. Colonel Fane tried to take control of the situation when the column came under fire. He also describes the death of Captain Frederick C. Dietrichsen at 25 Northumberland Road. Seventeen British soldiers were killed and hundreds wounded at the battle of Mount Street bridge.
Albert Palmer says that the British felt stunned and helpless by the nature of the type of fighting that took place. Many of the soldiers were raw recruits with no experience and the last thing they expected was to be involved in fighting in city streets.
After the surrender Albert Palmer recalls seeing some of the leaders of the Rising including Countess Markievicz who he describes as being dressed very peculiarly. He says he was shocked but not surprised to hear of the executions.
Albert Palmer was also among the detail sent to guard the first 100 prisoners sent to Britain after the Rising and describes the journey by cattle boat in rough seas. When things had quietened in Dublin after the Rising Albert Palmer and his battalion were based in Oranmore in Galway.
Albert Palmer was interviewed during the production of 'Ireland A Television History' on 11 July 1979.
Title: |
Ireland A Television History Albert Palmer |
Clip Duration: |
00:15:53 |
Material Type: |
Video |
Clip Title: |
"Fire Opened From The Bedroom Windows And The Rooftops" |
Series Title: |
Ireland A Television History Interviews |
Information: |
Ireland A Television History was a 13 part series written and presented by Robert Kee looking at the complexities of Irish history. The series chronicles Ireland's development from pre-Christian times to the 1980s, with a specific emphasis on the creation of the modern independent Republic and the roots of the Troubles. 'Ireland a Television History', a BBC production was broadcast on RTÉ and BBC at the same time. In an article for the RTÉ Guide, Kee was asked is the series aimed at a British audience? He replied, "No it's aimed at those (mainly in Britain) who are less familiar with the subject than they ought to be; and at those (in Ireland, North and South) who think they know but don't". |
Local Keywords: |
Easter Rising, Easter 1916, 1916, Rising, British Army, Soldiers, |
Coverage: |
Ireland, Dublin, Dun Laoghaire |
Topic: |
Wars and Conflict |
Contributor(s): |
Robert Kee (Interviewer) |
Publisher: |
RTÉ |
Production Year: |
1979 |
Country of Production: |
Ireland |
Original Identifier: |
DX61/03175 |
IPR Restrictions: |
Rights Reserved - Free Access |
Rights, Terms and Conditions: |
Copyright RTÉ. This material may not be replicated in any form or manner without the prior express permission of RTÉ. Any form of reproduction in print, television, video, multimedia, web site or other electronic media or any form of dissemination for commercial or non-commercial use must be licensed by the RTÉ Archives.
If you wish to licence video or audio clips, still images or text, or would like further guidance please contact us. RTÉ Archives are committed to respecting the copyright of others and have attempted to source and credit the copyright owners of all material used here. RTÉ would like to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified here so that the necessary corrections can be made. If you feel your copyright has not been respected please contact us. |
Item Type: |
part/extract |
Colour: |
Colour |
Sound: |
Mono |
Aspect Ratio: |
4:3 |
Language: |
English (eng) |
Original Language: |
English (eng) |
