Davy’s Pub in the 1916 Easter Rising: Pints and Patriots

J.T. Davy’s Pub before the Easter Rising

The Easter Rising of 1916 was a pivotal moment in Ireland’s struggle for independence. During this insurrection, rebel forces strategically occupied several key locations across Dublin, including public houses. One such place was J.T. Davy’s pub, located three hundred yards from the gates of the Portobello Barracks. The 3rd Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles (3rd RIR) trained recruits for the front in WWI there. Davy’s did a brisk business serving the soldiers.

Training at Portobello Barracks

Though lesser-known, the occupation of Davy’s pub played a significant role in the Rising. It delayed British reinforcements and protected the city center from immediate military action. This article recounts the occupation of Davy’s pub, exploring the events before, during, and after the rebellion that gave this pub a unique place in Irish history.

Davy’s Before the Rising

Davy’s pub was a well-known establishment. It stood at the junction of South Richmond Street and Charlemont Mall, overlooking the La Touche Bridge. Its owner, Davy, was notorious for his rough treatment of staff, earning him the nickname “old blackguard.” One of his employees, James “Jimmy” Joyce, worked long hours, seven days a week.

Joyce, a member of the Irish Citizen Army (ICA), had long petitioned Davy for Sundays off to attend ICA parades. However, Davy threatened to sack Joyce if he took even a single Sunday off. Despite these working conditions, Joyce’s dedication to the cause of Irish independence remained steadfast. His involvement with the ICA would soon intertwine with his work at the pub during the Rising.

Proclamation of the Republic and Armed Occupation

On Easter Monday, April 24, 1916, the Easter Rising began. Irish Volunteers, the ICA, and Cumann na mBan seized key locations across Dublin, including the General Post Office (GPO), the Four Courts, and St. Stephen’s Green. Patrick Pearse read the Proclamation of the Republic at the GPO, marking the official start of the rebellion.

Commandant Michael Mallin of the ICA was responsible for securing various strategic points. These included Davy’s pub, which provided a prime location to stop British forces from advancing from the nearby Portobello Barracks. Mallin dispatched a small group of ICA men, led by Sergeant Joseph Doyle, to seize the pub. Jimmy Joyce, with his firsthand knowledge of the place, accompanied him.

Seizing Davy’s Pub

Shortly after noon, the ICA party entered Davy’s pub. According to lore, Davy, in the middle of pulling a pint, took the opportunity to fire Joyce, telling him, “I’m giving you a week’s notice!” Joyce famously replied, “And I’m giving you five minutes’ notice, Mr. Davy!” Joyce then shot up some bottles above the bar. Davy and his patrons quickly evacuated, leaving the rebels in control.

ICA Snipers

Under Doyle’s command, the ICA men fortified the pub. They set up sniping positions, using whatever they could to barricade the windows, including most of Davy’s family furniture. Their mission was to delay British reinforcements, particularly from Portobello Barracks, from entering the city. This, in turn, would allow the rebels to strengthen their positions in St. Steven’s Green, the GPO and other buildings.

Soldiers raised the alarm when rebels occupying Davy’s public house attacked Second Lieutenant C.R.W. McCammond. The rebels fired on him as he returned to Portobello Barracks on horseback, wounding him lightly.

A party of British soldiers from the 3rd RIR, led by an officer on a white horse, soon approached the La Touche Bridge. Doyle told his men:

Take your time — let them come up as near as we can and make sure every shot counts.

As the British approached the bridge, the rebels opened fire, wounding the officer and three soldiers, successfully halting the British advance.

British Retaliation and Siege of Davy’s

In response to the skirmish, the British quickly dispatched additional troops from Portobello Barracks. The soldiers approached La Touche Bridge in two groups. But as soon as they got close, the rebels opened fire, pinning them down in the gardens and the doorways along Rathmines Road. The soldiers eventually made their way to the small wall across the Grand Canal from the pub. Armed with a heavy machine gun, the British forces began firing at the pub.

British soldiers at a barricade

Meanwhile, curiosity drew local civilians to the scene. Dublin Metropolitan Police officers, led by Superintendent Kiernan and Sergeant Crosbie, worked to keep onlookers away from the firefight. During the assault, gas lamps on the bridge were hit, and stray bullets peppered the area, adding to the chaos.

Other Dublin pubs also saw action during the Rising, like The Swan, shown here in 1922 with bullet holes still apparent

Escape and Aftermath

For two hours, the barrage of hundreds of bullets shattered windows and tore through the pub’s walls. Eventually, the British noticed that nobody was shooting back, and they assumed that they had killed all the occupiers. However, with intimate knowledge of the building and its surroundings, Joyce had helped his comrades to break through into neighboring buildings and escape into nearby lanes. By the time the British entered Davy’s pub, there was no sign of the rebels — no bodies, no fighters. The ICA accomplished their mission: they had delayed the British long enough to allow the main body of rebels in central Dublin to fortify their positions.

The delay caused by the occupation of Davy’s pub had significant repercussions for the British forces, who were attempting to quell the rebellion swiftly. Although the British ultimately suppressed the Rising, the rebels at Davy’s played their part in disrupting operations and symbolized the resilience and ingenuity of the insurgents.

Dublin became the first European capital to suffer a modern shelling

In my historical novel, Roseleigh, British officer Simon Burr, views the place after the Rising:

He paused at what remained of Davy’s Pub. The place had been a home from home, with a portrait of George V overlooking convivial British soldiers spending days off at games of darts and enjoying pints of draft porter or ale.

Conclusion

Bullet holes have been patched and names changed, but little else has changed today. Davy’s is now The Portobello. The La Touche Bridge is now also called the Portobello. The Portobello Barracks, however, is now the Cathal Brugha Barracks, named for the Irish Republican Army’s first Chief of Staff.

Officers of the 3rd RIR pose with a captured rebel flag

The occupation of Davy’s pub during the Easter Rising is a striking example of how even small actions played critical roles in the broader rebellion. While Davy’s pub may not have been one of the iconic locations of the Rising, the efforts of Jimmy Joyce, Sergeant Joseph Doyle, and their comrades contributed to the overall strategy of holding off British forces and protecting the city center. In doing so, Davy’s pub became an unexpected battlefield in Ireland’s fight for independence, demonstrating how ordinary places and people were thrust into extraordinary circumstances during those fateful days of Easter 1916.

The modern Portobello Pub and Bridge

What are some other important but less well-known battles of the Easter Rising? Let me know in the comments.

If you’d like to find out more about how I’ve woven the events of the Easter Rising into my novel, Roseleigh, please join my mailing list.

Notes and References

The Archivist, “J T Davys, Portobello,” The 1916 Pub Trail, August 26, 2015.

“Make Sure Every Shot Counts,” 1916, RTÉ.

“The 1916 Rising and The Public House,” 1916 Easter Rising Coach Tour, May 27, 2015.

Mick O’Farrell, A Walk Through Rebel Dublin 1916, 1999.

“The Easter Rising, Dublin,” Royal Irish.