Tales, Anecdotes and Trivia: Luftwaffe bombing of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland may have been neutral during the Second World War, but as with so many other neutral countries, the Republic of Ireland could not avoid the war. Over 5,000 men and women born in in the Republic of Ireland served with the British Armed Forces, and Irish fire brigades were dispatched to Belfast during the Blitz. Irish civilians also felt the effects of the war, most notably on the occasions that the Republic of Ireland was bombed by the Luftwaffe.

Ireland had declared a ‘national emergency’ in 1939 that lasted until the end of the war in 1945. However, several Irish politicians and journalists had attempted to warn the Irish of the potential ill-effects of the war. On January 26, 1941, Seán Lemass, the Minister for Supplies, scolded the citizenry who acted as if the “war was being fought on another planet.” Even the Irish-American fascist William Joyce, the infamous “Lord Haw-Haw” of German propaganda foretold German retribution for Ireland’s breaches of neutrality in his radio broadcasts.

Ireland as a Target

Most of the Luftwaffe bombings of Ireland occurred during the Blitz (September 7, 1940, to May 11, 1941). The very first bombing of Ireland happened on August 26, 1940, when Campile, County Wexford, was hit by five bombs. Three people were killed when a bomb hit the Shelbourne Co-operative Creamery.

Further bombings took place on December 20, 1940, and on January 1, 1941. These attacks included two sea mines being dropped near Enniskerry in Wicklow.

Dublin was bombed for the first time on January 2, 1941, when German bombs fell in the Terenure area. Two bombs fell on Rathdown Park, and another two at Fortfield Road and Lavarna Grove. Two houses were destroyed, and many others were damaged, while one person was injured. Further bombing occurred next day, on January 3, just before 4 am, when houses on Donore Terrace in the South Circular Road area were bombed. Some 20 Dubliners were injured, but there were no fatalities.

The North Strand Bombing

On the night of Saturday, May 31, 1941 – the Whit holiday weekend – anti-aircraft search lights were turned on at 12.04 am as the drone of some 30 German planes was heard over Dublin. This was not uncommon, since German aircraft often violated Irish air space on their way to targets in northern England. Three tri-color warning flares were fired into the clear and starry sky shortly thereafter, notifying aviators that they were above neutral territory. The droning sound from the Luftwaffe aircraft seemed to linger, though, and after about 30 minutes, the Irish Air Defence Command ordered several batteries of anti-aircraft guns to open fire at the bombers as a final warning to intruding pilots. The Clontarf battery with its 3,7 inch guns were first to fire, with four rounds exploding in the sky. This was followed by almost several more anti-aircraft rounds over the next hour or so, as well as plenty of small-caliber firing. Alec King, a Chief Rescue and Demolitions officer, had gotten out of bed, put on his dressing gown and slippers to go downstairs to read for a while. As the drone continued over Dublin, Kings asked himself “Why weren’t they leaving?” He then hurriedly donned his rescue and demolition gear and biked off to the depot were his men trained and kept their equipment.

Dermot Moran was student in Dublin. He wrote a letter to his parents in Kerry on June 1 and 2: “One felt that something was about to happen, something awful, something to which would bring ruin and desolation to many. The drone of the planes became louder. I couldn’t stay in bed any longer, so I threw off the bed – clothes and, feeling sort of muzzy about the head, staggered over to the window. I looked out. Then I saw three red flares bursting in the sky. The sign of a neutral country! Surely those devils up there will go away now I thought. But no, they still continued to circle around. Then the searchlights began to search the sky. Long beams of light shot out in a vain endeavour to locate those who dared to infringe on our jealously-guarded neutrality. The anti-aircraft went into action from Collinstown. Coastal defences were in action. And all the while that demonic purring sound from overhead threatened our fair capital.”

The small city village of North Strand in northern Dublin was considered one of the most traditional and picturesque neighborhoods in Dublin. Many of its inhabitants could trace their roots back many generations, and other Dubliners liked to visit North Strand and enjoy its tranquil and bucolic character. Four high-explosive bombs were dropped on this area. Three bombs fell between 1.28 am and 1.31 am, without any air-raid sirens being sounded. The Dublin Fire Brigade and LDF, the Local Defence Force rushed to the sound of the explosions as the red glow of fires started to be seen against the sky. Some of the German aircraft left the Dublin airspace, but one pilot continued flying over the city, swooping down to a seemingly low altitude, veering sharply, and then climbing to a higher and presumably safer altitude. The searchlights tried to cone the Luftwaffe bomber, and the anti-aircraft fire intensified. Thousands of Dubliners were watching the spectacle, either from the streets or pressing their faces against window panes. A fourth bomb was then dropped at 2.05 am, and the night was filled by an enormous explosion. The damage from that fourth bomb was immense, and many houses simply disintegrated. Gas mains broke, and fires erupted. Survivors were terrified and panicked.

These bombs led to the loss of 34 Dubliners, with another 100 injured as well as 300 houses damaged or destroyed. An astonishing 2,250 houses and building suffered some bomb damage. This was the most damaging attack on Ireland during the Second World War. The fourth bomb caused the most significant damage, and it may have been a 500 kg Luftmine-A bomb carried by a Heinkel He-111. Thomas Hefferman was seven when the bomb exploded: “When the bomb hit the houses at the corner of North Circular Road opposite Duggan’s Chemist, the whole house shook and glass crashed. Everyone started to scream and cry, roaring and shouting and someone shouting ‘put out the lights, get out of the house, it’s going to fall’. I was crying and wanted my communion suit. My grandparents lived in St. Joseph’s mansion and whilst we were going down Buckingham Street to take shelter in their house, the glass was still falling out of the windows in Buckingham Street. We had to walk down the middle of the Street…”

The worst damage occurred at the North Strand, as well as on the North Circular Road, and on Clarence Street North. There was also extensive damage at Summerhill, Quinn’s Cottages, and Charleville Mall. Almost 2,000 people became homeless. The Irish Red Cross provided shelters at Mansion House as well as in parish halls throughout the city. The damaged buildings were repaired, if possible, and the homeless were relocated to Dublin Corporation’s new housing estates at Cabra and Crumlin. As funerals took place, grief and fear draped Dublin. The Evening Mail stated that “never had the capital felt or expressed such sorrow.”

A German Luftmine

On June 19, 1941, the Irish government announced that Germany had expressed regret for the North Strand bombing. Compensation was promised. Compensation was also provided under the terms of the Neutrality (War Damage to Property) Act 1941, and Dublin Corporation acquired two areas that had been severely damaged by the bombs for the development of a new housing. A plaque commemorating the victims of the North Strand Bombing was unveiled at the Charleville Mall Public Library on May 31, 2001, the 60th anniversary of the bombing.

But why did the attack occur? Many theories have been proposed, ranging from a deliberate attack to punish Ireland for its support to Belfast to an error by a panicked pilot. The bombing may have also been a result of the British jamming of Luftwaffe navigational systems such as Knickebein. This system allowed Luftwaffe bombers formations to follow radio beams, thus facilitating navigation and target-finding. By jamming the beams, bombers would simply lose their way, and this may have led to the tragic bombing of North Strand.

Ireland saw two more bombing attacks. One on June 1, when Arklow was bombed, and a second on July 24, this time on Dundalk. These attacks caused only minor damage and no injuries.