rst gas shells might be
dropped upon the enemy strongholds and that the city would be spared:
but it early became evident that the disproportion would be too great in
the street fighting, which everyone now saw was becoming inevitable.

Accordingly, during the early hours of Wednesday morning a party of six
volunteers from Trinity--including both civilians and members of the
O.T.C.--went forth to dig holes below the cobbles for the gun-trails.
The position was at the Tara Street end of Butt Bridge, and the object,
in order to be ready to begin early the shelling of Liberty Hall, which
was looked upon as the centre and symbol of the anarchy.

After much difficulty two 18-pounders were brought up and machine guns
were placed on the tower of the Fire Station and the Tivoli, and then,
when all was ready, the bombardment began. Evidently the rebels had got
wind of this intention, however, and though much damage was done,
practically no casualties were scored, the rebels getting away through
the basement or along the roofs.

The _Helga_, an old police patrol boat belonging to the Fisheries
Department, next contributed, though the task was an extremely delicate
one, owing to the position of the Custom House and the Railway Bridge,
having eventually to retire further down the river and adopt a dropping
instead of a direct fire.

For over an hour this naval bombardment continued without eliciting any
reply.

It seemed to be generally hoped that the very threat of artillery would
be sufficient to cow the rebels, but this was far from being the case.
There was a perfect rabbit warren of retreat, and when the troops
rushed forward with bayonets fixed and cheering triumphantly, their
onrush was unchecked and they found themselves established in--ruins.

The rebel loss was a considerable gain to the troops, for it meant that
the military would find themselves connected up with Amiens Street
Station; but this was not so easy: they needed more reserves to
accomplish a junction, and it was in order to secure these that the
"Battle of Mount Street" bridge was fought, an engagement which has been
called the "Dardanelles of Dublin," because the place commanded the
direct approach of the troops from Kingstown, and I quote my own
experience to illustrate the kind of struggle that went on at every
entrance to the city.

The "battle" was in every way typical of the kind of fighting which we
were destined to witness for the rest of the