In the early hours of 31st May 1941 The Luftwaffe’s Blitz on Britain went awry when the German accidentally bombed the North Strand instead of locations in England. This major event claimed the lives of 28 people with over one quarter of them from the one family.
In the photos of the aftermath the devastation is clear to see with many people waking up to their homes being obliterated off the face of the earth. The amount of funerals was so great that they had to be divided between St Laurence O’Tooles Church on Seville Place/Sheriff St and St Agnes’s Church in William St.
The funeral cortege is travelling from St Laurence O’Tooles and the phot was likely taken from the rooftop of the Christian Brothers School.
The photo taken from the inside of the Church is that of St Agnes’s in William.
This highly traumatic event is comemorated by the garden built beside the side of Marino college on the North Strand.
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Thanks Maria for comment.
Yes can imagine the residents shock on returning to such devastation.
Agree fear must have been a constant emotion during that era.
Best wishes.
Thank you so much Noelene for your interest and lovely comments. It’s really tragic but so important to remember them. Some survivors who were away overnight come back to their homes as a pile of rubble on the ground. They had nothing left at all. Everyone in Dublin was affected as it was so shocking and frightening!! The question on everyone’s minds had to be will it happen to us? Thanks again for your interest. Maria
Thank you Maria for article. Lovely to remember those people who lost their lives. Your images are so traumatic yet interesting.
My Mum from Marino informed us she was on holidays with her Dunlaoghaire cousins when they saw the explosion in Northside at that time.
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