Patrick Doyle

Doyle was born in 1896. His father, a native of Kerry, served as a constable in the RIC. He moved to Dublin aged fifteen and continued his education for a time. He worked as a plater at the docks. Doyle joined the Volunteers at the meeting in the Rotunda at which they were founded in 1913. He was present at the Howth gun-running in 1914 and received a Mauser rifle.

Doyle served in ‘C’ company, 3rd battalion, Dublin Volunteers, commanded by Eamon de Valera. In later years he recalled the following about Easter Monday:

On Easter Monday morning, while in bed about 9.40 am, word was brought up to me that I was to mobilise at the grounds of University College Dublin at 10 am. I dressed hastily and proceeded on my way without waiting to have any breakfast.

He was ordered to lead three men to occupy St Stephen’s Parochial Hall, Northumberland Road, near to Mount Street Bridge. All was quiet until Wednesday. That afternoon, about 1750 men of the Sherwood Foresters, a British regiment that had just landed at Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire), approached the bridge on their way to the city centre. Seventeen Volunteers in buildings in the vicinity of the bridge, including Doyle and his men, opened fire on them and a bloody battle began that lasted until the evening. Doyle and his comrades were eventually forced to retreat through the back of the hall and were soon captured by British troops at Percy Place. The most recent estimate is that the Sherwood Foresters suffered 160 casualties including 26 dead, while 4 of the Volunteers were killed.

Doyle was sent to prison in England and was later held in Frongoch. On his release, he returned to his work as a plater. He joined the Gardaí in 1922 and rose to the rank of chief superintendent. He died in 1970.