Meanwhile, other incidents of greater or lesser import were being enacted across the city of Dublin and elsewhere.
One young lad, who rejoiced in the illustrious name of James Joyce, worked seven days a week in a cellar as a bottle-washer for a notoriously bad employer, the owner of Davy’s strategically-located pub at Portobello Bridge.
As a Volunteer of the 1916 Rising he could not believe his luck when he was given the joyful duty of seizing that very pub for the rebels.
Kicking at the door and sporting a heavy rifle in his hands, he entered, only to be greeted there by Davy himself.
‘I’m giving you a week’s notice to leave!’
‘And I’m giving YOU five minutes!’ the bucky young lad replied.
To reinforce his point, he opened fire – Wild-West fashion – smashing a number of whiskey bottles above the latter’s head.
Davy and his customers didn’t wait the whole five minutes to leave the pub.