Christmas Raid facts for kids
The Christmas Raid (also called the Magazine Fort Raid) took place on December 23, 1939. The IRA took many weapons and bullets from the Irish Army. They stole these items from the Magazine Fort building in Phoenix Park. Even though the raid was successful, the Irish Army found most of the stolen items just a few days later. Some IRA members were also arrested.
Contents
Why the Raid Happened
The IRA had many Thompson submachine guns. But they found it hard to get the right bullets (called .45 ACP bullets) for these guns in Europe. The Irish Army also used Thompson guns and had a lot of these bullets. So, the IRA decided to steal some from them.
How the Raid Unfolded
Around 8:30 PM, the gate bell rang at the fort. A military police officer opened the gate a little. A civilian man said he had a package for the officer-in-charge. This unknown man then told the officer to open the gate fully and put his hands up.
Suddenly, IRA members appeared from both inside and outside the fort. They took the weapons from the guard and the military police officer. The two captured officers were then forced to walk in front of the intruders. This made them human shields as the raiders went to the guardroom. The other soldiers there were surprised and gave up without a fight.
The captured soldiers heard many heavy trucks coming and going from the fort. At 10:10 PM, the IRA locked the prisoners in an area called the 'C' Magazine. The raiders had completely emptied this area.
It was 10:50 PM when a group of soldiers from Portobello Barracks was sent to check on the fort. They managed to catch two of the raiders.
In total, the IRA took 1,084,000 bullets. They carried them away in thirteen trucks. No one was hurt during the raid.
Finding the Stolen Items
Over the next three to four days, a huge search was organized across the country to find the stolen items.
By January 1, 1940, almost three-quarters of the bullets had been found. This was about 850,000 rounds.
- Two and a half tons were found in Dundalk, County Louth.
- Eight tons were found in Swords, County Dublin.
- Sixty-six cases of Thompson guns and bullets were found in South Armagh. The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) captured these two and a half tons.
- One hundred crates with 120,000 bullets were found in Straffan, County Kildare.
Also, some IRA members who were storing the bullets were arrested.
What Happened After the Raid
The raid did not go well for the IRA in the long run. The huge search to find the stolen items led to many IRA members being arrested.
The day after the raid, Gerald Boland, who was the Irish Minister for Justice, held an emergency meeting of the Dáil (which is the Irish government). He introduced a new law called the Emergency Powers bill. This law allowed the government to:
- Intern people (meaning to take them prisoner without a trial).
- Use Military Tribunals (special courts run by the military).
- Even carry out executions for IRA members.
This bill soon became the Emergency Powers Act.
Related Pages
- The Emergency
- Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)
- Sabotage Campaign (IRA)
- Northern Campaign (IRA)
More Information
- You can read about IRA member Liam Brady's memories of the Christmas Raid and his part in it here.
