241:...a spark of fire got into the powder; but from whence that spark proceeded, whether from the heavens or from the earth beneath, is not known; howbeit, the barrels burst into one blazing flame and rapid conflagration, which raised into the air, from their solid foundations and supporting posts, the stone mansions and wooden houses of the street, so that the long beam, the enormous stone, and the man in his corporal shape, were sent whirling into the air over the town by the explosion of this powerful powder; and it is impossible to enumerate, reckon, or describe the number of honourable persons, of tradesmen of every class, of women and maidens, and of the sons of gentlemen, who had come from all parts of Ireland to be educated in the city, that were destroyed.
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of survival: body parts were found scattered hundreds of yards from the crater left by the explosion. In the subsequent investigation, led by 'Michael
Chamberlin, Maior (Mayor), and John Shelton and William Pallas, Shrieffs (Sheriffs)', no less than six-score bodies were identified, besides 'sondrie headles bodies and heades without bodies that were found and not knowne.'
260:
and his allies were engaged in an armed challenge to the
English Crown. Vast quantities of gunpowder were required to supply the English army in Ireland. The main destination for the cargo of gunpowder was Dublin, the principal city of Ireland. These were offloaded by English ships onto boats waiting
227:
were consumed by the blast, some of them collapsing, others badly defaced. Such was the force of the blast that some buildings in the suburbs of the city were damaged as debris rained down across Dublin. The dozens of riverside labourers who were unlucky enough to be working in the area had no chance
300:
Although the immediate impact of the explosion was horrific, the rebuilding that took place in the early 17th century paved the way for the dramatic expansion of Dublin in the 1600s. In contrast to the timber that was widely employed in
Ireland in the medieval and Tudor era, much of the new building
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In the days before the explosion, a dispute had arisen between the Dublin porters and the castle officials. A crown official by the name of John Allen, the clerk of the storehouse, had threatened and intimidated a number of the porters, forcing them to work without pay. As such, many of the porters
222:
Shortly after one o'clock, as the wooden crane was shifting four barrels towards the quay, 140 barrels of gunpowder that had been resting on the riverside were engulfed by a massive explosion, transforming the quayside into a scene of devastation. The crane and crane house, which were sited by the
301:
was in brick. The rebuilding effort also spilled into newly reclaimed land in the east of the city. This facilitated the dramatic growth of the population of the city, from less than 10,000 in 1600 to around 20,000 by the 1630s.
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were effectively on strike, refusing to help unload the barrels of gunpowder. This led to a buildup of gunpowder on the quays. This series of events set into motion the explosion which was to follow.
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The disaster claimed 126 lives, both men and women, and mostly locals. At the time, the population of Dublin was not quite 10,000, so the impact of the death toll was significant, representing about
184:
on 11 March 1597. The explosion demolished as many as forty houses, and left dozens of others badly damaged. The explosion claimed the lives of 126 people and inflicted countless injuries.
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were landed at a place known as 'The Crane' at the northern extremity of
Winetavern Street (a building used as the custom house of Dublin prior to the erection of the nearby
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The accidental explosion is the worst disaster of the kind to have occurred in
Ireland. In the long run, however, the disaster provided the impetus for the expansion of
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283:'s 1610 map of Dublin (from surveys taken c.10 years after the explosion). The explosion occurred at Wood Quay, marked with the number 8 on Speed's map
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barrels, were torn asunder, and the force of the blast was felt far across the city. Nearby, many houses owned by merchant families facing the
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Exactly what triggered the conflagration of the barrels was never determined, although the day of the explosion was noted as unusually dry.
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in the early 17th century and beyond, with the rebuilding efforts laying the foundation of the new city centre.
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The rebuilding effort was in some respects comparable to that which took place in London after the
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in 1707). At the time, ships generally discharged their heavier cargoes at the port of
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In the early afternoon of Friday, 11 March 1597, a consignment of 144 barrels of
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offshore: from there, they were ferried across the shallow water to the city.
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Tudor Blog – The Great
Explosion, 1597 – links to original sources
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The disaster took place against the backdrop of the
231:The contemporaneous Gaelic chronicle known as the
919:International Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures
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1382:
507:
180:was a large explosion that took place on the
33:
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443:
439:– via UCC Corpus of Electronic Texts.
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1293:Slovak Police training explosives incident
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427:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
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1130:Burning of the British Embassy in Dublin
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444:Fitzpatrick, Samuel A. Ossory (1907).
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415:Contested Island: Ireland 1460–1630
13:
542:Timeline of the Troubles in Dublin
455:"Dublin's Great Explosion of 1597"
14:
1417:
1401:Military history of Dublin (city)
1142:Mountjoy Prison helicopter escape
1056:Bombing of Dublin in World War II
477:
825:Richard Crosbie's balloon ascent
1363:Irish anti-immigration protests
748:Georgian Architecture in Dublin
297:of the population of the city.
1214:Dublin Millennium celebrations
960:Irish International Exhibition
1:
567:Streets and squares in Dublin
324:
256:, in which the Ulster leader
1190:Lansdowne Road football riot
1148:Dublin and Monaghan Bombings
867:Dublin and Kingstown Railway
789:Premiere of Handel's Messiah
437:"Annals of the Four Masters"
215:moored at the dock close to
7:
1184:European Capital of Culture
1025:Burning of the Custom House
895:Great Industrial Exhibition
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10:
1422:
1064:commemorations (est. 1954)
1044:Saint Patrick's Day parade
901:Monto (Red Light District)
873:Dublin Metropolitan Police
718:Dublin gunpowder explosion
577:List of songs about Dublin
552:Local government in Dublin
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384:Annals of the Four Masters
233:Annals of the Four Masters
178:Dublin gunpowder explosion
91:Dublin gunpowder explosion
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1172:Dublin Area Rapid Transit
1068:Liffey Descent canoe race
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613:Early Scandinavian Dublin
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572:Historical maps of Dublin
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272:Aftermath: Dublin rebuilt
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61:
1265:demonstrations (2008-15)
1166:GUBU (Malcolm MacArthur)
979:Bachelor's Walk massacre
618:History of Dublin to 795
460:History Ireland Magazine
413:Connolly, S. J. (2007).
329:
318:Cork gunpowder explosion
235:describes the disaster:
1339:The Beast from the East
1281:Bank of Ireland robbery
1100:Eurovision Song Contest
998:Dublin Postal Districts
848:Irish Rebellion of 1803
801:Wide Streets Commission
671:Christ Church Cathedral
1154:Dublin Airport bombing
712:Trinity College Dublin
666:St Patrick's Cathedral
562:Sheriff of Dublin City
284:
245:
1396:Explosions in Ireland
1220:Crumlin-Drimnagh feud
943:Dublin Castle scandal
879:DĂşn Laoghaire Harbour
453:Lennon, Colm (1995).
279:
237:
195:Explosion of 11 March
937:Phoenix Park Murders
765:Dublin election riot
557:Lord Mayor of Dublin
530:Timeline and general
448:. Cork: Tower Books.
248:Lead-up to explosion
76:Ford of the Biscuits
1093:Contraceptive Train
931:Dublin whiskey fire
913:Dublin Fire Brigade
907:Wellington Monument
819:Kildare Street Club
742:Dick's Coffee House
724:Battle of Rathmines
691:St. Michan's Church
681:St. Audoen's Church
603:Dublin slave market
1333:Dublin Tech Summit
1320:Hutch–Kinahan feud
1314:Occupy Dame Street
1302:City of Literature
1257:Dublin Port Tunnel
1081:RTÉ Studio bombing
1050:Pearse Street fire
967:Irish Crown Jewels
629:Battle of Clontarf
547:Dublin Corporation
537:Timeline of Dublin
306:Great Fire of 1666
285:
1378:
1377:
1351:COVID-19 pandemic
1195:Assassination of
1178:Hurricane Charley
1036:Assassination of
985:Howth gun-running
887:eureka moment at
771:Drapier's Letters
676:Rathborne Candles
623:Kingdom of Dublin
523:History of Dublin
213:lighter (a barge)
173:
172:
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1245:May Day protests
1227:Special Olympics
1031:Battle of Dublin
996:Introduction of
853:Construction of
807:Guinness Brewery
755:Great South Wall
686:St. Mary's Abbey
608:Bridge of Dublin
593:Steine of Dublin
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1225:Hosting of the
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1197:Veronica Guerin
1180:flooding (1986)
1136:Dublin bombings
1098:Hosting of the
1075:Nelson's Pillar
1073:Destruction of
1038:Kevin O'Higgins
1003:Sinking of the
973:Dublin Lock-out
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925:Dublin tramways
855:Martello Towers
736:The Brazen Head
730:Siege of Dublin
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661:Gates of Dublin
656:Donnybrook Fair
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463:. Vol. 3
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1357:Dublin riots
1345:Coolock feud
1327:Apollo House
1287:M50 motorway
1251:Dublin riots
1207:Contemporary
1087:Dublin fires
1006:RMS Leinster
1004:
889:Broom Bridge
842:Dublin quays
757:(1700s) and
717:
705:Early modern
598:Hoggen Green
586:Early Dublin
489:
465:. Retrieved
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258:Hugh O'Neill
251:
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225:River Liffey
221:
205:Custom House
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186:
177:
175:
167:Participants
111:Cahir Castle
90:
71:Enniskillen
15:
1369:Dublin riot
1353:(2020-2023)
1335:(est. 2017)
1310:(est. 2011)
1277:(est. 2009)
1275:Dublinbikes
1269:2008 floods
1222:(2000-2016)
1070:(est. 1960)
1046:(est. 1931)
1021:(est. 1920)
1019:Liffey Swim
953:Late modern
927:(1872-1959)
915:(est. 1862)
875:(1836-1925)
836:Royal Canal
832:Grand Canal
821:(Est. 1782)
809:(Est. 1759)
803:(1758-1851)
797:(1750-1823)
795:Daly's Club
785:(1735-1741)
779:(1728-1916)
744:(1698-1780)
738:(Est. 1661)
714:(Est. 1592)
696:The Tholsel
639:Middle Ages
467:18 December
372:Lennon 1995
141:Castlehaven
116:Curlew Pass
101:Yellow Ford
1385:Categories
885:Hamilton's
486:(archived)
325:References
281:John Speed
121:Moyry Pass
86:Clontibret
1347:(2019-20)
1316:(2011-12)
1138:(1972-73)
1062:Bloomsday
975:(1913-14)
869:(1834-56)
857:(1803-08)
777:Linenhall
759:Bull Wall
423:cite book
417:. Oxford.
217:Wood Quay
201:gunpowder
156:Dungannon
55:(Ireland)
773:(1724-5)
646:The Pale
312:See also
844:(1800s)
761:(1820s)
750:(1700s)
406:Sources
292:⁄
136:Kinsale
131:Donegal
126:Lifford
66:Belleek
1371:(2023)
1359:(2021)
1341:(2018)
1329:(2017)
1304:(2010)
1299:UNESCO
1295:(2010)
1289:(2010)
1283:(2009)
1271:(2008)
1259:(2006)
1253:(2006)
1247:(2004)
1241:(2004)
1235:(2003)
1229:(2003)
1216:(2000)
1199:(1996)
1192:(1995)
1186:(1991)
1174:(1984)
1168:(1982)
1162:(1981)
1156:(1975)
1150:(1974)
1144:(1973)
1132:(1972)
1095:(1971)
1089:(1970)
1083:(1969)
1077:(1966)
1058:(1941)
1052:(1936)
1040:(1927)
1033:(1922)
1027:(1921)
1015:(1920)
1009:(1918)
1000:(1917)
993:(1916)
987:(1914)
981:(1914)
969:(1907)
962:(1907)
945:(1884)
939:(1882)
933:(1875)
921:(1865)
909:(1861)
897:(1853)
891:(1843)
881:(1842)
863:(1809)
850:(1803)
827:(1785)
815:(1779)
791:(1742)
767:(1713)
732:(1649)
726:(1649)
720:(1597)
631:(1014)
320:(1810)
209:Dalkey
189:Dublin
151:Dursey
146:Dunboy
330:Notes
1239:Luas
1124:1997
1120:1995
1116:1994
1112:1988
1108:1981
1104:1971
834:and
830:The
753:The
469:2015
429:link
176:The
219:.
1387::
1122:,
1118:,
1114:,
1110:,
1106:,
457:.
425:}}
421:{{
350:^
294:80
1126:)
1102:(
515:e
508:t
501:v
471:.
431:)
374:.
362:.
290:1
41:e
34:t
27:v
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