At 2:20am a young girl was banging on the door of Sullivan's Quay Fire Station. When a fireman answered the door she informed him of a raging fire near her home on North Main Street.
What was once the Sullivan's Quay Fire Station.
No.53 North Main Street was ablaze by the time the fire brigade got there and as there was no one in the building at the time, the firemen had no other choice but to let it burn out. Their main priority was to stop the spread of the fire to neighbouring buildings, which they successfully did.
The large building on the left, The Sullivan's Quay Fire Station.
No:53 North Main Street was set on fire by members of the Anti-Sinn Fein Society. On the ground floor there was McGurks Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe while the floors above it were occupied by Sinn Fein, and served as one of their City HQ's.
The one time Sinn Fein HQ.
On the same night that No:53 was attacked, the Douglas Recreational Hall and the St Michaels Parochial Hall in Blackrock were also burned by the Anti-Sinn Fein Society who were a band of local loyalists with Black and Tan backing.
These fires formed part of a week long spate of arson attacks across the city and suburbs in late November 1920. Arson attacks carried out by the Anti Sinn Fein Society also took place on Cook Street and St Patrick's Street.
Just days before the arson attack on No:53 North Main Street a letter was delivered to the premises addressed to "The occupiers" which read:
"FINAL WARNING!
You are hereby notified to evacuate the premises herein mentioned, No.53 North Main Street Cork.
Ignore this note and you take the consequences.
Policemen and soldiers are being murdered every day and their barracks blown up without one word of protest from any in Cork, with the exception of the loyal population.
Signed,
Black and Tans.
God Save The King."
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