North Mall - December 12 1922

20 year old Free State Private Thomas Mooney was a passenger in a lorry that was making its way down North Mall on the evening of December 12th 1922.

North Mall, early 20th century

 The driver was a Cobh man who failed to stop at a checkpoint and for this mistake a hail of bullets were fired at the lorry.

                                     Pension application form of Thomas Mooney's family

The driver thought there was no need to stop at the Free State checkpoint as he and his passengers were all in Free State uniform but, he was wrong. 

North Mall today

A sentry panicked and fired at the lorry as it drove through the checkpoint and then other soldiers at the checkpoint followed suit and fired their weapons at the lorry and its occupants.

                                                                  The Mercy Hospital

The driver was shot but survived. Mooney was shot too but he was less fortunate. A bullet pierced through his tigh and he was taken to the nearby  Mercy Hospital where he died the following morning from severe blood loss. 

                                             Pension application from Thomas Mooney's family.




Thomas Mooney was a native of North Strand Dublin and worked as a hackney driver before joining the Free State Army Mechanical Transport Corps in August 1922. Following his death in Cork city he was taken back to his native Dublin where he was buried in the Free State Plot at Glasnevin Cemetery. 

                                     Part of the Free State Plot at Dublin's Glasnevin Cemetery.