November 5, 1922, Dublin, Ireland

National Army soldiers searching through the remains of a fire at the Rotunda Rink, Parnell Square, which was the sorting office of the General Post Office, Dublin...The Irish Times of Monday, 6 November 1922 contained this report of the event:."The Rotunda Rink Post Office, Dublin, was destroyed by fire yesterday morning..At about 6.40 o'clock armed men compelled a watchman to admit them at the western gate. The officials on duty were ordered into a small room, and later were escorted into Lower Dominick street, when they were instructed to walk towards the Broadstone Station..In the meanwhile, other men entered the Rink with tins of petrol, with which they saturated the floors, and, when their preparations were complete, set the place on fire..Within an hour, despite the efforts of the fire brigade to extinguish the flames, the Rink was a mass of smouldering ashes and twisted ironwork..The destruction of the Rink has resulted in the loss of a great quantity of correspondence. There will be only two deliveries in the city today, but to-morrow there will be three. The postal authorities, apparently, intend to use Banba Hall as a temporary sorting office."..Date: Sunday, 5 November 1922..NLI Ref.: HOG104 ( vtls000194444 )