Dublin City’s Second Chief Librarian and the Rising

A native of Dublin’s north inner city, ‘Paddy’ Stephenson (known to his family as ‘Paddy Joe’) was educated by the Christian Brothers at the O'Connell School, North Richmond Street.   By late 1911, he sat and achieved second place in the Dublin libraries examination, in line with the system then in place of recruiting the ‘best and brightest’ sixteen year old boys as library assistants.  By January 1912 he began his long and distinguished career in the city’s public libraries, assigned initially to the Thomas Street branch; by 1950 he achieved the top post as the city’s second Chief Librarian, succeeding Róisín Walsh.

Image: Patrick Joseph Stephenson (1895 - 1960). Image courtesy of Jimmy Stephenson, grandson of Paddy Stephenson.

Stephenson was first drawn into the nationalist movement shortly after leaving school in 1910, becoming active in the Gaelic League at the Archbishop McHale branch in Dorset Street.  By early 1914 he had joined D Company of the Irish Volunteers' Dublin Brigade 1st  Battalion, based in Blackhall Street and led by his former school friend, Captain Seán Heuston.  Stephenson soon proved himself to be a trusted and courageous Volunteer and was promoted by Heuston in late 1915 to company quartermaster. In this role he had responsibility for procuring, transporting and storing the unit's arms and ammunition.

None of the rank and file Volunteers in D company knew for certain that a Rising would take place on Easter Sunday 1916, but some suspected that action was likely due to increased activity in the lead up to Holy week. Stephenson, with a group which included Seán McLoughlin of na Fianna Éireann and Heuston spent Easter Sunday night on guard duty at Battalion HQ, where ammunition and explosives were being stored.

Early on Monday morning, about 8am, Stephenson and McLoughlin were among a small group sent by bicycle from Liberty Hall to deliver urgent mobilisation orders around the city. Later in the morning they mobilised with some of their Company (no more than 13 turned out) at the assembly point at St George’s church, Temple Street, where, led by Heuston, they paraded ‘in speculative silence’, stopping ‘at ease’ en route at Liberty Hall. Marching four abreast they continued on to what turned out to be their final destination at the Mendicity Institution in Usher’s Island, which they reached at around midday.  Their uncertainty was abruptly ended when they were ordered to seize the building. 

Heuston had been ordered to hold the building for three hours only to hinder the movement of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers at the nearby Royal Barracks (now Collins Barracks) towards the city, giving the Volunteers at the Four Courts time to consolidate their positions. In the event, the tiny Mendicity garrison managed to hold the building for just over two days. Reinforcements had arrived on Tuesday, but by Wednesday morning, with supplies of food nearly exhausted, Stephenson and McLoughlin were selected to make the hazardous journey back to the GPO, to brief Connolly and return with all speed with food supplies.

As the Mendicity fell in their absence, the deeply despondent men joined the defence of the Four Courts garrison. By Thursday, the resourceful duo made their way back to the GPO, where they were ordered by Connolly to take over the Irish Independent offices in Middle Abbey Street. On Friday morning they retreated to the GPO until the evacuation to Moore Street on Friday evening (when, then unknown to Stephenson, his father Patrick, aged 50,  was shot dead shortly after 6pm by British troops when he accidentally broke curfew). It is evident that Stephenson's leadership abilities manifested themselves as Connolly ordered him to take charge of a number of men at the 'White House' facing Moore Lane, from where he returned to Moore Street for the general surrender on Saturday afternoon.

Taken to Richmond Barracks, he was later deported to England and interned at Knutsford and later at Frongoch prison camp in Wales. He was released by September 1916.

Stephenson was reinstated in his library job and rejoined D company on his release from prison but transferred to Fianna Éireann (1917–19) on its reorganisation, becoming adjutant of the Fianna Dublin Brigade, later rising to adjutant general of the Fianna Éireann headquarters staff. By then a young married man (1917) with a child (from 1918) and holding down a full-time job at Thomas Street library, he gave all his spare time to the national cause. His wide-ranging activities, which included field operations, raids for arms and the anti-conscription campaign, brought him into clashes with the RIC and DMP.

He re-joined D Company in 1919, remaining active until late 1921, from which time he was engaged mainly in arms procurement. Refusing to fight his fellow countrymen, he did not take part in the civil war.

A man of wide-ranging cultural and literary interests, Paddy Stephenson also made a significant contribution to the Irish library movement.  He served as Dublin city’s second Chief Librarian with distinction for ten years until his sudden and untimely death in 1960, just days before retirement.

About our Guest Blogger

Evelyn Conway is Librarian at Dublin City Public Libraries and Archive.

The above is based on an essay in the book 'Dublin City Council and the 1916 Rising', published by Dublin City Council, March 2016. Evelyn is one of a number of contributors of essays exploring events of the Rising and biographies of persons involved and either employed by the Council at the time, or subsequently. 

Part of a series looking at Dublin City Public Libraries staff and the 1916 Rising. See also:

• Tommy Gay: The Capel Street Librarian and the 1916 Rising
• Paddy Stephenson: Dublin City's Second Chief Librarian and The Rising
• James Thomas Dowling: Dublin's County Librarian and the Rising
• Michael McGinn: The Clontarf Town Hall Caretaker and the Rising
• James O'Byrne: The Kevin Street Librarian and the Rising