91 Lower Leeson St today
91 Lower Leeson St the Eastwood Hotel is later listed as a private hotel with 3 single and 3 double rooms. The address seems to have regularly changed owners with 1911 census showing 92 only as a boarding house run by Josephine Roche. Thoms in 1914 lists 91 & 92 Private Hotel - Miss Jones (next to C.U.S.). 1923 Thoms shows The Eastwood Hotel as being at Nos.91 & 92 Lower Leeson Street with a Mrs Telford as the prop.
The IRA failed to find their target at the Eastwood Hotel, a Lt-Colonel Jennings, as he, along with Major Callaghan, had "spent the night in a local brothel. " There is some confusion on whether Callaghan was the same man as at Fitzwilliam Sq guest house. On balance there was probably only one "Callaghan", and he could have been at Fitzwilliam Square
Extract Christopher Byrne’s sworn statement in support of his military service pension application.
I feel that "Lt Col Jennings" was the man in the IRA photo - TJ Jennings
Christopher Byrne claims there were 11 men due to take part in this attack. 2 men were left at the back of the hotel, Bennett led the party into the hotel. They were told Jennings had left 2 days before . They searched the hotel and were satisfied that he was not there.
In Exchequer Hotel Raid (McGuiness WS) The 2 men they were looking for were in hotel register, but had left. Apparently each of the targetrs had a real and a false name
There is the story in Bloody Sunday, Gleeson, that talks about a raid on Mrs Horan's high class boarding house near St Stephens Green. According to Mrs Horan the gang came to shoot a "Mr Cleveden"
This attack did not come off as the unnamed intended target was not there.
Witness Statement 813
On the eve of Bloody Sunday, Company Commander Christy Byrne selected nine of us from his Company and gave us an idea of the work that we were to be engaged in on the following morning. We were to go to the Eastwood Hotel in Leeson Street. We were given the name of a British Major who was stopping at that hotel. We were told that he was an Intelligence Officer and that he was to be shot, and that the operation was to take place at 9 a.m. the following day - Sunday - and that Section Leader Bennet was to take charge. On the morning of the 21st November we assembled individually outside the hotel in question. We walked into the hotel in a body and Bennet approached the Manageress and asked forhe number of the British Major's room. She was not co-operative and we saw that she was getting signals from the Boots behind us. Evidently he was suspicious of us from the start. Three of us grabbed the Boots and made him take us to the Manager. The Manager gave us the number of the room, but said that the Major hadn't come into the hotel that night. We went to the room and found it was empty. The Boots evidently got into a state of panic and told us that there were twelve flying officers staying there and that if we wanted them he would direct us to their rooms. By this time the remainder of our party had withdrawn and we consulted amongst ourselves as to what we should do. We decided we had no instructions regarding procedure and we all withdrew. The Boots1 whose name I cannot now recall, gave evidence subsequently at a courtmartial and identified a man as having been one of our party. The man he identified received ten years penal servitude.
Witness Statement 642
On the Friday night before Bloody Sunday I attended a Battalion Council meeting. The Battalion Commander there told me that operations had been planned for the following British Sunday to eliminate a number. of British Service men and agents that were residing in various houses and places throughout the city. My instructions were that I was to pick a number of selected men and proceed to the Eastwood Hotel in Lower Leeson Street at 9 o'clock on Sunday morning and there carry out the shooting of an Intelligence Officer by the name of Lieutenant-colonel Jennings. On Saturday Jimmy Donnelly and myself went up to the Eastwood Hotel and reconnoitred round the beck of it. We saw that it had a back entrance and that it would be necessary for me to put some of my men there. I picked my men on Saturday evening. These were Jimmy Donnelly, captain of "F" Company, Padraig O'Connor, Jimmy McGuinness, Joe McGuinness, Ned Bennett, George Dwyer and, I think, Jerry Hannon. I got my men together and told them what the job was for the following morning. I instructed them to meet me at some place that I cannot now recall in the vicinity of the hotel at 9 o'clock. On Sunday morning at the appointed time I met all my men as rranged. I placed two at my party at the back entrance to the hotel. Donnelly and myself took up a position at the main entrance door. I detailed the remainder of the party to go into the hotel and locate the British agent, Jennings, and carry out their instructions. Ned Bennett led the party into the hotel, asked for the Manageress and inquired from her the number of the room that Jennings occupied. She said he Was not there, that he had left a couple of days previously. The register was then called for and the number of the room that he had occupied was shown. The Manageress's word was. not taken for it and the party went up to the room and searched it. They saw then that he actually had left the place and there was nothing for it but to get out as quickly as possible. I would like to mention that two Cumann na mBan girls accompanied us that morning. They were the Misses Cooney. We had arranged with them that in case that we might not be able to get back with our guns they would take them from us. This they agreed to do and the meeting place was arranged at University Church. However, as it was easy for us to get back with our arms it was not necessary for us to hand over our guns when our work was completed. I would also like to mention that Bob Byrne, Who was a Company officer at that time, had also received instructions for another job on Bloody Sunday. This job Was however, called off late on Saturday evening. Knowing that I had been detailed for the Eastwood Hotel he volunteered to come with me, which he did
Witness Statement 678
In connection with the Bloody Sunday operations Paddy O'Connor and myself and about 8-to others were detailed to proceed either to Eastwood Hotel, Leeson Street, and shoot a British Intelligence Officer there by the name of Lieut. -Colonel Jennings. That morning on the 21st November the party entered the hotel in question, took it over and asked for Lieut. -Colonel Jennings. The Registrar of the hotel said he was not residing there. we searched the office books but could not find his name in them. O'Connor and myself then searched the bedrooms but failed to locate him. We then withdrew our men and dismissed individually. All got safely away with their guns
Another search report indicates the Porter in the hotel as Martin Walsh. This is the trial referred to in the Witness Statement
