7 Ranelagh Rd, Dublin

Noble was not at home when the hit men called

Extract from Christopher Stewart Andrews sworn statement in support of his military service pension application.

There were about 10 raiders here: on job-

Todd Andrews was part of the IRA group that caried out this raid. He recalls walking a mile from Brighton Square to the Charlemont Street Bridge at the canal. Here he met Francis X Coghlan, Hubert Earle, and James Kenny at about 8.55am. Joe Dolan and Dan McDonnell led the team. Their mission was to kill Noble, and his lady, who were both believed to be responsible for the death of an IRA man called Doyle in the Dublin Mountains.

When they got to the targeted house at Ranelagh Rd, Kenny was instructed to go to the back of the house to block of that escape route. Others took up covering positions on doors and corners of corridors.

They pushed past the teenage girl who opened the door and walked straight up to the front first floor room where they expected to find Noble. He was not there but they found a "half naked" woman alone in the double bed. She is described as Noble's mistress. Noble had left on a mission at 7am, and they had no orders to shoot the woman if she was alone, so they left.

They nearly shot another lodger on the way out, but luckily for him Coghlan recognised the man as the source of their intelligence from that house.

The IRA Intelligence book confirms independently the address as no 7. The picture above of "Mrs Noble" is at that address

Dolan beat the woman with a sword scabbard, and set fire to the room in his frustration. It took the IRA squad half an hour to put the flames out

Andrews believed that there were at least four abortive raids in the 4th battalion area.

Todd Andrews later said he could not decide whether he felt ‘glad or sorry ’ that Noble had not been there..

Addresses raided by the IRA