Seamus Grace took up different positions on the second floor, moving from window to window to find opportunities to fire where he could. Decades later, he would recall the fear he felt as the gunfire and grenades of the British at times paralysed him from action. Nevertheless, British casualties increased as the afternoon progressed—as did their forward positioning along the road.
In time, the British occupied more and more of Northumberland Road. They were aided in clearing buildings and advancing troops by the use of explosives, bombs, and, of course, greater numbers. Grace and Malone’s forward position in 25 Northumberland Road was becoming increasingly untenable.
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| Grace’s recollection of the battle officially recorded in a witness statement many years later (MAI BMH WS310) |
(MAI BMH WS 310; Papadopoulos & Schreibman, 2022)