My ancestors - Humphrys - Contents

The drama-documentary "The Struggle" (2003)

In 1922, in the Civil War, Sighle Humphreys' house on Ailesbury Rd, Dublin, was raided by the Free State and there was a shootout.
Ernie O'Malley, the IRA Assistant Chief of Staff, was injured and captured.
A Free State soldier was killed.

In 2003, Sighle's grandsons Manchán Magan and Ruán Magan made a 1 hour drama-documentary, The Struggle, RTE TV, about the raid, re-enacting it with actors.

Full video of The Struggle (2003).
Length: 55 minutes.
Note there is a 1 minute interval in the middle. Please be patient.

Credits

Written by Manchán Magan and Ruán Magan.
Presented by Manchán Magan.
Edited and Directed by Ruán Magan.
A Create One / Wonderland production for RTE.
In association with Fantastic Films.
All rights reserved.

Images

Actors re-creating the raid.
(Left to Right): The actor playing Ernie O'Malley, the narrator Manchán Magan, the actress playing Sighle, an actor playing a Free State soldier.
Outside Ailesbury Rd.
See full size.

36 Ailesbury Road.

Free State soldiers advancing on 36 Ailesbury Rd.
See full size.
See other shot.

Free State soldiers advancing on 36 Ailesbury Rd.
See full size.

Sighle sees the Free Staters coming.

Ernie O'Malley shooting his way out.

Anno injured.

Ernie drops the grenade.

Ernie exits the house.

Free State soldiers with their backs to Ernie O'Malley.

Ernie O'Malley and Sighle.
See full size.

Ernie O'Malley and Sighle.

Ernie O'Malley.
See full size.

Sighle, in her dressing-gown, firing a gun.
See full size.

The Free State soldier shot and mortally wounded.

Ernie O'Malley.

Ernie O'Malley.
See full size.

Ernie O'Malley is shot.

Sighle has a gun put to her face.

36 Ailesbury Road.

The cast.
Sighle was played by Frances Healy.
Ernie O'Malley was played by Mark Doherty.

The Free State raid on Ailesbury Rd in the Civil War, Nov 1922

The Struggle at RTE.
The Struggle at IMDB.
The society belle and the IRA shoot-out (also here), article by Joe Humphreys (Dick Humphreys' grandson), Irish Times, 25 Nov 2003. Note the sub-editor got the heading wrong: Joe's "grandaunt" Anno should read "great-grandaunt".
Review by Liam Fay, Sunday Times, November 30, 2003, praises the subtlety of the program: "The Struggle offered intimations of what could become a new form of Irish historical documentary: one that salutes the undeniable heroism of dead patriots but simultaneously questions their methods, achievements and, indeed, sanity."
Media items to see:
- Manchan was on RTE Radio news, 15 or 16 Nov 2003.
- Manchan was on Newstalk radio, morning, 22 Nov 2003.
- RTE One TV, "Hidden History" program on Cumann na mBan, 18 Nov 2003, features Sighle.
- RTE One TV, "Hidden History" program, 25 Nov 2003.