The South Dublin Union, a large 50-acre workhouse complex (now St. James’s Hospital), was a key battleground during the 1916 Easter Rising. Held by the Fourth Battalion of Irish Volunteers under Éamonn Ceannt, it saw six days of intense close-range fighting because of its strategic position controlling access to the city from Kingsbridge Station.

The Battle of South Dublin Union was one of the fiercest and most brutal engagements of the Easter Rising, involving intense close-quarters fighting.

Around 150 Irish Volunteers of the 4th Battalion, led by Eamonn Ceannt and Cathal Brugha, occupied the large South Dublin Union complex to block British advances from nearby barracks. Although they quickly took parts of the site, they could not hold the entire complex.

British troops launched repeated attacks, leading to chaotic and violent fighting inside buildings, including hand-to-hand combat and grenade exchanges. Both sides suffered casualties, along with civilians and medical staff caught in the crossfire.

After several days of heavy but inconclusive fighting, British forces largely bypassed the position. The Volunteers, believing they were holding their ground, were shocked when they received the general surrender order on 30 April.

The battle highlighted the intensity of urban warfare during the Rising and resulted in significant loss of life, with leaders like Ceannt later executed.