On the night of 20 October 1920, Dan Breen and Seán Treacy were staying here with the Carolan family as they evaded the 'G' men of the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP).

Around 1.00 a.m. the house was raided by a large force of DMP and British Army members, complete with armoured cars.

[3] The British overreacted at Drumcondra that night and the machine-gunner on the armoured car panicked and let off a few bursts of gunfire at the house, killing and injuring some of his own.

A Dublin Fire Brigade man (Joe Connolly, who later became Chief) who responded on an ambulance to the incident, said that twelve bodies were removed that night to the Military Hospital.

Its many famous past residents include the legendary uilleann piper and folklore collection, Seamus Ennis, who - in his later years - shared a flat there with the great Clare accordion player, Tony MacMahon.