Property Losses (Ireland) Committee

In addition, many Dublin citizens lost property and possessions, ranging from bicycles commandeered for transport to furniture used for the construction of street barricades.

[8] Asquith visited Ireland between 12 and 18 May to ascertain the extent of damage and the mood of the Irish people; his first action on arrival was to be driven along the ruined Sackville Street.

[9] After several weeks of negotiations between interested parties, on 9 June a pivotal meeting took place at Dublin Castle between the Association, Irish MPs (led by John Redmond) and the Home Secretary Herbert Samuel.

[10] Following this the British government, through the Dublin Castle administration, decided to establish a committee to address the growing number of claims and in order "not to embitter, but to allay, the feeling" among the Irish.

[11][12] On 15 June 1916, Lord Wimborne issued a warrant establishing the Property Losses (Ireland) Committee with direction to act under his authority.

The committee comprised three members appointed by the Lord Lieutenant: Sir William Goulding, a Dublin businessman and unionist who served as chairman; William E Osborn of Messrs Selfe and Company of London; and Samuel Pipkin, general manager of the Atlas Assurance Company Limited of London.

[16] Several claims relating to the Royal Hibernian Academy fire were submitted, including from artists Jack Butler Yeats, Madeline Green, and John Lavery.

Artist Harry Clarke and poet Lennox Robinson made claims for products lost in the destruction of the building belonging to Maunsel and Company Limited.

[18] The report contained a detailed overview of the claims, the procedures followed by the committee and the practical outcomes in terms of the monies to be paid to claimants.

The report also highlighted the justified nature of the majority of claims, emphasising the lack of firefighting immediately after the Rising and the failure of the police to prevent looting.

George Noble Plunkett and his wife submitted four claims for the alleged theft by soldiers of their money, jewellery and personal effects, as well as damage to property.

Funds for actual expenditure on rebuilding were released on a phased basis on the production of a certificate from the architect or builder, sometimes leading to delays in the issuing of compensation.

After submitting the report, the case files and associated administrative paperwork were stored in the Chief Secretary's Office, Dublin Castle.