Dublin Firefighters Who Died in 1936 Pearse Street Blaze Honoured 90 Years On
Ninety years after a devastating fire claimed the lives of three Dublin firefighters, the city has come together to honour their sacrifice with a permanent memorial. Peter McArdle, Robert Malone and Thomas Nugent died in the line of duty on October 5, 1936, at the former Exide Batteries premises on Pearse Street, and their bravery was commemorated with a plaque unveiling on Monday.
The ceremony took place outside the Naughton Institute at Trinity College Dublin, where Lord Mayor Daryl Barron unveiled the plaque alongside family members of the fallen men. Public representatives, Professor Damian Murchan, members of the Dublin Brigade and the Dublin Fire Brigade Retired Members Association all gathered to pay their respects.
What happened on the night of the 1936 Pearse Street fire?
The three firefighters entered the burning building believing a family was still trapped inside. In reality, the family had already been evacuated. Explosions then ripped through the structure, causing most of the building to collapse and crushing the men underneath. Their bodies were recovered the following morning after hours of searching.
Speaking at the ceremony, Lord Mayor Daryl Barron reflected on the enduring significance of that night.
“The night of 5 October 1936 resonates not only in the history of Dublin Fire Brigade, but in the history of our city. Ninety years later, we gather here to remember Peter McArdle, Robert Malone and Thomas Nugent and to acknowledge the extraordinary sacrifice they made in the service of the people of Dublin,” he said.
He added:
“They were three men with families, friends, colleagues and futures ahead of them. They were also firefighters. And on that night, believing that a family was still trapped inside, they went into a burning building to bring them out. That is the simple fact at the heart of today's commemoration.”
Who were the firefighters who lost their lives?
Peter McArdle was 37 years old and left behind a wife and seven children. His daughter Stephanie Nolan was born three months after his death and never got to meet her father. Now approaching her own 90th birthday on January 2, she attended the ceremony with her daughter by her side.
Stephanie described the day as profoundly moving.
“I thought I was awake during the night last night and I was kind of emotional and I was hoping I wouldn't cry, that I wouldn't feel too sad. But it was the opposite here, I felt happy and proud very very proud,” she said.
She added with a smile:
“My daughter brought me in this morning early and she dropped me here and went to drop the car and came back then, so she's been my rock looking after me and I please God will be 90. This was the 90th anniversary so I will be 90 on the 2nd of January. If I live, my daughter keeps saying age is only a number. She keeps saying the craic will be 90, ever heard of that saying.”
Robert Malone was a veteran of the 1916 Rising, having served at Boland's Mills, and was married at the time of his death. Thomas Nugent was engaged to be married. His niece Cait Kendal attended the ceremony to celebrate her uncle's memory.
How did Dublin mourn the fallen firefighters?
The impact of their deaths was felt across the entire city. The three men lay in state at City Hall before a funeral procession to Glasnevin Cemetery, with more than 80,000 people lining the streets to pay their respects.
The ceremony on Monday also featured a performance by a Dublin Fire Brigade piper and a memorial poem read by firefighter and poet Ger Devine. He explained the inspiration behind his words.
“It's inspired by one of our senior firefighters that had passed away at the time I was asked to write it. A great guy called Paul Hans and he'd seen it all, including working in the Stardust disaster of 1981. 48 teenagers tragically lost their lives. But Paul treated everyone with respect and dignity and he inspired me,” he said.
He added:
“They say the souls of great sailors haunt away and I think the same is true of firefighters and Paul Hans, that they never truly leave us and they are with us always.”
Could the 1936 fire deaths have been prevented?
Speaking at the event, the Chief Fire Officer acknowledged that the tragedy might have been avoided had safety protocols been more advanced at the time.
“The loss was doubly tragic because it might have been avoidable had joined companies put more resources for the brigade in the years leading to it and had the city bylaws prevented such potentially dangerous manufacturing plants in a heavily public areas being allowed,” he said.
The Pearse Street plaque is one of four being erected to mark locations where seven Dublin Fire Brigade members lost their lives in the line of duty. For Stephanie Nolan, the memorial now offers a permanent reminder of a father she never had the chance to know.
“I was very, very proud,” she said.
Frequently asked questions about the 1936 Pearse Street fire
Where did the 1936 Pearse Street fire take place?
The fire occurred at the former Exide Batteries premises on Pearse Street in Dublin on October 5, 1936.
How many firefighters died in the 1936 Pearse Street fire?
Three firefighters died: Peter McArdle, Robert Malone and Thomas Nugent.
Why did the firefighters enter the burning building?
They believed a family was still trapped inside, but the family had already been evacuated.
Where is the commemorative plaque located?
The plaque is outside the Naughton Institute at Trinity College Dublin on Pearse Street.