The Day The Beatles Came To Dublin

Page 3

- Outside The Adelphi -
- Scene Two -

Amazing scenes were witnessed after the first show as 2,000 people emerged into the street, where hundreds were waiting to gain admission to the second show and hundreds more were standing, cheering and screaming.

In the crush, young women and children fared worse. For a considerable time the crowds refused to move.

Gardai then commenced to push the crowd back towards O’Connell street and an unruly section of the crowd created a tense scene for minutes as they resisted and tried to overturn parked cars in Middle Abbey St.

They were forced to within a few yards of the junction of O’Connell St, where they kept up a continuous shouting and made several attempts to break through the Gardai cordon. St. John Ambulance First Aid men treated several of the crowd for minor injuries. One particularly ugly incident developed when several of the crowd pushed a parked car on to the roadway knocking down several of the teenagers. Nobody was seriously hurt. However, thousands, mainly young people milled around O’Connell street, and between O’Connell bridge and Nelson Pillar traffic was brought almost to a standstill despite the efforts of the Guards to keep a lane open. Crackers and other fireworks were flung at the feet of the Gardai.

By the time the second show had ended shortly before 11 p.m., scuffles erupted in Middle Abbey Street, and at one stage at least a dozen young men were taken off in squad cars and a black maria and were taken into custody.

More scuttles began when they tried to divert the crowds, coming out of the Adelphi, into the lane way leading to Bachelor’s Walk, and once again a number of youths were dragged away as they tried to get through the police lines.

While this was going on, the cordon holding back the thousands in O’Connell Street broke once more. Reinforcements, however, managed to close the gap, but this resulted in a number of men and women having to be treated by ambulance men.

The Beatles were safe and were unaware of the disturbances they had caused. A cinema management spokesman said: "We will keep them here all night if necessary." It was not necessary.

By midnight the crowds had broken up and only a few die-hards remained. The streets littered with paper and broken glass, were a grim reminder of 'The Beatle invasion’.

- The Getaway -

( This part of the story was written by Liam Kelly, an Evening Herald journalist, and is in his own words.)

With the precision of a commando operation and within ten musical beats of their closing number - "Twist and Shout" - The Beatles were whisked to the safety of their hotel in an Evening Herald delivery van.

And "Rescue Beatles Operation" of which I was a part, was planned in top secrecy an hour before the final curtain, only took three minutes to carry out.

Knowledge of the ‘dangerous mission’ was confined to a mere handful. Not even the Gardai knew.First blueprint of the operation was ‘hatched’ in the Beatle rocking Adelphi Cinema. Armed with the knowledge of what an after-show siege on The Beatles is like, the group’s manager consulted the cinema manager and an S.O.S. was sent to the Herald whose premises adjoin the Adelphi.

The management of Independent Newspapers Ltd, willingly put a van and driver at the disposal of the operation planners.

For 30 minutes before the rescue began the van, with driver garage Forman, Mr. Jack Flanagan, was parked in the shadows outside the side door. In the intervening period several groups of curious teenagers ‘nosed’ around the area.

But what could be more inconspicuous than a newspaper van parked near its dispatch department, waiting, as everyone thought for the first editions to come off the press? It was a first rate camouflage and was vital to the success of the plan.

As unruly fans raved and ranted inside and outside the cinema, assistant manager of the group, Ron King, gave the driver the signal to start the engine. As the engine purred quietly and with no lights switched on to attract attention the curtain came down inside and seconds later the four grey-suited Beatles raced to the safety of the van, still covered in make-up.

Manager King slammed the doors shut, and the van eased out of Princes Street were the overflow of the Abbey Street crowd had gathered.

With photographer Jack Murphy, I sat, as they did, on the old newspapers, in the back of the unlit van and chaperoned them to the hotel - with fingers crossed for the entire journey.

It was an ironic situation driving through the crowds with thousands of heads turned in the opposite direction shouting the now-famed ‘war-cry’, "We Want The Beatles." They had been fooled. Quenching their thirst with minerals - they don’t drink - they chatted amiably all the time commenting on the ingenuity of their ‘escape'.

Their reaction to the Dublin reception - "It was fantastic. We did not expect anything like it. We will be back," they all chorused.

Again at the Gresham Hotel the crowds who had congregated outside in the hope of getting a ‘relic' of their idols, were tricked. Because the van sneaked to the rear entrance.

A few of the more wily fans had collected there and as we jumped from the van we were mobbed but were able to beat of the attackers and push our way through the doorway. We trotted through the kitchen, while an amazed staff looked on, into the Aberdeen Hall, and up to the lifts to their bedrooms and a well-earned breather.

Having said goodnight to the boys, I left the hotel by the way I had arrived. And outside I was mobbed by fans who pleaded with me to go back inside and get "A tie, a lock of hair or anything from THEM."

What a crazy world we live in!

- The Final Curtain -

Back at the Gresham Hotel the lads had a late supper and they settled down for a good nights sleep.

It was said that two of The Beatles left the hotel after their late supper and went to Drumcondra to see relatives.

On the Friday morning of November 8th The Beatles left the Gresham Hotel at 11.45am and proceeded by car to Belfast. They were cheered by crowds along the way but not held up. At the border they were met by a R.U.C. patrol car and escorted to Belfast. 

The Beatles arrive at Dublin Airport.

The Beatles with Harry Lush in the Adelphi Cinema.

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