Beside the village of Ashbourne in the Co of Dublin there stood a slated house in which six policemen lived. It was during the Rebellion of 1916. All the men were called to give up arms. They would not, so one night five men came to the barrack and told the men to clear out. Then they sprinkled the place with petrol and set it on fire. In the morning nothing remained but the walls. Some few miles further up the road stood a fine castle owned by Sir John Dillon. One night four men drove up the avenue and asked to see Sir John. They told him they had been ordered to burn down the castle. They gave him an hour to (burn down) save any of the things he wished and helped him to carry out some oilpaintings