Dublin gunpowder explosion

The Dublin gunpowder explosion was a large explosion that took place on the quays of Dublin on 11 March 1597. The explosion demolished as many as forty houses, and left dozens of others badly damaged. The explosion claimed the lives of 126 people and inflicted countless injuries.^[1]

The accidental explosion is the worst disaster of the kind to have occurred in Ireland. In the long run, however, the disaster provided the impetus for the expansion of Dublin in the early 17th century and beyond, with the rebuilding efforts laying the foundation of the new city centre.