The Pickardstown ambush, an action in the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...

, took place near the town of

Tramore Tramore (; ) is a seaside town in County Waterford, on the southeast coast of Ireland. With humble origins as a small fishing village, the area saw rapid development upon the arrival of the railway from Waterford City in 1853. Initially, the to ...

County Waterford County Waterford ( ga, Contae Phort Láirge) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is part of the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region. It is named ...

on the night of 6 January 1921.

The ambush

The ambush was conceived by Paddy Paul, the leader of the IRA East Waterford Brigade, who gathered Volunteers from the local Dunhill and Waterford City units of his command as well as the West Waterford flying column led by

George Lennon George Lennon (25 May 1900 – 20 February 1991) was an Irish Republican Army leader during the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. Background and early Republican activities George Gerard Lennon was born in Dungarvan, Count ...

. This made for a total of fifty men although several were armed only with shotguns. An attack was made on the RIC barracks in Tramore which lured reinforcements from the British military garrison in Waterford City. Four Crossley tenders were quickly dispatched with forty troops on board. However, the ambush had been badly planned with the result that the British troops were able to make a determined counterattack, ultimately killing two IRA men - Michael McGrath (the first Waterford City Volunteer killed in the Irish War of Independence) and Thomas O'Brien and wounding two more.O'Halpin, Eunan & Ó Corráin, Daithí (2020), The Dead of the Irish Revolution. Yale University Press, pg 271. One British soldier and one

Black and Tan A black and tan is a beer cocktail made by layering a pale beer (usually pale ale) and a dark beer (usually stout). In Ireland, the drink is called a half and half because in Ireland the term "''black and tan''" is considered to be offensive. ...

were wounded. For further information about the Pickardstown Ambush visit: https://www.pickardstown-ambush.ie

Commemoration

A memorial was later erected on the ambush site. In later years, local GAA fields were named after the two dead IRA men.

References

*Rebel Heart: George Lennon: Flying Column Commander Mercier 2009, *British Voices: From the Irish War of Independence 1918–1921 Collins Press 2007 {{ISBN, 1-905172-37-0 Military actions and engagements during the Irish War of Independence History of County Waterford British Army in the Irish War of Independence January 1921 events in Europe 1921 in Ireland Ambushes in Europe