The Tourmakeady Ambush or Battle of Tourmakeady occurred on 3 May 1921 during 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 ...

. The South Mayo Brigade of the

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief tha ...

(IRA), commanded by Commandant

Tom Maguire Tom Maguire (28 March 1892 – 5 July 1993) was an Irish republican who held the rank of commandant-general in the Western Command of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and led the South Mayo flying column. Early life Tom Maguire was born 28 Mar ...

ambushed an RIC/Black and Tan re-supply patrol in the village of

Tourmakeady Toormakeady or Tourmakeady (, the official name) is a Gaeltacht in south County Mayo in the west of Ireland. It is located between the shores of Lough Mask and the Partry Mountains, and covers 66.51 square miles. As at the time of the 2011 censu ...

, Co. Mayo in the west of Ireland in order to destroy the patrol and to cause the closure of Derrypark RIC Barracks, seven miles to the south. IRA Adjutant (South Mayo Brigade) Michael O’Brien sustained fatal injuries when he was shot while trying to assist the injured Brigade leader (Maguire). Another IRA Volunteer, Pádraig Feeney, was also killed that afternoon, a monument in Tourmakeady commemorates him.

Royal Irish Constabulary The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC, ga, Constáblacht Ríoga na hÉireann; simply called the Irish Constabulary 1836–67) was the police force in Ireland from 1822 until 1922, when all of the country was part of the United Kingdom. A separate ...

Constables Christopher O'Regan, William Power and Sergeant John Regan were killed in the battle.

Black and Tans Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have ...

Constable Hubert Oakes also died in the ambush. Following the ambush, the Flying Column took to the nearby

Partry Mountains The Partry Mountains ( ga, Sliabh Phartraí) is a mountain range in County Mayo on the west coast of Ireland. Geography The highest peak in the Partry Mountains is Maumtrasna which rises to (682m / 2,238ft). The mountain range overlooks Lough M ...

and were subsequently engaged by British troops from the Border Regiment. Extensive searches and reprisals followed in the area over the next week. On 3 May 1921, in reprisal for the ambush, Crown forces burned several commercial establishments and homes in the area.O'Halpin, pg 405.

References

Military actions and engagements during the Irish War of Independence 1921 in Ireland History of County Mayo Royal Irish Constabulary May 1921 events Ambushes