Timeline of the Irish War of Independence
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This is a timeline of the Irish War of Independence (or the Anglo-Irish War) of 1919–21. 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 ...
was a guerrilla conflict and most of the fighting was conducted on a small scale by the standards of conventional warfare. Although there were some large-scale encounters between 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) and the state forces of the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
(
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 ...
(RIC)/
Auxiliary Division The Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary (ADRIC), generally known as the Auxiliaries or Auxies, was a paramilitary unit of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) during the Irish War of Independence. It was founded in July 1920 by Major ...
and
Dublin Metropolitan Police The Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP) was the police force of Dublin, Ireland, from 1836 to 1925, when it was amalgamated into the new Garda Síochána. History 19th century The Dublin city police had been subject to major reforms in 1786 and ...
(DMP)
paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...
units—the
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 ...
, the
Ulster Special Constabulary The Ulster Special Constabulary (USC; commonly called the "B-Specials" or "B Men") was a quasi-military reserve special constable police force in what would later become Northern Ireland. It was set up in October 1920, shortly before the par ...
(USC) and the regular
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
), most of the casualties were inflicted in assassinations and reprisals on either side. The war began with an unauthorised ambush by IRA volunteers
Dan Breen Daniel Breen (11 August 1894 – 27 December 1969) was a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. In later years he was a Fianna Fáil politician. Background Breen was born in Grange, ...
and
Seán Treacy Seán Allis Treacy ( ga, Seán Ó Treasaigh; 14 February 1895 – 14 October 1920) was one of the leaders of the Third Tipperary Brigade of the IRA during the Irish War of Independence. He was one of a small group whose actions initiated tha ...
at
Soloheadbeg Sologhead beg or Solohead beg (; , IPA: sˠʊləxoːdʲˈvʲaɡ is a townland and civil parish in County Tipperary, Ireland, lying northwest of Tipperary town. History In 968, Soloheadbeg was the location for the Battle of Sulcoit, where the ...
in 1919 and officially ended with a truce agreed in July 1921. However, violence continued, particularly in the disputed territory of
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, until mid-1922 (see
The Troubles in Northern Ireland (1920–1922) The Troubles of the 1920s was a period of conflict in what is now Northern Ireland from June 1920 until June 1922, during and after the Irish War of Independence and the partition of Ireland. It was mainly a communal conflict between Protestan ...
). In the rest of Ireland, the war was followed by the
Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...
between supporters and opponents of the
Anglo-Irish Treaty The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty ( ga , An Conradh Angla-Éireannach), commonly known in Ireland as The Treaty and officially the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was an agreement between the government of the ...
.


1919


January 1919

*21 January: **
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Gri ...
TDs assembled in Dublin, forming the
First Dáil The First Dáil ( ga, An Chéad Dáil) was Dáil Éireann as it convened from 1919 to 1921. It was the first meeting of the unicameral parliament of the revolutionary Irish Republic. In the December 1918 election to the Parliament of the Unite ...
and issuing the
Irish Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence ( ga, Forógra na Saoirse, french: link=no, Déclaration d'Indépendance) was a document adopted by Dáil Éireann, the revolutionary parliament of the Irish Republic, at its first meeting in the Mansion House, D ...
. **
Soloheadbeg ambush The Soloheadbeg ambush took place on 21 January 1919, when members of the Irish Volunteers (or Irish Republican Army, IRA) ambushed Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) officers who were escorting a consignment of gelignite explosives at Soloheadbeg, ...
: IRA
volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...
of the
3rd Tipperary Brigade The 3rd Tipperary Brigade () was one of the most active of approximately 80 such units that constituted the IRA during the Irish War of Independence. The brigade was based in southern Tipperary and conducted its activities mainly in mid-Munster ...
, acting on their own initiative, ambushed and killed RIC officers Patrick O'Connell and James McDonnell at
Soloheadbeg Sologhead beg or Solohead beg (; , IPA: sˠʊləxoːdʲˈvʲaɡ is a townland and civil parish in County Tipperary, Ireland, lying northwest of Tipperary town. History In 968, Soloheadbeg was the location for the Battle of Sulcoit, where the ...
,
County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...
. The volunteers had planned to seize the gelignite explosives the officers were escorting, and said that the officers aimed their rifles when asked to surrender. The two officers were accompanied by two council workers who were unharmed. *31 January: following a meeting of the Executive of the
Irish Volunteers The Irish Volunteers ( ga, Óglaigh na hÉireann), sometimes called the Irish Volunteer Force or Irish Volunteer Army, was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists and republicans. It was ostensibly formed in respons ...
, the editorial of ''An t-Óglach'' (the official publication of the Irish Volunteers) stated that the formation of Dáil Éireann "justifies Irish Volunteers in treating the armed forces of the enemy – whether soldiers or policemen – exactly as a National Army would treat the members of an invading army".


February 1919

*3 February 1919:
Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera (, ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was a prominent Irish statesman and political leader. He served several terms as head of governm ...
(president of Sinn Féin) escaped from
Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln ...
Gaol, along with
Seán McGarry Seán McGarry (2 August 1886 – 9 December 1958) was a 20th-century Irish nationalist and politician. A longtime senior member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), he served as its president from May 1917 until May 1918 when he was one of ...
and
Seán Milroy Seán Milroy (1877 – 30 November 1946) was an Irish revolutionary and politician, who took part in the 1916 Easter Rising and served in the Second Dáil during the War of Independence and afterwards in the Seanad of the Irish Free State. Bio ...
. The escape was masterminded by
Harry Boland Harry Boland (27 April 1887 – 1 August 1922) was an Irish republican politician who served as President of the Irish Republican Brotherhood from 1919 to 1920. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1918 to 1922. He was elected at the 1918 ...
and
Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...
. All were members of Sinn Féin. *23 February 1919: at a Brigade meeting in Nodstown Tipperary, officers of the
Third Tipperary Brigade The 3rd Tipperary Brigade () was one of the most active of approximately 80 such units that constituted the IRA during the Irish War of Independence. The brigade was based in southern Tipperary and conducted its activities mainly in mid-Munster ...
drafted a proclamation (signed by Seumus Robinson as O/C) ordering all British military and police forces out of South Tipperary and, if they stayed they would be held to have "forfeited their lives". The leadership of the Irish Volunteers in Dublin refused to sanction the proclamation and demanded it not be publicly displayed. Despite this it was still posted in several places in Tipperary.


March 1919

*19 March 1919: IRA volunteers raided Collinstown Airfield, now Dublin Airport. They captured 75 rifles and 4,000 rounds of ammunition. (Henderson says the raid occurred on 20 March and that 6,000 rounds of ammunition were captured.) *29 March 1919: Resident Magistrate John Charles Milling was assassinated in
Westport, County Mayo Westport (, historically anglicised as ''Cahernamart'') is a town in County Mayo in Ireland.Westport Before 1800 by Michael Kelly published in Cathair Na Mart 2019 It is at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean on th ...
for sending IRA volunteers to prison for unlawful assembly and drilling.


April 1919

*1 April 1919: Second meeting of Dáil Éireann – Éamon de Valera was elected
President of Dáil Éireann President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
(or Príomh Aire) and appointed the
government of the 1st Dáil The Government of the 1st Dáil was the executive of the unilaterally declared Irish Republic. At the 1918 Westminster election, candidates for Sinn Féin stood on an abstentionist platform, declaring that they would not remain in the Parliamen ...
. De Valera issued a statement that "There is in Ireland at this moment only one lawful authority, and that authority is the elected Government of the Irish Republic". *6 April 1919: **
Limerick City Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 c ...
IRA volunteers attempted to free a prisoner from
Limerick Prison Limerick Prison in Limerick is an Irish penal institution. It is a closed, medium security prison, and has an official capacity of 290 male beds and 20 female beds. The average daily number of male inmates in 2009 was 298 and of female inmates ...
. RIC officer Martin O'Brien (aged 35) was killed, and another wounded. The prisoner, Robert Byrne, was also wounded and died later that day. **An RIC patrol was ambushed at
Eyeries Eyeries (historically spelt as it is pronounced, ''Irees'' or ''Iries''; ) is a village and its hinterland, on the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, Ireland, near the border with County Kerry. It lies at the foot of a hilly area, with a beach ne ...
, County Cork. Three officers were shot and wounded. *10 April 1919: Third meeting of Dáil Éireann – the Dáil passed a motion calling on Irish people to ostracise the RIC. De Valera stated, "The Minister of National Defense is, of course, in close association with the voluntary military forces which are the foundation of the National Army". The British authorities declared counties Limerick, Tipperary, Cork, Kerry and Roscommon to be in a state of disturbance. *15–27 April 1919: The
Limerick Soviet The Limerick Soviet ( ga, Sóibhéid Luimnigh) was one of a number of self-declared Irish soviets that were formed around Ireland circa 1919. The Limerick Soviet existed for a two-week period from 15 to 27 April 1919. At the beginning of the Iri ...
– the British declared Limerick to be a "Special Military Area" under the
Defence of the Realm Act The Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) was passed in the United Kingdom on 8 August 1914, four days after it entered the First World War and was added to as the war progressed. It gave the government wide-ranging powers during the war, such as the p ...
. Special permits were to be issued by the RIC, and would have been required to enter the city. In protest, the Limerick Trades & Labour Council called a general strike and boycott of British troops. A strike committee was set up to print money, control food prices and publish newspapers.


May 1919

*13 May 1919:
Rescue at Knocklong On 13 May 1919, a captured Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA) member, Seán Hogan, was rescued from a train by his comrades while being guarded by four armed Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) officers. Two of the RIC ...
, County Limerick – captured IRA volunteer
Seán Hogan Seán Hogan (13 May 1901 – 24 December 1968) was one of the leaders of the 3rd Tipperary Brigade of the Irish Republican Army during the War of Independence. Early life Hogan was born on 13 May 1901, the elder child of Matthew Hogan of Green ...
was rescued from a train by his comrades while being guarded by four armed RIC officers. Two of the RIC officers were killed—Sergeant Peter Wallace (aged 47) and Constable Michael Enright (aged 35)—and several IRA volunteers were wounded. *17 May 1919: **First of the
Dáil Courts The Dáil Courts (also known as Republican Courts) were the judicial branch of government of the Irish Republic, which had unilaterally declared independence in 1919. They were formally established by a decree of the First Dáil on 29 June 1920 ...
was set up at Ballinrobe, County Mayo. **Dáil Éireann sent a letter to the head of the Paris Peace Conference, repudiating Britain's claim to speak for Ireland. Soon after, it sent a statement concerning "Ireland's Case for Independence" to the Conference.


June 1919

*1 June 1919: De Valera departed for the United States. He sought to gain official recognition of the Irish Republic from the US government, to secure the support of the American people, and to raise money for Dáil Éireann and the IRA. *6 June 1919: The
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
passed a resolution asking for the delegation appointed by Dáil Éireann to be given a hearing at the Paris Peace Conference, and expressing sympathy with the "aspirations of the Irish people for a government of their own choice". *16 June 1919: IRA volunteers ambushed a six-man British Army-RIC patrol at Rathclarin, County Cork and seized their rifles. A soldier and a volunteer were injured. *18 June 1919: The Dáil officially established the Dáil Courts. The next day it approved the First Dáil Loan. *23 June 1919: IRA volunteers assassinated RIC District Inspector Michael Hunt in
Thurles Thurles (; ''Durlas Éile'') is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located in the civil parish of the same name in the barony of Eliogarty and in the ecclesiastical parish of Thurles (Roman Catholic parish), Thurles. The cathedral ch ...
, County Tipperary. *24 June 1919: Two RIC officers were attacked and disarmed near Meenascarthy, County Kerry. Ten IRA volunteers were later arrested and five of them sentenced to prison terms.


July 1919

*4 July 1919: Sinn Féin, the Irish Volunteers,
Cumann na mBan Cumann na mBan (; literally "The Women's Council" but calling themselves The Irishwomen's Council in English), abbreviated C na mB, is an Irish republican women's paramilitary organisation formed in Dublin on 2 April 1914, merging with and di ...
and the
Gaelic League (; historically known in English as the Gaelic League) is a social and cultural organisation which promotes the Irish language in Ireland and worldwide. The organisation was founded in 1893 with Douglas Hyde as its first president, when it emer ...
were declared illegal in
County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...
. *12 July 1919:
Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule movem ...
leader
Edward Carson Edward Henry Carson, 1st Baron Carson, PC, PC (Ire) (9 February 1854 – 22 October 1935), from 1900 to 1921 known as Sir Edward Carson, was an Irish unionist politician, barrister and judge, who served as the Attorney General and Solicito ...
warned that if any moves were made to separate
Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
from the United Kingdom he would call out the
Ulster Volunteers The Ulster Volunteers was an Irish unionist, loyalist paramilitary organisation founded in 1912 to block domestic self-government ("Home Rule") for Ireland, which was then part of the United Kingdom. The Ulster Volunteers were based in the ...
. *30 July 1919: RIC Detective Sergeant Smith was shot and fatally wounded outside his home in
Drumcondra, Dublin Drumcondra () is a residential area and inner suburb on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. It is administered by Dublin City Council. The River Tolka and the Royal Canal flow through the area. History The village of Drumcondra was the central a ...
. It was the first assassination authorised by Michael Collins and carried out by The Squad.Mackay, James. ''Michael Collins: A Life'', p. 132.


August 1919

*4 August 1919: Two RIC officers were fatally shot by the IRA while on patrol near Ennistymon, County Clare. An IRA volunteer was wounded in the action. *20 August 1919: Motion passed by Dáil that an Oath of Allegiance (to the Republic) should be taken by all members and officials of Dáil Éireann, and all Irish Volunteers. Volunteers began taking the oath on 25 August. O'Malley (new ed. 1990) says that with this oath the Irish Volunteers became the Irish Republican Army (IRA). *23 August 1919: Francis Murphy (15), a member of
Fianna Éireann Na Fianna Éireann (The Fianna of Ireland), known as the Fianna, is an Irish nationalist youth organisation founded by Constance Markievicz in 1909, with later help from Bulmer Hobson. Fianna members were involved in setting up the Irish Volun ...
, was shot dead by British soldiers who fired into his home near Ennistymon, County Clare. It was allegedly retaliation for the recent IRA ambush nearby. Although the British Army denied responsibility, an inquest found them responsible.


September 1919

*2 September 1919: An RIC Sergeant was killed and another wounded when their bicycle patrol was ambushed by IRA volunteers from the 1st Tipperary Brigade in
Lorrha Lorrha (from ) is a small village at the northern tip of County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located on a minor road between the R489 Birr to Portumna road and the N65 Nenagh to Portumna road about five kilometres east of the point where the Rive ...
. Authorisation for the attack was given by Treacy and Breen, who were on the run in the area after the
Soloheadbeg Sologhead beg or Solohead beg (; , IPA: sˠʊləxoːdʲˈvʲaɡ is a townland and civil parish in County Tipperary, Ireland, lying northwest of Tipperary town. History In 968, Soloheadbeg was the location for the Battle of Sulcoit, where the ...
and
Knocklong Knocklong () is a small village situated in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, located on the main Limerick to Mitchelstown to Cork (city), Cork road. The population was 256 at the 2016 census. History Knocklong was originally known ...
attacks earlier in the year. *7 September 1919: Fermoy ambush: The IRA ambushed British soldiers on their way to a church service outside the Methodist church in
Fermoy Fermoy () is a town on the River Blackwater in east County Cork, Ireland. As of the 2016 census, the town and environs had a population of approximately 6,500 people. It is located in the barony of Condons and Clangibbon, and is in the Dái ...
, County Cork, where the service was being held. The IRA aim was to seize weapons. It was the first such action against the British Army. The ambush involved twenty-three Cork IRA volunteers, under the leadership of Liam Lynch, augmented by Mick Mansfield and
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, County W ...
of Waterford. One soldier, Private William Jones, 2nd Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry, was killed. Lynch himself was wounded but survived. Fifteen rifles were captured by the IRA. Following the ambush, approximately 200 British soldiers attacked and looted businesses in the town. *10 September 1919: The Dáil was outlawed by the British government. *12 September 1919: Detective Daniel Hoey of
G Division (Dublin Metropolitan Police) G (detective) Division was a plainclothes divisional office of the Dublin Metropolitan Police concerned with detective police work.Patrick Maume, ‘Mallon, John (1839–1915)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, ...
was assassinated by the IRA in Dublin. *19 September 1919: Official founding of "the Squad", an IRA
counter-intelligence Counterintelligence is an activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting activities to prevent espionage, sabotage, assassinations or ot ...
and
assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...
squad.


October 1919

*19 October 1919: Detective Michael Downing of G Division (Dublin Metropolitan Police) was assassinated by the IRA in Dublin. *31 October 1919: The IRA attacked
Ballivor Ballivor ( /'bælaɪvər/ BAL-eyevər; ) is a village in County Meath, Ireland. It had a population of 1,809 at the 2016 census. It is located on the R156 regional road between the towns of Mullingar and Trim. Public transport Bus Éireann ro ...
RIC barracks in County Meath, killing an RIC officer and seizing weaponry.


November 1919

*4 November 1919: The British government's Irish Committee settled on a policy of creating two Home Rule parliaments—one in Dublin and one in Belfast—with a Council of Ireland to provide a framework for possible unity. *11 November 1919: First edition of the ''Irish Bulletin'' was produced by Dáil Éireann's Department of Publicity. It was to be produced every few days from this date onward and became very important in getting the Irish side of events known to a wide audience. *17 November 1919: Men of the
3rd Cork Brigade The 3rd Cork Brigade, also known as Third (West) Cork Brigade, was a unit of the Irish Republican Army that operated in the western areas of County Cork during the Irish War of Independence. The unit was commanded by Tom Barry for most of the c ...
raided a British sloop whilst it was docked at a pier in
Bantry Bantry () is a town in the civil parish of Kilmocomoge in the barony of Bantry on the southwest coast of County Cork, Ireland. It lies in West Cork at the head of Bantry Bay, a deep-water gulf extending for to the west. The Beara Peninsula is ...
, County Cork. The IRA men succeeded in capturing a number of arms and ammunition from the ship, greatly increasing the brigade's military capabilities in West Cork. *29 November 1919: Detective John Barton of G Division (Dublin Metropolitan Police) was assassinated by the IRA in Dublin.


December 1919

*12 December 1919: In response to the arrest of three volunteers, the IRA shot and wounded a group of four RIC officers outside
Dungloe ''An Clochán Liath'', known in English as Dungloe or Dunglow ( ), is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is the main town in The Rosses and the largest in the Donegal ''Gaeltacht''. Dungloe developed as a town in the middle of the 18th century ...
, County Donegal. It was the first IRA action in the county during the conflict. *14 December 1919: An RIC officer was killed by the IRA in
Kilbrittain Kilbrittain or Killbrittain () is the name of a village, townland and parish in County Cork, Ireland. The village lies about southwest of Bandon, and near Courtmacsherry and Timoleague. The coastal route around the edge of the parish is the R6 ...
, County Cork. *19 December 1919: The IRA attempted to assassinate the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, British Field Marshal Viscount French, in his car at
Phoenix Park The Phoenix Park ( ga, Páirc an Fhionnuisce) is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tre ...
,
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
. French was unhurt, but one IRA volunteer,
Martin Savage , birth_date = 12 October 1897 , death_date = 19 December 1919 , birth_place= Ballisodare, County Sligo, Ireland , death_place= Ashtown, County Dublin, Ireland , image=Martin savage.jpg , caption= , nickname= , allegiance= Irish Republican ...
, was killed. Dan Breen and two
Dublin Metropolitan Police The Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP) was the police force of Dublin, Ireland, from 1836 to 1925, when it was amalgamated into the new Garda Síochána. History 19th century The Dublin city police had been subject to major reforms in 1786 and ...
men and a driver were wounded. An RIC Sergeant was knocked unconscious. *22 December 1919: ''Better Government of Ireland Bill'' was introduced into the House of Commons. It proposed two parliaments; one for the six counties of north-east Ulster and one for the other twenty-six counties of Ireland.


1920


January 1920

*In elections to urban councils, republicans won control of Dublin, Cork and Limerick, among others. Unionists lost control of Derry city to
Irish nationalists Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of cu ...
/republicans for the first time, heightening political tensions in
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
. *2 January 1920: IRA volunteers under Mick Leahy of the 1st Cork Brigade captured
Carrigtwohill Carrigtwohill, officially Carrigtohill (), is a town in County Cork, Ireland with a population of 5,080 (2016). It is 12 kilometres east of Cork city. It is connected to Cork Suburban Rail and is bypassed by the N25 road. Carrigtwohill is on ...
RIC barracks. This is reported as the first "officially-sanctioned" attack on an RIC barracks. *6 January 1920:
Drumlish Drumlish () is a village in County Longford, Ireland on the R198 regional road north of Longford Town. History Evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of ringfort sites in Drumlish and its surrounding townlands. The rema ...
RIC barracks in
County Longford County Longford ( gle, Contae an Longfoirt) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford. Longford County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county was 46,6 ...
was attacked by IRA volunteers led by Sean Connolly. *17 January 1920: the IRA West Waterford Brigade, commanded by George Lennon, attacked Ardmore RIC barracks. *19 January 1920: The IRA ambushed an RIC truck and its cycle escort outside
Cooraclare Cooraclare () is a village near Kilrush, in County Clare, Ireland, and a Catholic parish by the same name. Location The village of Cooraclare is in the parish of Cooraclare (Kilmacduane) in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. It is from Kil ...
, County Clare. The RIC returned fire and an IRA member (Michael Darcy) drowned crossing the Doonbeg River. *20 January 1920: RIC Constable Luke Finnegan was fatally shot in
Thurles Thurles (; ''Durlas Éile'') is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located in the civil parish of the same name in the barony of Eliogarty and in the ecclesiastical parish of Thurles (Roman Catholic parish), Thurles. The cathedral ch ...
, County Tipperary in an ambush by three IRA volunteers. Afterward, policemen attacked property belonging to local republicans as well as some public property. This is the first reported instance of police reprisals. *21 January 1920:
County Armagh County Armagh (, named after its county town, Armagh) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the southern shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and ha ...
-born RIC District Inspector William Redmond, Assistant Commissioner of
G Division (Dublin Metropolitan Police) G (detective) Division was a plainclothes divisional office of the Dublin Metropolitan Police concerned with detective police work.Patrick Maume, ‘Mallon, John (1839–1915)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, ...
, was shot dead by "the Squad" in Dublin.


February 1920

*11 February 1920: Séamus O'Brien, commander of the IRA's Wicklow Brigade, was shot dead during an attack on an RIC patrol in Rathdrum, County Wicklow. *12 February 1920: An IRA unit led by Seán Hales attacked
Allihies Allihies (; ) is a townland in the civil parish of Kilnamanagh, in County Cork, Ireland. The townland of Allihies is located at the western tip of the Beara Peninsula. History of copper mining From the Bronze Age the area had been a site of co ...
RIC barracks, County Cork, killing RIC officer Michael Neenan. Afterwards, the RIC abandoned several small barracks in the area. *14 February 1920: An IRA unit led by Diarmuid Hurley captured
Castlemartyr Castlemartyr (, formerly anglicised as ''Ballymarter'' or ''Ballymartyr'') is a village in County Cork, Ireland. It is located 25 minutes east of Cork city, 10 km (6 mi) east of Midleton, 16 km (10 mi) west of Youghal and 6&n ...
RIC barracks, County Cork. *15 February 1920: Thirty IRA volunteers—led by
Ernie O'Malley Ernest Bernard Malley ( ga, Earnán Ó Máille; 26 May 1897 – 25 March 1957) was an IRA officer during the Irish War of Independence. Subsequently, he became assistant chief of staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA during the Irish Civil War. O'Malley ...
and
Eoin O'Duffy Eoin O'Duffy (born Owen Duffy; 28 January 1890 – 30 November 1944) was an Irish military commander, police commissioner and politician. O'Duffy was the leader of the Monaghan Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and a prominent figure in ...
—attacked and captured Shantonagh RIC barracks, near
Castleblaney Castleblayney (; ) is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town had a population of 3,607 as of the 2016 census. Castleblayney is near the border with County Armagh in Northern Ireland, and lies on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Lett ...
, County Monaghan. Following a firefight, the IRA blew a hole in the wall, wounding four RIC officers, and seized their weaponry. *18 February 1920:Timothy Quinlisk ex-POW/German Irish Brigade member and informer is executed by the IRA at
Ballyphehane Ballyphehane () is a suburb in the south of Cork in Ireland. It is one of the oldest suburbs in Cork and was created as part of a post-World War II initiative to create a model community in Cork. Between 1948 and 1993, a total of 11 housing scheme ...
, County Cork for trying to betray Michael Collins. *20 February 1920: **Counties
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
,
Wicklow Wicklow ( ; ga, Cill Mhantáin , meaning 'church of the toothless one'; non, Víkingaló) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. It is located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island. According to the 2016 census, it has ...
,
Louth Louth may refer to: Australia *Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia * Louth, New South Wales, a town * Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia **Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality Canada * Louth, Ontario Ireland * Cou ...
,
Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meet ...
,
Westmeath "Noble above nobility" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Westmeath.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = , subdivis ...
,
Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...
and
Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...
were proclaimed as being in a state of disturbance. **DMP officer John Walsh was shot dead and another officer (Dunleavy) was wounded in the stomach on Grafton Street, Dublin. *24 February 1920: IRA Vice Commandant Martin Devitt is killed in action during an ambush of an RIC patrol to take their rifles and ammunition. The ambush took place on the road between Fermoyle and Inagh, County Clare. *29 February 1920: A group of British soldiers from the Sherwood Foresters transporting explosives were stopped and disarmed by the IRA outside Cobh, County Cork. One of the soldiers ran and was shot dead.


March 1920

*2 March 1920: British intelligence operative of Irish descent, John Charles Byrnes (alias "Jack Jameson"), was killed by "the Squad" in Dublin. *3 March 1920:
Frank Shawe-Taylor Frank Shawe-Taylor (1869 – 3 March 1920) was an Irish land agent and ex-High Sheriff of County Galway who was killed in an IRA ambush during the Irish War of Independence Background to the dispute Land disputes in Ireland had been a conten ...
, land agent, was shot dead near
Athenry Athenry (; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland, which lies east of Galway city. Some of the attractions of the medieval town are its town wall, Athenry Castle, its priory and its 13th century street-plan. The town is also well known by virtu ...
, County Galway. *5 March 1920: An RIC officer (John Martin Heanue) was shot dead as he called at a village grocers shop in Bouladuff, County Tipperary. *9 March 1920: An RIC officer (Thomas Ryan) was fatally wounded during an IRA bomb attack on
Hugginstown Hugginstown (, historically anglicised as ''Ballyhuggin'')Placenames Database of Ireland
(see archival records)
RIC barracks, County Kilkenny. *10 March 1920: the IRA shot two RIC officers in a hotel in
Rathkeale Rathkeale () is a town in west County Limerick, in Ireland. It is 30 km (18 mi) southwest of Limerick city on the N21 road to Tralee, County Kerry, and lies on the River Deel. Rathkeale has a significant Irish Traveller population, and ...
, County Limerick, killing Sergeant George Neazer. *11–12 March 1920: An RIC officer (Timothy Scully) was shot dead when his patrol was ambushed returning to barracks in
Glanmire Glanmire () is a suburban town from Cork city centre, in the civil parish of Rathcooney, County Cork, Ireland. Glanmire is within the administrative area of Cork City Council and the Dáil constituency of Cork North-Central. The greater Gl ...
, County Cork. In reprisal, RIC officers attacked homes in Cork City. *16 March 1920: Two RIC officers were shot dead outside a church in Toomevara, County Tipperary. *19 March 1920: An RIC officer (Joseph Murtagh) was shot dead in an IRA ambush in Cork city while returning from a colleague's funeral. *20 March 1920:
Tomás Mac Curtain Tomás Mac Curtain (20 March 1884 – 20 March 1920) was an Irish Sinn Féin politician who served as the Lord Mayor of Cork until he was assassinated by the Royal Irish Constabulary. He was elected in January 1920. Background Tomás Mac Curt ...
, the
Lord Mayor of Cork The Lord Mayor of Cork ( ga, Ard-Mhéara Chathair Chorcaí) is the honorific title of the Chairperson ( ga, Cathaoirleach) of Cork City Council which is the local government body for the city of Cork (city), Cork in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. ...
and commander of the IRA's 1st Cork Brigade, was assassinated in front of his wife at his home, by men with blackened faces later reportedly seen entering the local police barracks. *22 March 1920: British soldiers singing "
God Save the King "God Save the King" is the national anthem, national and/or royal anthem of the United Kingdom, most of the Commonwealth realms, their territories, and the British Crown Dependencies. The author of the tune is unknown and it may originate in ...
" drew a hostile crowd at Portobello Bridge, Dublin. Troops from the nearby barracks arrived and opened fire, killing two civilians. *24 March 1920: British intelligence operative of Irish descent, Frederick McNutley (alias British Army RASC clerk Brian Fergus Malloy) was killed by "the Squad" in Dublin after he had tried to lead the IRA into a trap. *25 March 1920: The
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 ...
arrived in Ireland. *26 March 1920: Resident Magistrate Alan Bell, from
Banagher Banagher ( or ''Beannchar na Sionna'') is a town in Ireland, located in the midlands, on the western edge of County Offaly in the province of Leinster, on the banks of the River Shannon. It had a population of 3,000 at the height of its econ ...
, Co Offaly was killed. He was pulled from a tram in south Dublin and shot at point blank range. His death was instantaneous. He was tasked by the British to track down Sinn Féin funds; he had successfully confiscated over £71,000 from Sinn Féin's HQ and, by investigating banks throughout the country, was set to seize much more. *29 March 1920: ''Better Government of Ireland Bill'' was passed by 348 votes to 94 in Westminster. *March 1920: ** West Limerick IRA volunteers killed a man for spying. This was the first such killing in the conflict. **
County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...
; Upon being told of a shoot-to-kill order on members of the IRA and burning of their homes, 4 RIC Constables resigned in protest. Two members of the IRA, Morris Welch and William Connell, were killed and their homes burned. In the town of Clohohim two Irish girls were beaten with gun butts by soldiers until stopped by EX-RIC officer Daniel F. Crowley


April 1920

*3–4 April 1920: The IRA burned over 300 abandoned RIC barracks in rural areas and almost 100 income tax offices. A further 150 barracks were destroyed on the night of 5–6 April. While raiding the Excise Office in
Ballyhaunis Ballyhaunis () is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is at the crossroads of the N60 and N83 National secondary roads and on the railway line linking Dublin to Westport and Ballina. It is thought that the town grew up around St Mary's Augus ...
, County Mayo, the IRA shot and wounded two RIC officers of a three-man patrol which approached an IRA sentry post.Interesting Extracts - Brief Personal notes on Parochial and other passing events by Michael F Waldron, Knox Street, Ballyhaunis, 7 February 1953; re-printed in Annagh Parish Magazine, 2007-09.The Irish Bulletin *5 April 1920: IRA prisoners began a
hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke a feeling of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most ...
in
Mountjoy Prison Mountjoy Prison ( ga, Príosún Mhuinseo), founded as Mountjoy Gaol and nicknamed ''The Joy'', is a medium security men's prison located in Phibsborough in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. The current prison Governor is Edward Mullins. History ...
, demanding
prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...
status. *14 April 1920: **After large demonstrations and a general strike in support of the prisoners on hunger strike, all 90 were released. In
Milltown Malbay Milltown Malbay (), also Miltown Malbay, is a town in the west of County Clare, Ireland, near Spanish Point. The population was 829 at the 2016 Census. Name There is a townland on the southern edge of the town called Poulawillin or Pollawillin ...
a group of RIC and British Army shot into a crowd celebrating the prisoners' release, killing three people and wounding nine others. In
Balbriggan Balbriggan (; , IPA: bˠalʲəˈbʲɾʲɪɟiːnʲ is a coastal town in Fingal, in the northern part of County Dublin, Ireland, approximately 34 km from Dublin City. The 2016 census population was 21,722 for Balbriggan and its environs. ...
, an RIC officer was shot dead following a demonstration in support of the hunger strikers. **Detective Constable Harry Kells of
Dublin Metropolitan Police The Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP) was the police force of Dublin, Ireland, from 1836 to 1925, when it was amalgamated into the new Garda Síochána. History 19th century The Dublin city police had been subject to major reforms in 1786 and ...
(DMP) "G" Division was assassinated in Dublin by "the Squad". *15 & 17 April 1920: Clashes erupted in
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
when republican prisoners were brought to
Derry Gaol Derry Gaol, also known as Londonderry Gaol, refers to one of several gaols (prisons) constructed consecutively in Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Derry Gaol is notable as a place of incarceration for Irish Republican Army (IRA) m ...
. British soldiers fired on a Catholic crowd (which included women and children) to disperse them. Later, an assault on patrolling British soldiers in Derry sparked clashes between
Irish nationalists Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of cu ...
and unionists in the city. This culminated in an attack on an RIC barracks, apparently by the IRA, during which the RIC shot six people.Gallagher, Ronan
''Violence and Nationalist Politics in Derry City, 1920-1923''
Four Courts Press, 2003. pp. 20-28
Fox, Colm. ''The Making of a Minority: Political Developments in Derry and the North 1912-25''

Guildhall Press, 1997.
*18 April 1920: The IRA attacked a group of RIC officers leaving a church in
Kilmihil Kilmihil () is a village in the Barony of Clonderlaw, west County Clare, Ireland. It is also a civil parish and an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. The area was officially classified as part of the West Clare Gaelt ...
, County Clare. An RIC officer and an IRA volunteer were killed and several wounded. *21 April 1920: IRA prisoners began a hunger strike in
Wormwood Scrubs Prison HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs (nicknamed "The Scrubs") is a Category B men's local prison, located opposite Hammersmith Hospital and W12 Conferences on Du Cane Road in the White City in West London, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's ...
, London. *24 April 1920: the IRA assassinated a DMP sergeant in
Clonakilty Clonakilty (; ), sometimes shortened to Clon, is a town in County Cork, Ireland. The town is located at the head of the tidal Clonakilty Bay. The rural hinterland is used mainly for dairy farming. The town's population as of 2016 was 4,592. Th ...
, County Cork. *25 April 1920: the IRA ambushed and killed two RIC officers (Sgt Cornelius Crean and Constable Patrick McGoldrick) near
Ballinspittle Ballinspittle () is a village in County Cork, Ireland. It is in the barony of Courceys and lies about southwest of Kinsale, on the R600 road. It is near Garrylucas and Garrettstown Blue Flag beaches. The village is a community with new housin ...
, County Cork. *27 April 1920: **The IRA captured and destroyed the RIC barracks at
Ballylanders Ballylanders () is a village in south County Limerick, Ireland. It is situated on the R513 Mitchelstown-Limerick regional road, being approximately from the former and from the latter. The 2016 census recorded a population of 308 people. N ...
, County Limerick, seizing arms and ammunition. In reprisal, Black and Tans went on a rampage in Limerick City. **A British soldier of the
Royal Welsh Fusiliers The Royal Welch Fusiliers ( cy, Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales' Division, that was founded in 1689; shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated ...
was shot dead by the IRA during clashes between a group of civilians and British soldiers on Wolfe Tone Street, Limerick.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 132 *29 April 1920: The IRA attacked
Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...
RIC barracks, County Dublin, fatally wounding an RIC sergeant John Brady.


May 1920

*3 May 1920: An RIC sergeant was killed and two wounded when IRA volunteers attempted to disarm them at Gale Bridge, near
Listowel Listowel ( ; , IPA: lʲɪsˠˈt̪ˠuəhəlʲ is a heritage market town in County Kerry, Ireland. It is on the River Feale, from the county town, Tralee. The town of Listowel had a population of 4,820 according to the Central Statistics Of ...
, County Kerry. *8 May 1920: The IRA 1st Cork Brigade, led by Mick Leahy, captured
Cloyne Cloyne () is a small town to the southeast of Midleton in eastern County Cork. It is also a see city of the Anglican (Church of Ireland) Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, while also giving its name to a Roman Catholic diocese. St Colman's Cath ...
RIC barracks, County Cork. *9 May 1920: Some 200 IRA volunteers under
Frank Aiken Francis Thomas Aiken (13 February 1898 – 18 May 1983) was an Irish revolutionary and politician. He was chief of staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA at the end of the Irish Civil War. Aiken later served as Tánaiste from 1965 to 1969 and Minister fo ...
attacked the RIC barracks in
Newtownhamilton Newtownhamilton is a small town and civil parish in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It lies predominantly within Tullyvallan townland. The civil parish is within the historic barony of Fews Upper. In the 2011 Census it had 2,836 inhabitants. ...
,
County Armagh County Armagh (, named after its county town, Armagh) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the southern shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and ha ...
. After a two-hour firefight, the IRA breached the barracks wall with explosives and stormed the building. The RIC refused to surrender until the building was set alight with petrol from a potato-spraying machine. *10 May 1920: Three RIC officers were killed in an IRA ambush at Ahawadda Cross, near
Timoleague Timoleague () is a village in the eastern division of Carbery East in County Cork, Ireland. It is located along Ireland's southern coast between Kinsale and Clonakilty, on the estuary of the Argideen River. Nearby is the village of Courtmacsher ...
, County Cork. *11 May 1920: IRA volunteers destroyed the RIC barracks at Hollyford, County Tipperary. *12 May 1920: **Destruction of vacated RIC barracks at Kill O'the Grange, Dublin, by members of 6th Battalion Dublin Brigade IRA. During this operation two IRA volunteers (Lt. Tom Dunne and Q/M Pat Meaney) were badly burned, and died on the 14th and 20th, respectively.Cmdt. Andrew McDonnell Bureau of Military History Witness Statement WS#1768 **The surrendered RIC barracks at
Rockbrook Rockbrook (Irish language, Irish: ''Sruth na gCloch'') is a smal ...
, Dublin was destroyed. *13 May 1920: W.J. McCabe, an employee of
Laurence Ambrose Waldron Laurence Ambrose Waldron Privy Council of Ireland, PC (14 November 1858 – 27 December 1923) was an Irish businessman and politician. Waldron was the son of Laurence Waldron and Anne White; his father had also been an MP, for Tipperary (U ...
(MP for County Dublin), was shot dead in Killiney.Patrick J. Brennan Witness Statement to the Bureau of Military History WS#1773 *14–15 May 1920: Every member of the Dáil (not already in prison) received a note through the post that said "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Therefore, a life for a life". *15–16 May 1920:
Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
attacked a Catholic district of Derry, sparking a four-hour gun battle between armed republicans, loyalists and the RIC. A Detective Sergeant from RIC Special Branch was shot dead, the first RIC officer to be killed in Ulster. A Catholic man was also killed. Armed UVF members took over Carlisle Bridge and assaulted Catholics attempting to cross, despite the presence of British troops and police. *19 May 1920: The IRA assassinated two RIC sergeants on Upper Mallow Street, Limerick. RIC officers then ran amok in Limerick, firing indiscriminately and destroying several buildings. A civilian was shot dead and others wounded. *20 May 1920: Dublin dock workers refused to handle British military supplies, and were soon joined by members of the
Irish Transport and General Workers Union The Irish Transport and General Workers Union (ITGWU), was a trade union representing workers, initially mainly labourers, in Ireland. History The union was founded by James Larkin in January 1909 as a general union. Initially drawing its memb ...
; especially railway workers, who refused to drive trains carrying British troops. Despite hundreds of sackings, the strike continued until December. *28 May 1920: The IRA attacked
Kilmallock Kilmallock () is a town in south County Limerick, Ireland, near the border with County Cork. There is a Dominican Priory in the town and King's Castle (or King John's Castle). The remains of medieval walls which encircled the settlement are sti ...
RIC barracks, County Limerick, held by 18 to 28 RIC men. They fired on it, broke a hole in the roof and threw petrol bombs inside. Two RIC men were killed, two were wounded, and ten more surrendered. An IRA volunteer (Capt Liam Scully) was killed. *29 May 1920: IRA volunteer Thomas Sheridan was shot dead while attempting to disarm two RIC men in
Crossdoney Crossdoney () is a village and townland in County Cavan, Ireland. The village is on the R154 regional road where it terminates at a junction with the R198. Peculiarly, all buildings in the village sit on one side of the road, and this gives ri ...
, County Cavan. An RIC officer and another volunteer were wounded. Sheridan was one of only three IRA volunteers to be killed in County Cavan during the war.


June 1920

*1 June 1920: **At least 200 IRA volunteers led by Roger McCorley attacked the RIC barracks in
Crossgar Crossgar () is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is about south of Belfast – between Saintfield and Downpatrick. Crossgar had a population 1,892 people in the 2011 UK Census. History Crossgar has had an interesti ...
, County Down. They opened fire on the building, wounding two officers, and attempted to breach the walls with explosives before withdrawing. **IRA volunteers destroyed
Blarney Blarney () is a suburban town within the administrative area of Cork City in Ireland. It is located approximately north-west of the city centre. It is the site of Blarney Castle, home of the legendary Blarney Stone. Blarney is part of the Dáil ...
and
Carrigadrohid Carrigadrohid () is a townland and village in the parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, oft ...
RIC barracks in County Cork. *2 June 1920: The IRA attacked and burned down
Fenit Fenit () is a small village in County Kerry, Ireland, located on north side of Tralee Bay about west of Tralee town, just south of the Shannon Estuary. The bay is enclosed from the Atlantic by the Maharee spit which extends northwards from th ...
RIC barracks and pier in County Kerry *3/4 June 1920: IRA volunteers destroyed
Drangan Drangan () is a village, census town and civil parish in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is in the historical barony of Middlethird. As of the 2016 census, Drangan had a population of 145 people. The village's Catholic church is dedicated to Sain ...
RIC barracks in County Tipperary and captured weapons. *6 June 1920: The IRA opened fire on RIC officers in
Cullyhanna Cullyhanna () is a small village and townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The village extends further over the townlands of Tullynavall and Freeduff. It had a population of 306 in the 2001 Census. It is within the Newry and Mourne Distri ...
, County Armagh. Three officers were wounded, one fatally. The RIC returned fire, killing a civilian. *11 June 1920: An RIC detective was shot dead in the Railway Hotel on Parnell Street, Limerick.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 139 *12 June 1920: **In county council elections, Sinn Féin won control of all but four county councils (Antrim, Armagh, Londonderry and Down). Republicans also won control of 172 out of 206 rural district councils. The republican-controlled councils gave allegiance to the Irish Republic. **An RIC officer was shot dead outside
Glengarriff Glengarriff () is a village of approximately 140 people on the N71 national secondary road in the Beara Peninsula of County Cork, Ireland. Known internationally as a tourism venue, it has a number of natural attractions. It sits at the norther ...
barracks, County Cork. *15 June 1920: Percival Lea-Wilson (or Lee-Wilson), an RIC District Inspector in
Gorey Gorey () is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland. It is beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the ''Gorey Guardian''. As a growi ...
, was shot dead by the IRA outside his home on the orders of Michael Collins. Lea-Wilson had ordered Seán Mac Diarmada's execution as one of the leaders of the
Easter Rising The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...
. **Constable Pierce Doogue (aged 42) was killed by a stone while on leave aiding colleagues at a disturbance at Belmullet, Co Mayo. *16 June 1920: The IRA raided the RIC barracks in
Cookstown Cookstown ( ga, An Chorr Chríochach, IPA: anˠˈxoːɾˠɾˠˈçɾʲiːxəx is a small town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the fourth largest town in the county and had a population of 11,599 in the 2011 census. It, along with Maghe ...
, County Tyrone, with help from four sympathetic RIC officers. In a brief firefight, IRA volunteer Patrick Loughran was killed. He was the first IRA volunteer killed on active service in what became Northern Ireland. *18–19 June 1920: Sectarian clashes erupted in Derry. Catholic homes were attacked and burned in the mainly-Protestant Waterside. The ''
Derry Journal The ''Derry Journal'' is a newspaper based in Derry, Northern Ireland, serving Derry as well as County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. It is operated by a Johnston Press holding company entitled Derry Journal Newspapers. The paper is publ ...
'' wrote that the streets looked "as if an avenging army had passed through them". The Catholics fled by boat across the
River Foyle The River Foyle () is a river in west Ulster in the northwest of the island of Ireland, which flows from the confluence of the rivers Finn and Mourne at the towns of Lifford in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, and Strabane in County Ty ...
but the UVF fired on them from the bridge. Later, loyalists fired into the Catholic Long Tower and
Bogside The Bogside is a neighbourhood outside the city walls of Derry, Northern Ireland. The large gable-wall murals by the Bogside Artists, Free Derry Corner and the Gasyard Féile (an annual music and arts festival held in a former gasyard) are pop ...
districts, and republicans returned fire. Much of the loyalist shooting came from the city walls and Fountain neighbourhood. Two Catholic civilians were killed on Long Tower Street by a loyalist sniper on 19 June.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, pp. 143–145 *21–24 June 1920: The UVF occupied the centre of Derry and UVF snipers fired on Catholic districts from rooftops and the city walls. The IRA returned fire and engaged the UVF in the Diamond. There was fierce fighting around St Columb's College. Armed with rifles and machine-guns, the IRA occupied the college and dislodged the loyalist snipers, inflicting an estimated twenty casualties. Shortly after, 1,500 British Army reinforcements arrived in Derry and imposed a curfew. An IRA commander, seven Catholic civilians and three Protestant civilians were killed throughout the city between 21 and 24 June. *26 June 1920: **About 200 IRA volunteers attacked an RIC barracks at
Borrisokane Borrisokane () is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is situated at the junction of the N52 and N65 national secondary roads. At the 2016 census, it had a population of 942. The Ballyfinboy River flows through the town on its way to Lough ...
, County Tipperary. The attack was unsuccessful, but the building was so badly damaged that it was evacuated the next day. **British General
Cuthbert Lucas Major-General Cuthbert Henry Tindall Lucas, (1 March 1879 – 7 April 1956) was a British Army officer who commanded the 4th Division during the final months of World War I, and also served in the Second Boer War and the Irish War of Independ ...
was captured near
Fermoy Fermoy () is a town on the River Blackwater in east County Cork, Ireland. As of the 2016 census, the town and environs had a population of approximately 6,500 people. It is located in the barony of Condons and Clangibbon, and is in the Dái ...
, County Cork, and held as prisoner of war by the IRA East Clare Brigade. He was commander of the British 17th Infantry Brigade and was the highest ranking British officer captured by the IRA during the conflict. He was held until 3 July, during which time he came to admire the discipline and efficiency of the volunteers he met. The IRA arranged for Lucas to exchange letters with his wife in England. Lucas kept his word to the volunteers not to reveal their names or where he had been held prisoner. *June 1920: British
courts of assize The courts of assize, or assizes (), were periodic courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the quarter sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court. The assizes e ...
failed across the south and west, and trials by jury could not be held because potential jurors refused to participate. The
Chief Secretary for Ireland The Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key political office in the British administration in Ireland. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant, and officially the "Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant", from the early 19th century un ...
at the time,
Hamar Greenwood Thomas Hamar Greenwood, 1st Viscount Greenwood, PC, KC (7 February 1870 – 10 September 1948), known as Sir Hamar Greenwood, Bt, between 1915 and 1929, was a Canadian-born British lawyer and politician. He served as the last Chief Secretary ...
, told the British government that "the administrative machinery of the courts has been brought to a standstill". The collapse of the court system demoralized the RIC; many officers left the force.


July 1920

*2 July 1920: The IRA ambushed a four-man RIC patrol near the village of Dualla, County Tipperary. An RIC sergeant was killed and a constable was wounded. A man was arrested on 9 August to await trial by court martial for the incident. *4 July 1920: An IRA volunteer was killed during an ambush of an RIC truck at Shevry, County Tipperary. *11 July 1920: A Black and Tan was killed by a bomb during an IRA attack on Rathmore RIC barracks, County Kerry. *13 July 1920: Two RIC officers were killed when their mobile patrol was ambushed by the IRA in
Dingle Dingle (Irish language, Irish: ''An Daingean'' or ''Daingean Uí Chúis'', meaning "fort of Ó Cúis") is a town in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coas ...
, County Kerry. *17 July 1920: **British Colonel
Gerald Smyth Lieutenant-Colonel Gerald Bryce Ferguson Smyth, DSO and Bar, French Croix de Guerre and Belgian Croix de guerre (7 September 1885 – 17 July 1920) was a British Army officer and police officer who was at the centre of a mutiny in the ranks of th ...
was assassinated by the IRA in a Cork City country club. Smyth had told RIC officers to shoot civilians who disobeyed orders. Railway workers refused to carry Smyth's body back to his native
Banbridge Banbridge ( , ) is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Bann and the A1 road (Northern Ireland), A1 road and is named after a bridge built over the River Bann in 1712. It is situated in the Civil parishes in Ireland, c ...
, County Down. The assassination provoked retaliation by loyalists against Catholics in Banbridge and Belfast. **Two British soldiers of the Border Regiment were severely wounded in an ambush at
Swinford Swinford () is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is surrounded by a number of smaller villages, including Midfield and Meelick. It is just off the N5 road, located 18 km (11 mi) from Ireland West Airport Knock (formerly known as K ...
, County Mayo. *19/20 July 1920: IRA volunteers ambushed an RIC patrol on the
Tuam Tuam ( ; ga, Tuaim , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. Humans have lived in the area since the Bron ...
Dunmore Dunmore from the ga, Dún Mór, link=no or gd, Dùn Mòr, link=no, meaning "great fort", may refer to: People * Dunmore (surname) * Earl of Dunmore, a title in the Peerage of Scotland, includes a list of earls * Countess of Dunmore (disambiguat ...
road, County Galway. Two officers were killed while the other two surrendered, and were released unharmed. After searching unsuccessfully for the ambushers, RIC reinforcements rioted in Tuam, firing and throwing grenades in the streets, burning down the town hall, a Sinn Féin Hall, and a warehouse, and threatening to kill republican suspects. Townspeople who tried to douse the flames were shot at. The riot inspired copycat reprisals across Ireland in the summer and autumn of 1920. *21 July 1920: **Thirty IRA volunteers ambushed a British Army truck at Coolavokig, County Cork. Four soldiers were wounded, two fatally.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 151 **British troops killed two IRA volunteers who had allegedly ambushed their truck outside
Mitchelstown Mitchelstown () is a town in County Cork, Ireland with a population of approximately 3,740. Mitchelstown is situated in the valley to the south of the Galtee Mountains, 12 km south-west of the Mitchelstown Caves, 28 km from Cahir, 50& ...
, County Cork. **An RIC officer was killed and another wounded by IRA volunteers attempting to disarm them in Ballina, County Mayo. **A civilian was fatally wounded when British forces blew up the house of an IRA volunteer on Davis Street, Limerick, in reprisal for the assassination of Colonel Smyth.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 157 *21–23 July 1920: **In
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
,
Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
forced more than 7,000 Catholics and Irish nationalists from their jobs at
Harland and Wolff Harland & Wolff is a British shipbuilding company based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It specialises in ship repair, shipbuilding and offshore construction. Harland & Wolff is famous for having built the majority of the ocean liners for the W ...
shipyards (see
The Troubles in Northern Ireland (1920–1922) The Troubles of the 1920s was a period of conflict in what is now Northern Ireland from June 1920 until June 1922, during and after the Irish War of Independence and the partition of Ireland. It was mainly a communal conflict between Protestan ...
). This sparked a wave of sectarian clashes in the city. At the Falls-Shankill
interface Interface or interfacing may refer to: Academic journals * ''Interface'' (journal), by the Electrochemical Society * ''Interface, Journal of Applied Linguistics'', now merged with ''ITL International Journal of Applied Linguistics'' * '' Inte ...
, seven Catholics and two Protestants were killed, mostly by British soldiers firing machine-guns to disperse rioters. One was a Catholic priest, killed in
Clonard Monastery Clonard Monastery is a Catholic church located off the Falls Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and home to a community of the Redemptorists religious order. History In late 19th century Belfast, the Catholic population grew to such an extent ...
by British Army gunfire. Another Catholic civilian was shot dead by soldiers during clashes in the Markets. Loyalists attempted to burn down a Catholic convent on Newtownards Road. British soldiers guarding the building opened fire, wounding 15 Protestants, three of them fatally.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, pp. 151–153 **After Smyth's funeral (see 17 July, 1920), about 3,000 Loyalists took to the streets in
Banbridge Banbridge ( , ) is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Bann and the A1 road (Northern Ireland), A1 road and is named after a bridge built over the River Bann in 1712. It is situated in the Civil parishes in Ireland, c ...
. Many Catholic homes and businesses were attacked, burned and looted, despite police being present. A member of the
Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants, particularly those of Ulster Scots heritage. It also ...
was shot dead, it was determined that the bullet had been fired by the police. A Protestant was killed when a republican fired on loyalists who were besieging his home. **On 23 July 1920, in
Dromore, County Down Dromore () is a small market town and civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies within the local government district of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon. It is southwest of Belfast, on the A1 Belfast–Dublin road. The 2011 ...
sectarian motivated riots occurred. An estimated crowd of 500 attacked Catholic homes, businesses and the Catholic parochial house. A Protestant was killed when police fired to disperse loyalists who were attacking Catholic homes. At the end of these two days of violence, virtually the entire Catholic populations of Banbridge and Dromore were forced to flee their homes. *23 July 1920: A critical meeting of the British government was held in London. The cabinet was divided on how to proceed. Some Liberal ministers and Dublin Castle officials were in favour of offering dominion status to Ireland. Unionist ministers argued that the Government must crush the insurgency and proceed with the Government of Ireland Bill. Debate continued after the meeting: Walter Long warned of "the gravest consequences in Ulster" if the Government changed course; by 2 August, the hawks prevailed. *25 July 1920: The chief RIC intelligence officer for west Cork, D/Sgt William Mulherin, was assassinated by the IRA outside a church in
Bandon, County Cork Bandon (; ) is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It lies on the River Bandon between two hills. The name in Irish means 'Bridge of the Bandon', a reference to the origin of the town as a crossing point on the river. In 2004 Bandon celebrated its ...
. *26 July 1920: IRA volunteers attacked an RIC cycle patrol at Ballyrush, County Sligo. *27 July 1920: An RIC constable was shot dead by IRA volunteers in
Clonakilty Clonakilty (; ), sometimes shortened to Clon, is a town in County Cork, Ireland. The town is located at the head of the tidal Clonakilty Bay. The rural hinterland is used mainly for dairy farming. The town's population as of 2016 was 4,592. Th ...
, County Cork. *28 July 1920: Two British soldiers were killed and two wounded in an IRA ambush at
Oola Oola ( or ) is a village in County Limerick in Ireland. It is near the border with County Tipperary in the midwest of the country. The village is home to a church (Church of The Sacred Heart), a petrol station, a convenience store, two publi ...
, County Limerick. *29 July 1920: A party of about twenty British
Military Police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear recon ...
on guard outside the old House of Parliament on College Green, Dublin were surprised and disarmed by IRA volunteers.IRA Pension Application of Joseph Canny WMSP34REF20256JosephCannyAlphonsus Sweeney statement to Bureau of Military History WS#1147 *30 July 1920: **In County Limerick, two British soldiers were killed in an ambush of a lorry at
Oola Oola ( or ) is a village in County Limerick in Ireland. It is near the border with County Tipperary in the midwest of the country. The village is home to a church (Church of The Sacred Heart), a petrol station, a convenience store, two publi ...
, and another British soldier is killed in an ambush of a cycle patrol at Tankardstown. **Members of the IRA assassination unit (known as The "Squad") led by
Paddy Daly Paddy Daly (1888–1957) sometimes referred to as Paddy O'Daly, served in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence''Michael Collins: A Life'' by James Mackay, p. 132 and subsequently held the rank of major-general in the I ...
, shot and killed
Frank Brooke Francis Theophilius "Frank" Brooke PC, JP, DL (1851 – 30 July 1920) was an Anglo-Irish Director of Dublin and South Eastern Railways and a member of the Earl of Ypres' Advisory Council. He was gunned down, aged 69, by elements of Michael C ...
, director of Great Southern and Eastern Railway in his office in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
. Brooke was a member of the British military's Advisory Council. The killing was characterised by historian Peter Hart as "the only outright political assassination of the War of Independence". **British Brigadier-General
Cuthbert Lucas Major-General Cuthbert Henry Tindall Lucas, (1 March 1879 – 7 April 1956) was a British Army officer who commanded the 4th Division during the final months of World War I, and also served in the Second Boer War and the Irish War of Independ ...
escapes from the IRA, and later both praised the IRA and refused to reveal to the British the names of volunteers he met or where he was held (see Timeline entry for 26 June 1920).


August 1920

*2 August 1920:
Holywell Ambush The Holywell Ambush was an ambush on the Ballyhaunis to Claremorris road near Holywell in the early hours of Monday, 2 August 1920 carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Indep ...
: There was a battle between British soldiers and the IRA at Holywell on the
Ballyhaunis Ballyhaunis () is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is at the crossroads of the N60 and N83 National secondary roads and on the railway line linking Dublin to Westport and Ballina. It is thought that the town grew up around St Mary's Augus ...
Claremorris Claremorris (; ) is a town in County Mayo in the west of Ireland, at the junction of the N17 and the N60 national routes. It is the fastest growing town in the county. There was a 31% increase in the town's population between 2006 and 2011 an ...
Road, County Mayo. Five British soldiers and an IRA commander were wounded. *7 August 1920: Kildorrery Ambush: The IRA's East Limerick Flying Column under Donnacha O'Hannigan and George Lennon, joined forces with a Cork column under Tom Barry. Numbering twenty-five men, they ambushed an eight-man RIC foot patrol near
Kildorrery Kildorrery () is a village in north County Cork, Ireland. It lies at the crossroads of the N73 road from Mallow to Mitchelstown and the R512 from Kilmallock to Fermoy. This hilltop village has views to the east of the Galtee Mountains and Kn ...
, County Cork. All the Black and Tans/RIC men were wounded, one fatally. Six revolvers and 250 rounds of ammunition were seized. *9 August 1920: The ''
Restoration of Order in Ireland Act The Restoration of Order in Ireland Act 1920 (10 & 11 Geo. 5 c. 31) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed on 9 August 1920 to address the collapse of the British civilian administration in Ireland during the Irish War of Inde ...
'' received royal assent. The Act gave the British administration the power to govern by regulation; to replace criminal courts with courts martial; to replace coroners' inquests with military courts of inquiry; and to punish disaffected local governments by withholding their grants of money. *12 August 1920:
Terence McSwiney Terence James MacSwiney (; ga, Toirdhealbhach Mac Suibhne; 28 March 1879 – 25 October 1920) was an Irish playwright, author and politician. He was elected as Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Cork during the Irish War of Independence in 1920. He ...
,
Lord Mayor of Cork The Lord Mayor of Cork ( ga, Ard-Mhéara Chathair Chorcaí) is the honorific title of the Chairperson ( ga, Cathaoirleach) of Cork City Council which is the local government body for the city of Cork (city), Cork in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. ...
, was arrested. McSwiney began a hunger strike in protest and was joined by ten other prisoners. IRA officers Liam Lynch and Seán Hegarty were also arrested, but mistakenly released by the British. *14 August 1920: **The IRA fired on a group of British soldiers guarding an RAF plane which had been forced to land at Drominagh, County Cork. One British soldier was killed and others wounded. **British soldiers shot dead a civilian after searching his home in Hospital, County Limerick. It is suggested he was mistaken for an IRA volunteer. **John Coughlan is kidnapped by the IRA on a charge of allowing his daughters to be prostitutes for the British; he commits suicide in IRA custody *15 August 1920: An RIC officer was killed in an ambush on Edward Street, Limerick. Disturbances followed, during which an ex-serviceman was severely beaten by police. He died the next day. *16 August 1920: **Two IRA volunteers were shot dead during a police and military raid on a house near
Kanturk Kanturk () is a town in the north west of County Cork, Ireland. It is situated at the confluence of the Allua (Allow) and Dallow (Dalua) rivers, which stream further on as tributaries to the River Blackwater. It is about from Cork, Blarney and ...
, County Cork.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 161 **The IRA assassinated an RIC District Inspector in
Templemore Templemore () is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty. It is part of the parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The 2011 Censu ...
, County Tipperary. Police and military burned several businesses and the town hall in reprisal. Two officers of the Northamptonshire Regiment were mistakenly killed in the fires. *17–18 August 1920: The IRA ambushed two RIC patrols in Ardara, County Donegal, wounding six officers. *18 August 1920: IRA volunteers led by
Seán Mac Eoin Seán Mac Eoin (30 September 1893 – 7 July 1973) was an Irish Fine Gael politician and soldier who served as Minister for Defence briefly in 1951 and from 1954 to 1957, Minister for Justice from 1948 to 1951, and Chief of Staff of the Def ...
raided the British Army barracks in
Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meet ...
and
Ballymahon Ballymahon () on the River Inny is a town in the southern part of County Longford, Ireland. It is located at the junction of the N55 National secondary road and the R392 regional road. History Ballymahon derives its name from the Irish lang ...
for weaponry. *21 August 1920: **The IRA ambushed an RIC patrol in
Kill, County Kildare Kill () is a village and parish in County Kildare, Ireland near the county's border with Dublin beside the N7. Its population was recorded as 3,348 people in the 2016 census. Kill is the birthplace of the Fenian John Devoy as well as home to ...
. One officer was killed and another fatally wounded. It was the first such attack in the county.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 164 **Another RIC officer was killed when a patrol was ambushed near Merlin Park in Galway City. **A third RIC patrol was ambushed in
Dundalk Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is h ...
, County Louth, killing one officer and wounding four. In revenge, loyalists attacked and looted businesses belonging to prominent Irish nationalists. *22 August 1920: **RIC District Inspector Oswald Swanzy was assassinated by Cork IRA volunteers while leaving a church in
Lisburn Lisburn (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is southwest of Belfast city centre, on the River Lagan, which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. First laid out in the 17th century by English and Welsh settlers, with ...
, County Antrim. Swanzy had been among those blamed by an inquest jury in the killing of Cork Mayor
Tomás Mac Curtain Tomás Mac Curtain (20 March 1884 – 20 March 1920) was an Irish Sinn Féin politician who served as the Lord Mayor of Cork until he was assassinated by the Royal Irish Constabulary. He was elected in January 1920. Background Tomás Mac Curt ...
. In revenge, the UVF burned hundreds of Catholic homes and businesses in Lisburn, causing many Catholics to flee the town. Several Special Constables later had their charges in relation to the arson dropped. Violence soon spread to Belfast. **An RIC sergeant was shot dead while off duty after leaving a club in
Athlone Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of ...
. **The IRA ambushed an RIC truck at Kilmurry, County Cork. Several officers were wounded and an IRA volunteer was killed in the exchange of fire. **IRA forces from East Mayo, led by Seán Corcoran and Seán Walsh, captured Ballavarry RIC barracks in County Mayo and seized weaponry. *24 August 1920: An RIC officer was shot dead and another wounded at pub in
Glengarriff Glengarriff () is a village of approximately 140 people on the N71 national secondary road in the Beara Peninsula of County Cork, Ireland. Known internationally as a tourism venue, it has a number of natural attractions. It sits at the norther ...
, County Cork.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 165 *25 August 1920: An RIC officer was killed in ambush in Bantry, County Cork. *26 August 1920: **The IRA raided
Drumquin Drumquin (Irish: ''Droim Caoin'' (Pleasant ridge).) is a small village and townland (of 398 acres) in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies between Omagh and Castlederg, on the banks of the Drumquin River (Fairywater). It is situated in the ci ...
RIC barracks, County Tyrone. One RIC officer was shot dead, others wounded, and the weaponry in the barracks was seized. **An RIC officer was killed in ambush at
Knockcroghery Knockcroghery () is a village and townland in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located on the N61 road (Ireland), N61 road between Athlone and Roscommon, Roscommon town, near Lough Ree on the River Shannon. The townland of Knockcroghery is in t ...
, County Roscommon. **The IRA forced two RIC officers out of
Shanagolden, County Limerick Shanagolden () is a small village located in County Limerick, Ireland. The village is on the R521 regional road between Foynes and Newcastlewest, around 35 km west of Limerick City. It is situated west of the 'Golden Vale', an area of fertile a ...
. In response, a large RIC group arrived in the village, burned several buildings and shot dead a local civilian. *27 August 1920: **A British soldier was killed and two others wounded in attack on a British Army vehicle at Churchtown, near
Midleton Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satellit ...
, County Cork. British troops arrested two Sinn Féin members in Midleton. One was shot dead and the other wounded, allegedly when they tried to escape.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 167 **An RIC officer was killed in an ambush on an RIC vehicle in
Drumlish Drumlish () is a village in County Longford, Ireland on the R198 regional road north of Longford Town. History Evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of ringfort sites in Drumlish and its surrounding townlands. The rema ...
, County Longford. *29 August 1920: Sectarian clashes erupted in Belfast in response to the burning of Catholic homes in Lisburn. British troops fired a
Hotchkiss machine gun The Hotchkiss machine gun was any of a line of products developed and sold by Hotchkiss et Cie, (full name Société Anonyme des Anciens Etablissements Hotchkiss et Cie), established by United States gunsmith Benjamin B. Hotchkiss. Hotchkiss moved ...
to disperse the rioters. Six Catholics and a Protestant were killed in the violence. *31 August 1920: Volunteers of the IRA's Monaghan Brigade carried out raids for weapons at the homes of several unionist families with UVF links. Although some weaponry was seized, four IRA volunteers were fatally shot by the unionists. *On various dates in August, IRA volunteers swore allegiance to
Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...
. They had previously sworn to obey their Executive Councils. *In late August and during most of September, there was a truce between the IRA and British forces in
Templemore Templemore () is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty. It is part of the parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The 2011 Censu ...
, as
Marian apparitions A Marian apparition is a reported supernatural appearance by Mary, the mother of Jesus, or a series of related such appearances during a period of time. In the Catholic Church, in order for a reported appearance to be classified as a Marian ap ...
had supposedly occurred in town, resulting in thousands of pilgrims coming to the area daily (see
Templemore apparitions In August and September 1920 the town of Templemore in County Tipperary, Ireland was the sight of alleged Marian apparitions. Thousands of people came to the town daily to see the apparitions. The affair occurred during the Irish War of Independe ...
).


September 1920

*1 September 1920: The IRA ambushed an RIC cycle patrol at Ratra Crossroads, County Roscommon. Two RIC officers and IRA volunteer Thomas McDonagh were killed before the IRA withdrew. The RIC then dragged McDonagh's body through the streets of
Ballaghaderreen Ballaghaderreen () is a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It was part of County Mayo prior to 1898. It is located just off the N5 National primary road. The population was 1,808 in the 2016 census. History As of 1837, the town was recorde ...
and destroyed several buildings in the town. *5 September 1920: British soldiers, hidden in a lorry which appeared to have broken down, shot dead an IRA volunteer and a civilian who approached it in
Ballymakeera Ballymakeera or Ballymakeery ( ga, Baile Mhic Íre , meaning "Townland of the Sons of Íre") is a small townland and Gaeltacht village in the civil parish of Ballyvourney, barony of Muskerry West, County Cork, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The ...
, County Cork. *8 September 1920: Two RIC officers were killed in an ambush outside
Tullow Tullow (; , formerly ''Tulach Ó bhFéidhlim/ Tullowphelim'') is a market town in County Carlow, Ireland. It is located on the River Slaney where the N81 road intersects with the R725. , the population was 4,673. History There is a statue of ...
barracks, County Carlow. *9 September 1920: IRA volunteer Seán Mulvoy was shot dead while disarming lone Black and Tan Edward Krumm at
Galway railway station Galway (Ceannt) railway station (''Ceannt Station'' / ''Stáisiún Cheannt'') serves the city of Galway in County Galway. The station itself is located in the centre of the city in Eyre Square. It is the terminus station for the Dublin Heust ...
. Krumm was also killed during the struggle. The RIC retaliated by killing local IRA volunteer Seamus Quirke and wrecking the offices of the ''Galway Express'', a republican newspaper. *10 September 1920: IRA volunteer Patrick Gill was shot dead by Black and Tans in
Drumsna Drumsna ( which translates as ''the ridge of the swimming place'') is a village in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is situated 6 km east of Carrick-on-Shannon on the River Shannon and is located off the N4 National primary route which li ...
, County Leitrim. *14 September 1920: **Civilian James Connolly was shot dead by Black and Tans at his home in
Kinlough Kinlough ( ; ) is a village in north County Leitrim. It lies between the Dartry Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, and between the River Duff and the River Drowes, at the head of Lough Melvin. It borders counties Donegal and Fermanagh and is near ...
, County Leitrim. They came to arrest his son, and being deaf he did not hear an order to put up his hands. **Three IRA volunteers (Pat Glynn, Michael Keane, and Michael Glavey) were killed in an ambush by British troops at
Ballinlough, County Roscommon Ballinlough ( ; ) is a village in western County Roscommon, Ireland. The N60 national secondary road passes through it. The village is between Ballyhaunis and Castlerea on the Roscommon to Castlebar road. As of the 2016 census, Ballinlough had ...
. *20 September 1920: **The IRA ambushed a lorry of British soldiers on Church Street, Dublin. Three soldiers were killed and others wounded the first in the city since the Easter Rising of 1916. IRA volunteer
Kevin Barry Kevin Gerard Barry (20 January 1902 – 1 November 1920) was an Irish Republican Army (IRA) soldier who was executed by the British Government during the Irish War of Independence. He was sentenced to death for his part in an attack upon a Bri ...
, aged 18, was arrested at the scene and charged with murder. **RIC Head Constable Peter Burke and Sergeant Michael Burke were shot by IRA volunteers at a pub in
Balbriggan Balbriggan (; , IPA: bˠalʲəˈbʲɾʲɪɟiːnʲ is a coastal town in Fingal, in the northern part of County Dublin, Ireland, approximately 34 km from Dublin City. The 2016 census population was 21,722 for Balbriggan and its environs. ...
, County Dublin. In retaliation, Black and Tans burned and looted many homes and businesses in Balbriggan and killed two suspected IRA volunteers (Séamus Lawless and Seán Gibbons). The incident, known as "the
Sack of Balbriggan The sack of Balbriggan took place on the night of 20 September 1920, during the Irish War of Independence. Auxiliary members of the Royal Irish Constabulary known as "Black and Tans" went on a rampage in the small town of Balbriggan, County Du ...
", gained widespread publicity in the local and international press. **The IRA ambushed an RIC patrol outside
Abbeyfeale Abbeyfeale (; ) is a historic market town in County Limerick, Ireland, near the border with County Kerry. The town is on the N21 road (Ireland), N21 road from Limerick to Tralee, some south-west of Newcastle West and south-east of Listowel and ...
, County Limerick. Two RIC officers were killed and the rest took cover in a nearby presbytery. The following night, a Black and Tan killed two civilians in the town. *21 September 1920: An RIC officer was shot dead while part of a police/army patrol searching houses in
Ferbane Ferbane (; ) is a town on the north bank of the River Brosna in County Offaly, Ireland, between Birr and Athlone at the junction of the N62 National secondary road and the R436 regional road. The name of the town is said to come from the w ...
, County Offaly.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 186 *22 September 1920: Rineen ambush – Six RIC officers were killed when the IRA ambushed their truck near Rineen, County Clare. The IRA volunteers were then attacked by ten truck-loads of British soldiers sent as reinforcements. However, they held off this attack long enough to withdraw, with only two wounded. At nearby Caherfenick, a resident magistrate Alan Lendrum was shot dead by the IRA in an attempt to commandeer his car. In reprisal for the ambush, the RIC and British Army raided three nearby villages, burning many buildings and killing five civilians. *23 September 1920: Sinn Féin County Councillor John Aloysius Lynch of Kilmallock, County Limerick was assassinated at the Exchange Hotel in Dublin by a British agent (Captain John Fitzgerald, a native of
Cappawhite Cappawhite, also Cappaghwhite (), is a village in County Tipperary, Ireland and is located on the R505 regional road from Cashel to County Limerick. Close major towns near the village include Tipperary Town which is 12 kilometres south of the v ...
, County Tipperary, who was later assassinated himself on
Bloody Sunday Bloody Sunday may refer to: Historical events Canada * Bloody Sunday (1923), a day of police violence during a steelworkers' strike for union recognition in Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia * Bloody Sunday (1938), police violence agai ...
). *26 September 1920: Black and Tans burned the village of
Kilkee Kilkee () is a small coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is in the parish of Kilkee, formerly Kilfearagh. Kilkee is midway between Kilrush and Doonbeg on the N67 road. The town is popular as a seaside resort. The horseshoe bay is pr ...
, County Clare. *27 September 1920: Black and Tans burned the town centre of
Trim Trim or TRIM may refer to: Cutting * Cutting or trimming small pieces off something to remove them ** Book trimming, a stage of the publishing process ** Pruning, trimming as a form of pruning often used on trees Decoration * Trim (sewing), or ...
, County Meath. *28 September 1920: IRA volunteers, led by Liam Lynch and Ernie O'Malley, raided Mallow British Army barracks in County Cork. They seized weaponry, freed prisoners and killed British sergeant W.G. Gibbs of the
17th Lancers The 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1759 and notable for its participation in the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. The regiment was amalgamated with the 21st Lanc ...
/"Duke of Cambridge's Own". It was the only British Army barracks to be captured during the war. British troops burned many buildings in the town in reprisal. *29 September 1920: **Two RIC officers were killed in an ambush of patrol outside
Borrisoleigh Borrisoleigh () is a small town in County Tipperary, Ireland. At the 2016 census, it had a population of 679. In recent years the population has exceeded 1,000 while historically the population has been around 8,000. It is in the ecclesiastical ...
, County Tipperary. **Two RIC officers were shot dead in a pub in
O'Brien's Bridge O'Brien's Bridge or O'Briensbridge () is a village in east County Clare, Ireland, on the west bank of the River Shannon, in a civil parish of the same name. It is named for the bridge across the Shannon at that point, built by Turlough O'Brien ...
, County Clare. **Four Catholic civilians were killed by British soldiers firing from a military truck during disturbances on Falls Road, Belfast. *30 September 1920: An IRA ambush of an RIC lorry near
Tobercurry Tubbercurry or Tobercurry () is the second-largest town in terms of both population and land area in County Sligo, Ireland. It lies at the foot of the Ox Mountains, on the N17 national primary road. The village is twinned with Viarmes in Fran ...
, County Sligo, killed District Inspector James Brady and wounded several others. In reprisal, a group of RIC and Black and Tans burned homes and businesses in the town. The IRA engaged them but were forced to withdraw. *In late August and during most of September, there was a truce between the IRA and Crown forces in
Templemore Templemore () is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty. It is part of the parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The 2011 Censu ...
, as
Marian apparitions A Marian apparition is a reported supernatural appearance by Mary, the mother of Jesus, or a series of related such appearances during a period of time. In the Catholic Church, in order for a reported appearance to be classified as a Marian ap ...
had supposedly occurred in town, resulting in thousands of pilgrims coming to the area daily (see
Templemore apparitions In August and September 1920 the town of Templemore in County Tipperary, Ireland was the sight of alleged Marian apparitions. Thousands of people came to the town daily to see the apparitions. The affair occurred during the Irish War of Independe ...
).


October 1920

*2 October 1920: RIC officers shot dead a Sinn Féin member while searching his house at
Lackagh The parish of Lackagh or Lacagh is located in County Galway, Ireland, approximately halfway between Galway city and Tuam (east of a line between these two towns). It is bounded by the parishes of Athenry, Abbeyknockmoy, Corofin, Annaghdown an ...
, County Galway. *7 October 1920: Two RIC officers were killed in an ambush at
Feakle Feakle (historically ''Feakell'' and ''Fiakil'', from ) is a village in County Clare, Ireland, in the Roman Catholic parish of the same name. Location "Paroiste na fiacaile" means parish of the tooth. A legend says that the tooth of Mochonna, t ...
post office, County Clare. The RIC burned several buildings that had been used by the ambushers.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 189 *8 October 1920: A British soldier was killed and others wounded when their truck was attacked with grenades and gunfire on Barrack Street, Cork. *9 October 1920: A
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
lieutenant was killed and a British Army lieutenant fatally wounded in an ambush on military trucks at
Newcestown Newcestown () is a small village located 35 km from the city of Cork in the western part of County Cork, Ireland. It is a village with a church, a school, a pub and GAA club. Newcestown is part of the Dáil constituency of Cork North-West ...
, County Cork. *11 October 1920: One civilian was killed and IRA volunteer Dan Breen badly wounded in a shoot-out at an IRA safe house in Drumcondra, Dublin. Two British officers died of their wounds the next day, Major E. Smyth and Captain A.P. White. Major Smyth was a brother of Colonel
Gerard Smyth Gerard Smyth (born 1951) is an Irish poet, born in Dublin in 1951 and began publishing poetry in the late 1960s when his first poems were published by David Marcus in the New Irish Writing Page of The Irish Press and by James Simmons in The Hon ...
, who had been killed by the IRA in July. *12 October 1920: **Four RIC officers were killed in an ambush at Ballinderry,
County Roscommon "Steadfast Irish heart" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Connacht , subdi ...
. **In County Wexford, five IRA volunteers were killed and nine injured (five severely), when explosives being prepared for an attack on Foulksmills RIC barracks accidentally detonated in an old unoccupied house at St Kearns, Saltmills. *14 October 1920: **British soldiers raided an IRA safe house on
Talbot Street Talbot Street (; ) is a city-centre street located on Dublin's Northside, near to Dublin Connolly railway station. It was laid out in the 1840s and a number of 19th-century buildings still survive. The Irish Life Mall is on the street. Locati ...
, Dublin. IRA volunteer
Seán Treacy Seán Allis Treacy ( ga, Seán Ó Treasaigh; 14 February 1895 – 14 October 1920) was one of the leaders of the Third Tipperary Brigade of the IRA during the Irish War of Independence. He was one of a small group whose actions initiated tha ...
was killed by British undercover agents, but managed to kill one of the agents, a Lieutenant Price, before being shot. Two civilian bystanders were also killed by British machine-gun fire. **An IRA volunteer was killed in an attack on British armoured car in
Phibsborough Phibsborough (; ), also spelled Phibsboro, is a mixed commercial and residential neighbourhood on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. The Bradogue River crosses the area in a culvert, and the Royal Canal passes through its northern reaches, nota ...
, Dublin. *15 October 1920: Auxiliaries rounded up every man in the village of
Ballyvourney Ballyvourney ( ga, Baile Bhuirne , meaning 'Town of the Beloved', also spelled ) is a Gaeltacht village in southwest County Cork, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the barony of Muskerry West, and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Cat ...
, County Cork. They fired indiscriminately and killed a civilian. *16 October 1920: Peter O'Carroll, a prominent republican with two IRA volunteer sons, was shot dead by British forces at his home in Manor Street, Dublin.
David Neligan David Neligan (14 October 1899 – 1983), known by his soubriquet "The Spy in the Castle", was a crucial figure involved in the Irish War of Independence (1919–21) and subsequently became Director of Intelligence for the Irish Army after the ...
identified the organiser as Major Jocelyn Lee Hardy (DSO). *17 October 1920: An RIC sergeant was assassinated by members of the Squad on Little Strand Street, Dublin. *18 October 1920: Two IRA volunteers (brothers Ned and Frank O'Dwyer) were killed by British forces in
Bansha Bansha () is a village in County Tipperary in Ireland. The village is part of the parish of "Bansha and Kilmoyler" (united in 1858) in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. It is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam. Bansha i ...
, County Tipperary. *19 October 1920: In Galway, Sinn Féin councillor and local businessman Michael Walsh was murdered. He was confronted at his pub, the Old Malt, by an armed group of "English secret service men". He was subsequently taken to the docks, where he was shot, and his body dumped in the river. *22 October 1920: ** Tooreen Ambush – the IRA's 3rd Cork Brigade attacked a lorry carrying British troops from the
Essex Regiment The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...
on the road between Bandon and
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
. Two soldiers were killed outright. Five were wounded, including one who died the next day. Those alive were disarmed (fourteen rifles, bayonets, equipment, several Mills bombs, around 1,400 rounds of ammunition and a couple of revolvers were taken from them) and then released. **A Black and Tan was killed in an ambush of RIC trucks near
Moate Moate (; ) is a town in County Westmeath, Ireland. The name ''An Móta'' is derived from the term motte-and-bailey, as the Normans built an example of this type of fortification here. The earthwork is still visible behind the buildings on the m ...
, Westmeath. When the trucks arrived in Athlone, there was another exchange of fire, and a civilian was killed by RIC gunfire. *25 October 1920: **
Terence MacSwiney Terence James MacSwiney (; ga, Toirdhealbhach Mac Suibhne; 28 March 1879 – 25 October 1920) was an Irish playwright, author and politician. He was elected as Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Cork during the Irish War of Independence in 1920. He ...
died on hunger strike in
Brixton Prison HM Prison Brixton is a local men's prison, located in Brixton area of the London Borough of Lambeth, in inner-South London. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. History The prison was originally built in 1820 and opened a ...
, London. Two other Cork IRA volunteers, Michael Fitzgerald and Joe Murphy, died during the hunger strike. Both men, along with eight others, had been arrested along with MacSwiney. They were known as the Cork Ten because all ten went on the hunger strike together. After this,
Arthur Griffith Arthur Joseph Griffith ( ga, Art Seosamh Ó Gríobhtha; 31 March 1871 – 12 August 1922) was an Irish writer, newspaper editor and politician who founded the political party Sinn Féin. He led the Irish delegation at the negotiations that prod ...
called off the hunger strike and the other eight recovered. See
1920 Cork hunger strike The 1920 Cork hunger strike began on 11 August 1920, when 65 men interned without trial in Cork County Gaol went on hunger strike, demanding release from prison, and reinstatement of their status as political prisoners. The following day, they were ...
. **Three RIC officers were killed and three wounded in an ambush at Moneygold, County Sligo. Three IRA volunteers and their female driver were later arrested and imprisoned. **IRA volunteers raided the home of an RIC officer in
Kill, County Waterford Kill () is a village in County Waterford, Ireland located between Dungarvan and 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 rapi ...
. The officer threw a grenade, fatally wounding an IRA volunteer. **IRA volunteers raided the RIC barracks in
Tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
, County Fermanagh, fatally wounding an RIC sergeant. The IRA were driven off by armed UVF members. A Catholic civilian, believed to have republican sympathies, was then shot in the doorway of his family's pub in the village and later died of his wounds. *28 October 1920: **Private G. Robertson of the
Royal Scots Regiment The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of Scotland. The regimen ...
was killed by the IRA near Connolly, County Clare. **The IRA's 3rd Tipperary Brigade ambushed a British Army lorry at Thomastown, near Golden, County Tipperary. Three soldiers were killed (two from the Northamptonshire Regiment and one from the Royal Engineers) and six were wounded. *31 October 1920: **RIC Detective Philip Kelleher was shot dead by IRA volunteers at The Greville Arms,
Granard Granard () is a town in the north of County Longford, Ireland, and has a traceable history going back to AD 236. It is situated just south of the boundary between the watersheds of the Shannon and the Erne, at the point where the N55 nationa ...
, County Longford. **Ten people were killed in
County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...
. Two RIC constables were shot dead in
Abbeydorney Abbeydorney () is a village in County Kerry, Ireland. Located north of the county town of Tralee, the village had a population of 418 as of the 2016 census of Ireland. Abbeydorney falls within the civil parish of O'Dorney. History Abbey ...
by IRA volunteers. Two other constables were killed and two more wounded in nearby Ballyduff. Black and Tans burned the creamery in Ballyduff in reprisal, and shot and bayoneted a local man, James Houlahan. That night, two Black and Tans were shot dead by IRA volunteers in
Killorglin Killorglin () is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. As of the 2016 CSO census, the town's population was 2,199. Killorglin is on the Ring of Kerry tourist route, and annual events include the August Puck Fair festival, which starts with the crown ...
and two more were wounded in
Dingle Dingle (Irish language, Irish: ''An Daingean'' or ''Daingean Uí Chúis'', meaning "fort of Ó Cúis") is a town in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coas ...
. Black and Tans burned the Sinn Féin hall, the Temperance Hall, a garage, and the home of a Sinn Féin activist in Killorglin. A local civilian was shot and seriously wounded; he later died of his injuries. One RIC Constable Waters and one RIC/Black and Tan Auxiliary Constable Ernest Bright were kidnapped by IRA volunteers in
Tralee Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in County ...
. It is thought that they were shot and killed. This provoked a week of police violence in Tralee (called in several international newspapers "the
Siege of Tralee The siege of Tralee was an event that took place between 1 and 9 November 1920 in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. History Patrick Cahill, the Officer Commanding Kerry No. 1 Brigade, Irish Republican Army instructed the Tralee Battalion to carry o ...
") as RIC personnel tried to recover the bodies. Reportedly, the remains of one of the two missing men was found later.


November 1920

*1 November 1920: **
Siege of Tralee The siege of Tralee was an event that took place between 1 and 9 November 1920 in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. History Patrick Cahill, the Officer Commanding Kerry No. 1 Brigade, Irish Republican Army instructed the Tralee Battalion to carry o ...
– In reprisal for IRA attacks in the area, Black and Tans attacked
Tralee Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in County ...
, County Kerry. They destroyed the town hall and several shops, and fired indiscriminately in the streets. Civilian John Conway was shot dead as he left his home on Rock Street. Tommy Wall, an ex-serviceman, was beaten and shot in the Mall, dying of his wounds on 3 November. **IRA volunteer
Kevin Barry Kevin Gerard Barry (20 January 1902 – 1 November 1920) was an Irish Republican Army (IRA) soldier who was executed by the British Government during the Irish War of Independence. He was sentenced to death for his part in an attack upon a Bri ...
was hanged in Dublin for his part in an ambush in which three British soldiers were killed on 20 September 1920. **An RIC detective was shot dead at Breaghy Crossroads near
Ballinalee Ballinalee (), sometimes known as Saint Johnstown, is a village in north County Longford, Ireland. It is situated on the River Camlin, and falls within the civil parish of Clonbroney. As of the 2016 census, the village had a population of 347 ...
, County Longford. Another RIC sergeant was shot dead near the barracks in
Tullamore Tullamore (; ) is the county town of County Offaly in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is on the Grand Canal (Ireland), Grand Canal, in the middle of the county, and is the fourth most populous town in the Midland Region, Ireland, midlands reg ...
, County Offaly. **Black and Tans fatally shot civilian Eileen Quinn at Kiltartan, near
Gort Gort ( or ) is a town of around 3,000 inhabitants in County Galway in the west of Ireland. Located near the border with County Clare, the town lies between the Burren and the Slieve Aughty and is served by the R458 and R460 regional roads, wh ...
, County Galway. Quinn was pregnant and sitting outside her house holding a young child, when Black and Tans shot her from a passing lorry. They were apparently drunk and had been firing randomly as they drove through the district. At the military court of inquiry, police claimed no shots were fired, though the court returned a verdict of "death by misadventure" and the opinion that Quinn was shot by a member of the police. **IRA fighters from West Waterford, 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, County W ...
, ambushed a RIC/British army patrol from the 2nd Hampshires under Lieutenant Griffin at
Piltown Piltown (), historically known as Ballypoyle, is a village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It lies on the R698 regional road, which was the N24 national primary road before the locality was bypassed in 2002. Approaching Piltown from Carrick-on- ...
, Kinsalebeg, County Waterford. One soldier was killed, 2 wounded and seventeen captured (who were later released). Some 18 rifles, carbines and revolvers plus grenades and ammunition were captured. See
Piltown Cross ambush The Piltown Cross ambush was an action of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the Irish War of Independence. The attack on British forces took place on the night of 1 November 1920 near the small town of Kinsalebeg, County Waterford. The sit ...
. *2 November 1920: **
Battle of Ballinalee The Battle of Ballinalee took place during the Irish War of Independence on 4 November 1920. Members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), led by Seán Mac Eoin, drove a mixed group of Crown forces consisting of Black and Tans and Auxiliary Divi ...
– Seán Mac Eoin's North Longford IRA column defended the village of
Ballinalee Ballinalee (), sometimes known as Saint Johnstown, is a village in north County Longford, Ireland. It is situated on the River Camlin, and falls within the civil parish of Clonbroney. As of the 2016 census, the village had a population of 347 ...
from an assault by the Black and Tans, launched in response to the shooting of a RIC constable (Peter Cooney) there the previous day (1 November). Cooney was suspected of being a spy and his execution was allegedly ordered by
Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...
. At the time of his killing, Cooney allegedly was carrying coded dispatches with the names of Longford IRA men. British forces, consisting of eleven lorries of troops, retreated after a two and a half-hour gunfight. The IRA column remained in the village for a week. **The IRA ambushed two RIC trucks near
Athlone Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of ...
, Westmeath. A Black and Tan and an IRA member were killed.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 211 **An RIC officer was shot dead at a hotel bar in Cloghjordan, County Tipperary. *3 November 1920: **An RIC sergeant was shot dead at the fair in
Ballymote Ballymote () is a market town in southern County Sligo, approx. 24 km south east of Sligo town in the province of Connacht, which is located in the north-west of Ireland. Ballymote lies in the barony of Corran. A commuter town with a stro ...
, County Sligo. Lorries of British soldiers later arrived and burnt down a creamery, a bakery and several houses.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 212 **The RIC shot dead an IRA volunteer in a raid on his home at Rathconnor, County Roscommon. *4 November 1920: A British Intelligence Officer was ambushed and killed outside
Nenagh Nenagh (, ; or simply ''An tAonach'') meaning “The Fair of Ormond” or simply "The Fair", is the county town and second largest town in County Tipperary in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Nenagh used to be a market town, and the site of the ...
, Country Tipperary. Two IRA volunteers were arrested nearby and bayoneted to death. *5 November 1920: An IRA unit waiting in ambush positions in
Causeway, County Kerry Causeway (, historically anglicised as ''Kantogher'') is a village in County Kerry in Ireland. In the village there is one shop/post office, two hairdressers, a fast food outlet, a funeral home, a bakery and four pubs. Other amenities in the area ...
, were surrounded by the RIC. The IRA fought their way out of the village, but an IRA scout was killed. Later, there was an exchange of fire between the IRA and British forces in nearby
Ardfert Ardfert () is a village in County Kerry, Ireland. Historically a religious centre, the economy of the locality is driven by agriculture and its position as a dormitory town, being only from Tralee. The population of the village was 749 at the 2 ...
. A young civilian girl was shot dead by Black and Tans, while an IRA volunteer was captured and shot dead. *6 November 1920: Two Auxiliaries were captured at Emmet Place in Cork and shot dead. *8 November 1920: An IRA column ambushed a British Army lorry at Grange, County Limerick. Three British soldiers were wounded. The IRA column under Tomás Malone retreated when seven more British troop lorries arrived. Two IRA were wounded and two alleged IRA were taken prisoner. *9 November 1920: IRA volunteers commanded by Tom McEllistrim halted a train at Ballybrack station, County Kerry. Two Black and Tans were taken off the train and shot dead.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 215 *10 November 1920: **An IRA volunteer was killed in an exchange of fire with Auxiliaries searching houses in Tooreenduff, County Cork. **A Protestant IRA member was shot dead after being stopped and searched by the RIC at Farmers Bridge, near Tralee, County Kerry.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 216 *12 November 1920: Two IRA volunteers were killed when an RIC convoy fired on an IRA unit at Ballydwyer, near Tralee, County Kerry. *13 November 1920: **Four RIC officers were killed when their truck was ambushed at Lisvernane, County Tipperary. **British troops fired on a group of civilians who fled from them on Charlemont Street, Dublin. An 8-year-old girl was killed and another wounded. *14 November 1920: A pro-republican Roman Catholic priest,Father Michael Griffin profile, with title of "curate"
, advertiser.ie; accessed 12 October 2016.
Father Griffin biodata
, ouririshheritage.org; accessed 10 October 2016.
Father Michael Griffin, disappeared after leaving his residence at St Joseph's Church in
Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
. It emerged afterwards that he had been abducted and killed by loyalist forces (most likely Auxiliaries) at
Barna Barna (Bearna in Irish) is a coastal village on the R336 regional road in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. It has become a satellite village of Galway city. The village is Irish speaking and is therefore a constituent part of the regions ...
. Griffin had given the
last rites The last rites, also known as the Commendation of the Dying, are the last prayers and ministrations given to an individual of Christian faith, when possible, shortly before death. They may be administered to those awaiting execution, mortall ...
to Seamus Quirke, and took part in the
funeral mass A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...
for Michael Walsh. *15 November 1920: Three British Army officers were captured and killed by the IRA at
Waterfall, County Cork Waterfall () is a small village in County Cork, Ireland. It is located just south of Cork city in the parish of Ballinora. It is built on the L2230 road, connecting Crossbarry to the city. There is a pub on the Crossbarry side of the village. T ...
.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 234 *16 November 1920: **Three IRA volunteers and a civilian were arrested by Auxiliaries near Killaloe, County Clare. They were beaten, interrogated and then shot dead. **The IRA captured and killed two Auxiliaries and secretly buried them in the
Macroom Macroom (; ga, Maigh Chromtha) is a market town in County Cork, Ireland, located in the valley of the River Sullane, halfway between Cork city and Killarney. Its population has grown and receded over the centuries as it went through periods of ...
area, County Cork. *17–18 November 1920: The IRA assassinated an RIC sergeant on White Street, Cork. Hours later, disguised RIC officers shot three people dead at their homes. One was a member of
Fianna Éireann Na Fianna Éireann (The Fianna of Ireland), known as the Fianna, is an Irish nationalist youth organisation founded by Constance Markievicz in 1909, with later help from Bulmer Hobson. Fianna members were involved in setting up the Irish Volun ...
and another the brother of an IRA volunteer. *18 November 1920: An RAF plane crashed near
Cratloe Cratloe () is a village in County Clare, Ireland, situated between Limerick and Shannon in the mid-west of Ireland. It is possible that the name derives from ''Croit-shliabh'' meaning "hump-backed hill", referring to Woodcock Hill. The present ...
, County Clare, and a platoon of British soldiers was sent to guard it. The IRA opened fire on the soldiers, killing one and fatally wounding another. *19 November 1920: Four IRA officers were captured by Auxiliaries in Durris, County Cork. Only the intervention of a colonel of the
King's Liverpool Regiment The King's Regiment (Liverpool) was one of the oldest line infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot in 1751. Unlike most British Army infantry regiments, which wer ...
prevented the men from being summarily killed. *21 November 1920:
Bloody Sunday Bloody Sunday may refer to: Historical events Canada * Bloody Sunday (1923), a day of police violence during a steelworkers' strike for union recognition in Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia * Bloody Sunday (1938), police violence agai ...
: **Morning: The IRA carried out an assassination operation targeting British intelligence agents in Dublin (most of whom were part of the "
Cairo Gang The Cairo Gang was a group of British intelligence agents who were sent to Dublin during the Irish War of Independence to conduct intelligence operations against prominent members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) with, according to Irish intel ...
"). Eight addresses were raided and fifteen men were killed or fatally wounded. Most were believed to have been British agents, although some were ordinary British Army officers and civilians. Two were Auxiliaries responding to the attacks. **Afternoon: British RIC, Auxiliaries, and soldiers raided
Croke Park Croke Park ( ga, Páirc an Chrócaigh, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and he ...
during a
Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...
match between
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
and
Tipperary Tipperary is the name of: Places *County Tipperary, a county in Ireland **North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh **South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel *Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...
in response to the IRA shootings that morning. For some unknown reason, police opened fire on the crowd. Fourteen spectators and players were killed. That evening, Dublin Castle claimed that the raiding party came under fire; this claim was contradicted by the press, and, later, by the findings of military courts of inquiry, which were suppressed by the British government. The shootings were generally considered to be a
reprisal A reprisal is a limited and deliberate violation of international law to punish another sovereign state that has already broken them. Since the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions (AP 1), reprisals in the laws of war are extremel ...
. **Evening: Two IRA operatives (
Dick McKee Richard "Dick" McKee (Irish name Risteárd Mac Aoidh; 4 April 1893 – 21 November 1920) was a prominent member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He was also friend to some senior members in the republican movement, including Éamon de Valera, ...
and
Peadar Clancy Peadar Clancy ( ga, Peadar Mac Fhlannchadha; 9 November 1888 – 21 November 1920) was an Irish republican who served with the Irish Volunteers in the Four Courts garrison during the 1916 Easter Rising and was second-in-command of the Dubl ...
) who had helped compile the intelligence used in the assassinations, along with
Conor Clune Conor Clune (Irish name Conchobhair Mac Clúin; 26 July 1893 – 21 November 1920) was one of three men along with Dick McKee and Peadar Clancy killed in controversial circumstances in Dublin Castle on Bloody Sunday, 1920, a day that also ...
(who had been arrested with them), were "shot while trying to escape" in Dublin Castle. **Attacks on RIC barracks at Bray, Cabinteely, Enniskerry, and Dundrum were carried out by the 6th Battalion, under specific order of the Dublin Brigade IRA in an effort to draw reinforcements from the city and relieve pressure on the Dublin city battalions. The attacks continued until the early hours of Monday 22nd. A British armoured car was attacked at Temple Hill,
Blackrock, Dublin Blackrock () is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, northwest of Dún Laoghaire. Location and access Blackrock covers a large but not precisely defined area, rising from sea level on the coast to at White's Cross on the N11 national primary road. ...
. *22 November 1920: **IRA lieutenant Jack McCann was taken from his home by unidentified British forces and shot dead in
Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...
, County Dublin.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 231 **Another IRA lieutenant was killed when the RIC surprised an IRA unit in
Ballylongford Ballylongford (historically ''Bealalongford'', from ) is a village near Listowel in northern County Kerry, Ireland. Geography The village is situated near the estuary of the Ballyline River, on Ballylongford Bay, a tidal estuary of the River Sha ...
, County Kerry. **RIC Head Constable John Kearney was assassinated outside a church in
Newry Newry (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland, divided by the Clanrye river in counties Armagh and Down, from Belfast and from Dublin. It had a population of 26,967 in 2011. Newry was founded in 1144 alongside a Cistercian monastery, althoug ...
. *23 November 1920: **Three IRA volunteers were killed and others wounded in a grenade attack on Patrick's Street, Cork, after leaving a meeting. It had been thrown by a Black in Tan in civilian clothes. **An RIC officer in
Strokestown Strokestown ( ga, Béal na mBuillí), also known as Bellanamullia and Bellanamully, is a small town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is one of the 27 designated Heritage Towns in Ireland. Located in the part of the country marketed for Desti ...
, County Roscommon was captured by the IRA and believed to have been killed. *25 November 1920: Sinn Féin leaders Arthur Griffith and
Eoin Mac Neill Eoin MacNeill ( ga, Eoin Mac Néill; born John McNeill; 15 May 1867 – 15 October 1945) was an Irish scholar, Irish language enthusiast, Gaelic revivalist, nationalist and politician who served as Minister for Education from 1922 to 1925, Ce ...
were arrested by British troops in Dublin. *26 November 1920: **Two British soldiers were killed when a military lorry was ambushed by IRA volunteers under Tom Barry outside
Glanworth Glanworth () is a village on the R512 regional road in County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately northwest of the town of Fermoy and northeast of Cork city. As of 2016, Glanworth's population was 603. Glanworth has a Roman Catholic church, ...
, County Cork. **IRA volunteer brothers Patrick and Harry Loughnane were captured, interrogated and killed by Auxiliaries at Drumharsna Castle, County Galway. They were beaten, tortured, set on fire and then their bodies were dumped in a pond where they were found more than a week later. *27 November 1920: An IRA volunteer and RIC officer were killed in an exchange of fire in
Castlemartyr Castlemartyr (, formerly anglicised as ''Ballymarter'' or ''Ballymartyr'') is a village in County Cork, Ireland. It is located 25 minutes east of Cork city, 10 km (6 mi) east of Midleton, 16 km (10 mi) west of Youghal and 6&n ...
, County Cork. *28 November 1920:
Kilmichael ambush The Kilmichael Ambush ( ga, Luíochán Chill Mhichíl) was an ambush near the village of Kilmichael in County Cork on 28 November 1920 carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the Irish War of Independence. Thirty-six local IRA v ...
. The West Cork Brigade of the IRA, under Tom Barry (soldier), Tom Barry, ambushed a patrol of 18 Auxiliaries at Kilmichael, County Cork, Kilmichael, killing 17. Three IRA volunteers were killed in the action. *29 November 1920: An RIC officer was shot dead outside a hotel in Cappoquin, County Waterford. *30 November 1920: Two IRA volunteers were taken from their homes and killed by unidentified British forces in Ardee, County Louth. *November 1920: Attack on a military lorry on the Bray Road at Crinken, Shankill, County Dublin, by IRA volunteers from the Shankill/Bray Coy 6th Battalion Dublin Brigade. One soldier was killed and three others wounded.


December 1920

*2 December 1920: Three IRA volunteers were shot dead by British soldiers in Bandon, County Cork. They had been on their way to meet a British soldier supposedly willing to give information. *3 December 1920: An RIC officer was killed when his patrol came under fire in Youghal, County Cork. *6 December 1920: British forces raided a Dáil Courts, Republican Court at Craggaknock, County Clare. They fired on people fleeing the building, killing a civilian.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 251 *8 December 1920: An IRA volunteer was killed in an ambush of an RIC truck at Gaggin, County Cork. *10 December 1920: **The British authorities proclaimed martial law in counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, and Tipperary. **The IRA ambushed a British Army truck at Castlelyons, County Cork. A British soldier was killed while eight were captured, disarmed and released. **An IRA volunteer was fatally wounded in an exchange of fire with British forces near Knocklong, County Limerick.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 255 **IRA volunteer William Owens was shot dead by a Major Shore of the British military during a raid on the Sinn Féin hall in Shankill, County Dublin. Several unsuccessful attempts were later made by the Shankill IRA to kill Shore. **British troops captured an IRA bomb making factory in Dublin.
Ernie O'Malley Ernest Bernard Malley ( ga, Earnán Ó Máille; 26 May 1897 – 25 March 1957) was an IRA officer during the Irish War of Independence. Subsequently, he became assistant chief of staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA during the Irish Civil War. O'Malley ...
was captured by British troops in Kilkenny, in possession of a pistol and incriminating documents. *11 December 1920: The Burning of Cork. A lorry of Auxiliaries was ambushed by the IRA near Dillons Cross: several Auxiliaries were wounded, one fatally. Shortly after, British forces killed two IRA volunteers (the Delaney brothers) at their home nearby, set fire to the commercial centre of
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
city, and burned down City Hall and the Carnegie Library. The next day, the Bishop of Cork, Roman Catholic Bishop of Cork, Daniel Colahan, issued a decree saying that ''"anyone within the diocese of Cork who organises or takes part in ambushes or murder or attempted murder shall be Excommunication, excommunicated"''. The edict went unheeded. *12 December 1920: About 200 IRA volunteers, led by Frank Aiken, attacked Camlough RIC barracks, County Armagh. They exchanged fire with the RIC, threw grenades and set fire to the building. British troops sent from Newry were ambushed by the IRA who opened fire and threw grenades from MacNeill's Egyptian Arch, a bridge overhead. Three volunteers were fatally wounded at the bridge. The next day, British forces set fire to several homes and businesses in Camlough in reprisal. *13 December 1920: **Two IRA officers, Michael McNamara and William Shanahan, were abducted and shot by British forces in Clare. Their bodies were found near
Kilkee Kilkee () is a small coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is in the parish of Kilkee, formerly Kilfearagh. Kilkee is midway between Kilrush and Doonbeg on the N67 road. The town is popular as a seaside resort. The horseshoe bay is pr ...
on 19 December. **The IRA attacked Ballinalee RIC barracks, County Longford. A Black and Tan was killed when the IRA blew a hole in the barracks wall. In reprisal, British forces set half of the village on fire. *14 December 1920: **An IRA volunteer was shot dead by non-uniformed police at a house near Thurles, County Tipperary. **Passenger services were suspended on the Cavan and Leitrim Railway, until 1921, due to the refusal of drivers and enginemen to carry the Black and Tans on trains at Mohill and Ballinamore, leading to the arrest and internment of railway employees. *15 December 1920: **An Auxiliary officer, Vernon Anwyl Hart, shot dead a Catholic priest (Thomas Magner) and a young man (Tadgh O'Crowley) on the roadside near Dunmanway, County Cork. Hart was in charge of two trucks of Auxiliaries on their way to Cork for the funeral of an Auxiliary killed by the IRA. He was discharged and declared insane by the British authorities. **An IRA volunteer was shot dead by masked men, believed to be non-uniformed Auxiliaries, at a house near Frenchpark, County Roscommon. *16 December 1920: The IRA ambushed an RIC truck at Kilcommon, County Tipperary. Four RIC officers were killed and three wounded. *17 December 1920: **The IRA ambushed two trucks of British soldiers (Lincolnshire Regiment) at Glenacurrane, County Limerick. Two soldiers were killed and four wounded, while the others surrendered and had their weapons seized. **The Bishop of Kilmore, Roman Catholic Bishop of Kilmore, Patrick Finnegan, stated that ''"Any war... To be just and lawful must be backed by a well-grounded hope of success... What hope of success have you against the mighty forces of the British Empire? None, none whatever... and if it unlawful as it is, every life taken in pursuance of it is murder"''. *18 December 1920: The British Army and RIC carried out a sweep of Inishmore, off the coast of County Galway. Thirteen islanders were detained and one was fatally shot for failing to halt.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 261 *20 December 1920: The IRA ambushed an RIC/military patrol at Nine Mile House, County Kilkenny; eight soldiers and one constable killed. *22 December 1920: **Two IRA volunteers were arrested by Auxiliaires at a safe house near Doonbeg, County Clare. One was shot dead on the road to Ennis and the other killed in Ennis allegedly while trying to escape.O'Halpin & Ó Corráin, p. 260 **An RIC officer was shot dead in Newtownbarry (Bunclody), County Wexford. *23 December 1920: **The British ''Government of Ireland Act 1920'' received royal assent. It was to come into force in May 1921 and partition Ireland into
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
and Southern Ireland (1921–22), Southern Ireland, each with its own parliament. **A civilian was shot dead by Auxiliaries near Tralee, County Kerry, allegedly while trying to escape their custody. *24 December 1920: Auxiliaries killed two IRA volunteers when they raided a house in Ballydwyer, County Kerry, before setting the house on fire. *27 December 1920: Republicans took over the unoccupied mansion at Caherguillamore, County Limerick, for a secret fundraising dance attended by 200 people. However, British troops and police surrounded the mansion. Five IRA volunteers and a Black and Tan were killed in the exchange of fire. More than 100 men were arrested and most tried by court-martial and imprisoned in England. *29 December 1920: Three RIC officers were killed and several wounded in an ambush in
Midleton Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satellit ...
, County Cork. In reprisal, the British Army destroyed several buildings in the town. *30 December 1920: **The British authorities extended martial law to counties Clare, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford. British generals attended a meeting of the Cabinet and predicted victory in Ireland by the spring. Archbishop Clune, who had been mediating between the British and Irish Republic's governments, was informed that all prospect of a truce had been closed. **British soldiers shot dead an IRA volunteer they had arrested near Caherconlish, County Limerick. They claimed he had tried to escape, but were charged with murder and one was removed from the army.


1921


January 1921

*1 January 1921: **The IRA ambushed an RIC patrol in Ballybay, County Monaghan, killing one officer and wounding others. A civilian was also killed when he ran to fetch reinforcements. The RIC attacked several homes in reprisal, and twelve volunteers were later arrested. **Seven houses were burnt in Midleton, County Cork as a reprisal for the killing of three RIC officers. *2 January 1921: **Two RIC men were shot dead by the IRA in a
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
hotel. **West Waterford Column under George Lennon ambush a British patrol at the intersection outside Cappoquin on the Cappoquin-Mt Mellary road. *5 January 1921: Martial law was extended to Clare and Waterford. *7 January 1921: *The RIC raided a cottage near Ballinalee, Ballinalee, County Longford, looking for
Seán Mac Eoin Seán Mac Eoin (30 September 1893 – 7 July 1973) was an Irish Fine Gael politician and soldier who served as Minister for Defence briefly in 1951 and from 1954 to 1957, Minister for Justice from 1948 to 1951, and Chief of Staff of the Def ...
, who fired from the cottage, killing District Inspector Thomas McGrath and wounding a constable, then escaping. *8 January 1921: Thomas Kirby was abducted near Golden, County Tipperary and shot dead by the IRA as an alleged spy and informer. His body was never recovered until 1990, some four miles from where he disappeared. **A British Army patrol was ambushed by a combined Waterford force at Pickardstown following a feint attack on the Tramore RIC barracks. Present were W. Waterford O/C Pax Whelan, E. Waterford O/C Paddy Paul and Flying Column O/C George Lennon. Two IRA volunteers (Thomas O'Brien and Michael McGrath) were reportedly taken away and shot dead by members of the Devon Regiment. McGrath was the first Waterford City Volunteer killed in the War of Independence. *12 January 1921: The IRA ambushed a British troop train carrying 150 soldiers at the Barnesmore Gap, County Donegal. A number of soldiers were wounded. They returned fire with a Lewis machine gun mounted on the train. The IRA also fired on another troop train sent to recover the first. *13 January 1921: **British troops manning a checkpoint at O'Connell Bridge, Dublin, opened fire on a crowd of civilians, killing two - Martha Nowlan & James Brennan (aged 10) and wounding six. **Hunston House, Birr, County Offaly One British soldier of K.S.L.I. killed. *14 January 1921: An RIC sergeant was fatally wounded in an IRA grenade attack in Armagh town. *15–17 January 1921: British soldiers imposed a curfew in an area bounded by Capel, Church, and North King streets and the quays in Dublin's inner city, sealing them off, allowing no-one in or out. They then conducted a house-to-house search, but no significant arrests or arms finds were made. *20 January 1921: The IRA in Clare, under Michael Brennan, ambush an RIC lorry at Glenwood, between Sixmilebridge and Broadford, County Clare, Broadford. Six constables were killed and two others wounded but escaped. The IRA took their weapons and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition before burning the lorry. Among the dead was RIC District Inspector William Clarke. In reprisals, British forces burned homes and business premises in the vicinity and arrested 22 people. *21 January 1921: An abortive IRA ambush took place at Drumcondra. One IRA volunteer, Michael Francis Magee, was wounded and died the next day at King George V Hospital. Five men were captured: Patrick Doyle, Francis X Flood, Thomas Bryan and Bernard Ryan, all of whom were hanged at
Mountjoy Prison Mountjoy Prison ( ga, Príosún Mhuinseo), founded as Mountjoy Gaol and nicknamed ''The Joy'', is a medium security men's prison located in Phibsborough in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. The current prison Governor is Edward Mullins. History ...
on 14 March 1921. A fifth, Dermot O'Sullivan, was imprisoned. The last, Séan Burke, successfully escaped. *22 January 1921: The IRA shot dead three RIC officers near Stranoodan RIC barracks, County Monaghan. *23 January 1921: A USC officer was killed and another wounded after their 15-strong group fired on an RIC patrol which interrupted their looting of a pub in Clones, County Monaghan, Clones, County Monaghan. *24 January 1921: The Archbishop of Tuam, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Tuam, Thomas Gilmartin, issued a letter saying that IRA volunteers who took part in ambushes ''"have broken the truce of God, they have incurred the guilt of murder".'' *January 1921: **IRA volunteer John Doran abducted from his home in Camlough, South Armagh and killed by unknown gunmen. **An IRA ambush was mounted at Freeduff, County Armagh. Two RIC men killed and others injured. **K Coy, 3rd Battalion Dublin Brigade ambushed a number of lorries of British soldiers at the junction of Merrion Square/Mount Street. IRA men were posted at various points along the route of the convoy (at Holles Street, midway along Merrion Square and from Merrion Street). Clare St. was barricaded and a standing fight developed. The British withdrew after some time. British casualties were believed to be high. No IRA casualties (this was the only operation carried out in Dublin where all of the IRA involved were from a single company)Joseph O'Connor Witness Statement Bureau of Military History WS#544 **IRA members from E Coy, 3rd Battalion Dublin Brigade attacked government forces at Mespil Road. *End of January 1921: The British army in Dublin started carrying republican prisoners in their trucks when on patrol to stop grenade attacks on them, with signs saying "Bomb us now". This was discontinued when foreign journalists in the city reported it. They later covered the trucks with a mesh to prevent grenades from entering the vehicles, to which the IRA responded by attaching hooks to what were then referred to as "Mills bombs", which would catch in the mesh.


February 1921

*1 February 1921: **The first execution under martial law of an IRA man took place. Cornelius Murphy of Millstreet, County Cork, was shot by firing squad in
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
city. *2 February 1921: **Led by
Seán Mac Eoin Seán Mac Eoin (30 September 1893 – 7 July 1973) was an Irish Fine Gael politician and soldier who served as Minister for Defence briefly in 1951 and from 1954 to 1957, Minister for Justice from 1948 to 1951, and Chief of Staff of the Def ...
, the North Longford IRA attacked two lorries of Auxiliaries at the Clonfin Ambush. A landmine was exploded under the lorries, followed by a two-hour firefight. Four Auxiliaries and a driver were killed and eight wounded. The IRA volunteers captured 18 rifles, 20 revolvers and a Lewis gun. **Volunteers under the command of Tom Barry occupied Burgatia House, a small country house owned by a loyalist family, and intended to use it as a staging point for an attack on the RIC barracks in Rosscarbery. However, later that day, their position was given away after a postman had stumbled on them, leading to a contingent of Black and Tans being sent out to arrest them. The column managed to beat them back and successfully withdraw. *3 February 1921: **The Limerick IRA ambushes an RIC patrol at Dromkeen, County Limerick, killing 11 constables.RIC memorial to 11 dead at Dromkeen
, policememorial.org.uk; accessed 11 October 2016.
**An IRA volunteer is shot dead when British troops raided his safe house in west Cork. *5 February 1921: **British Intelligence officer Lance Corporal MPC/MFP John Ryan is assassinated by IRA volunteers in a pub on Corporation Street in Dublin. **James (Shanker) Ryan, the one who betrayed Peadar Clancy and Dick McKee, was killed [..in Hyne's pub..] *6 February: There were two attacks on British soldiers at Merrion Square and Camden Street, Dublin by the 3rd Battalion Dublin Brigade. *7 February 1921: **The IRA ambushed a USC patrol in Warrenpoint, County Down. A USC officer was killed and two wounded by gunfire and grenades. **British army kills 14-year-old boy and wounds two other boys in Knocknagree, Co Cork. *9 February 1921: Irish republicans James Murphy and Patrick Kennedy were arrested by Auxiliaries in Dublin. Two hours later,
Dublin Metropolitan Police The Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP) was the police force of Dublin, Ireland, from 1836 to 1925, when it was amalgamated into the new Garda Síochána. History 19th century The Dublin city police had been subject to major reforms in 1786 and ...
found the two men shot in Drumcondra: Kennedy was dead, and Murphy was dying when they were discovered. Murphy died two days later in Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Mater Hospital, Dublin. Before the end, he declared that he and Kennedy were shot by their Auxiliary captors. A court of inquiry was held, and Captain H L King, commanding officer of F Company ADRIC and two Cadets were tried for Murphy's murder but acquitted on 15 April 1921. *11 February 1921: **3rd Cork Brigade volunteers made an attack on a troop train at Drishabeg, near Millstreet, County Cork. One British soldier is killed, five wounded, and fifteen captured but later released. The IRA seized arms and ammunition. *13 February 1921: Attack on Crown forces at Merrion Square, Dublin, by 3rd Battalion Dublin Brigade volunteers. *14 February 1921: **IRA prisoners
Ernie O'Malley Ernest Bernard Malley ( ga, Earnán Ó Máille; 26 May 1897 – 25 March 1957) was an IRA officer during the Irish War of Independence. Subsequently, he became assistant chief of staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA during the Irish Civil War. O'Malley ...
, Frank Teeling and Simon Donnelly escape from Kilmainham Gaol in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
. **Two IRA volunteers, the Coffey brothers, were assassinated in their beds by unknown gunmen in Enniskeane, Cork. **Pvt A. Mason of the Manchester Regiment went missing near Ballincollig.Pvt A. Mason profile
, cairogang.com; accessed 11 October 2016.
*15 February 1921: **Upton Train Ambush: an IRA column from the 3rd Cork Brigade, led by Charlie Hurley (Irish republican), Charlie Hurley mounts a disastrous attack on a train containing British soldiers at Upton, Cork. Three volunteers are killed and three captured. Six civilian passengers are killed and ten wounded in crossfire. Six British soldiers are wounded, three seriously. **An IRA ambush position at Mourne Abbey, County Cork, is allegedly betrayed by an informer, William Shields. Five IRA volunteers were killed by British troops, four more were wounded and captured. Two of the captured volunteers - Thomas Mulcahy and Patrick Ronayne were sentenced to death by court martial and shot by firing squad on 28 April 1921. *16 February 1921: **Four unarmed IRA volunteers, who had been digging a trench at Kilbrittain, Kilbrittain, County Cork, were arrested by troops of the
Essex Regiment The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...
, and then shot dead. **British soldiers attacked at Lower Mount Street Dublin by 3rd Battalion Dublin Brigade volunteers. *19 February 1921: Three British soldiers (privates) of the Oxford Regiment were found by IRA men, unarmed and wearing civilian clothes near
Feakle Feakle (historically ''Feakell'' and ''Fiakil'', from ) is a village in County Clare, Ireland, in the Roman Catholic parish of the same name. Location "Paroiste na fiacaile" means parish of the tooth. A legend says that the tooth of Mochonna, t ...
, County Clare. The soldiers said they were deserters but the IRA suspected they were spies, shot them and dumped their bodies near Woodford, County Galway. *20 February 1921: **The Clonmult Ambush – A dozen IRA volunteers were killed at Clonmult, County Cork, near
Midleton Midleton (; , meaning "monastery at the weir") is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies approximately 16 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare. A satellit ...
, after being surrounded in a house. The British alleged a false IRA surrender and killed all the IRA volunteers in the house. Four other IRA volunteers were wounded and another four were captured unscathed. Only one escaped. The IRA claimed an informer was to blame and a spate of shootings of six alleged informers ensued during the following week. **Pvt B. Tinehes of the Manchester Regiment went missing near Ballincollig. *21 February 1921: **In reprisal for the shooting of a USC officer, USC and UVF men burned ten nationalist-owned homes and a priest's house in Roslea, County Fermanagh. A UVF member mistakenly shot and killed himself. **Two IRA volunteers were killed and two wounded in a shoot-out in Friary Street in Kilkenny. *22 February 1921: **The IRA ambushed a British Army/RIC group outside Mountcharles, County Donegal, killing an RIC officer and wounding others. In reprisal, the RIC and Auxiliaries attacked and looted buildings in Mountcharles and Donegal. In Mountcharles, they shot dead a civilian woman, and a drunken Auxiliary mistakenly shot dead an RIC sergeant. **The bodies of three British soldiers (Privates Williams, Walker and Morgan of the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry) were discovered by a farmer on the Woodford–Cahir road near Lough Atorick by the Clare–Galway border. The three, who had said that they were deserting, were shot dead by the IRA's East Clare Brigade, which believed the three were spies not deserters. One of the victims had a label hung around his neck which read, "Spies. Tried by courtmartial and found guilty. All others beware". *23 February 1921: **IRA volunteers from The Squad (Irish Republican Army unit) attacked RIC men returning from lunch to Dublin Castle on Parliament street. The policemen were in Dublin to help identify suspects. Two policemen were killed, another was badly wounded and died later that night. **One RIC officer was killed, another wounded and two British soldiers of the Essex Regiment were killed in an IRA attack led by Tom Barry (Irish republican), Tom Barry in Bandon, County Cork. *25 February 1921: **The IRA Cork Number One Brigade led by Dan "Sandow" O'Donovan attacked a large convoy of mixed military and police at Coolavokig, County Cork (see Coolavokig Ambush). Major James Grant, a British officer was killed. Several Auxiliaries and soldiers were wounded. **A British review stated that two British soldiers (excluding RIC personnel) had been killed in the preceding week, the lowest total so far for a week in 1921. The review listed ten ambushes in the preceding seven days. Seven people had been killed as spies by the IRA during the week. *28 February 1921: **Sean (John) Allen, a 24 year old IRA man from Tipperary town was executed after a military court found him guilty of possession of a revolver. Allen was buried in Cork Prison yard. **An IRA column led by Seán Moylan ambushed an RIC patrol at Tureengariff, County Cork. Two RIC constables were killed and two rifles were taken. **Six IRA prisoners executed by Crown forces at Cork County Gaol. **Attack on British soldiers at Camden Street, Dublin, by the 3rd Battalion Dublin Brigade. *28 February 1921: In retaliation for the previous day's executions, the IRA shot and killed seven off-duty British soldiers and wounded five more in separate incidents in Cork. The British soldiers killed were John Beattie, Private Thomas Wise, Albert Whitear, G. Bowden, Corporal Corporal Hodnett and Private William Gill
L.D. Hodnett
*February 1921: **British soldiers impose a curfew on the Mountjoy Square area of North Dublin and conduct a house-to-house search. Shortly afterwards another similar curfew was imposed on the Nassau Street, Dublin, Nassau Street/Kildare Street area. Few arrests were made but some arms were seized. **There were attacks on British soldiers at Nassau Street and Merrion Square Dublin by the 3rd Battalion Dublin Brigade **British soldiers were ambushed at the junction of Aungier Street/Bishop Street by C Company, 3rd Battalion Dublin Brigade.


March 1921

*1 March 1921: **IRA North Longford commander Seán Mac Eoin was captured at Mullingar and charged with the murder of an RIC detective. **Two IRA volunteers are killed in a skirmish with British forces at Ballynamrossagh, County Tipperary. **Attack on Crown forces at College Green Dublin by IRA volunteers from the 3rd Battalion Dublin Brigade. *2 March 1921: **IRA fighters from the 2nd Cork Brigade and 2nd Kerry Brigade lay landmines near Millstreet. Thirteen British soldiers are killed and fifteen wounded when the mines explode under their lorry. **Attack on Crown forces at South Richmond Street Dublin by Volunteers from the 3rd Battalion Dublin Brigade. *3 March 1921: A plan to hold up a train of jurors bound for the spring assizes in Waterford (and ambush the expected convoy of troops) by the West Waterford Column under
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, County W ...
, at Durrow/Ballyvoile. The resulting engagement at Durrow railway tunnel lasted most of the day and the IRA withdrew under the cover of darkness. One British soldier was seriously wounded and two others suffered minor wounds. *4 March 1921: The South County Leitrim, Leitrim Brigade of the IRA ambush a Black and Tan Convoy, at the Sheemore ambush, near Carrick on Shannon. Several casualties result, including the death of a captain in the Bedfordshire Regiment. Black and Tans later ran amok in Carrick, burning and looting, and burned both the premises of the Leitrim Observer newspaper and the local rowing club to the ground. *5 March 1921: **An IRA column mounted an ambush at Clonbanin, County Cork. A British general, Cumming, and three other soldiers were killed when their armoured car broke down and they were exposed to IRA fire. **Two ambushes took place in Dublin, one near present-day Parnell Square, and the other in Clontarf, Dublin, Clontarf, both in the north of the city. In both incidents, IRA volunteers threw hand grenades and exchanged fire with British troops. One civilian was killed and four wounded. No combatant casualties were reported. *6 March 1921: The Limerick Curfew Murders. The Mayor of Limerick, George Clancy (politician), George Clancy, former mayor Michael O'Callaghan, and IRA volunteer Joseph O'Donoghue, were all shot dead in their homes at night after curfew by a British intelligence agent, George Nathan, assisted by an Auxiliary from G Company ADRIC. *7 March 1921: The South Mayo IRA flying column under Tom Maguire surrounded a British army patrol at Kilfaul, near Partry between Ballinrobe and Castlebar, forcing it to surrender and give up its arms. Corporal Bell of The Border Regiment died the following day as a result of wounds. An innocent civilian, Thomas Horan (57 years) of Srah, Tourmakeady, was killed in reprisal when three men in police uniforms entered his home and shot him in the head. *9 March 1921: A party of masked policemen entered the home of the Loughnane family in Mitchel St., Thurles. William Loughnane (23 years old) was shot dead in his bed. William, his father and 3 brothers were active members of local IRA company. The same night, Laurence Hickey (a well known Republican) was also shot in his home in Main St., Thurles. A third man, Denis Regan, a prominent Thurles IRA man, was shot several times the same night, by masked Auxiliary men, in a separate incident but survived the attempted killing. It is thought that the 3 attacks were reprisals for the IRA's execution of 2 informants in Thurles who were close friends of local RIC and Black and Tans on March, 1st, 1921. (For extra details see records from Commandant Leahy, No. 2 Mid-Tipp-Brigade. His details are present in the Irish Bureau of Military History statements: (See File No S.790. Document No. w.s. 1454. pp. 66–69.)) *10 March 1921: A large British force carried out a large scale sweep at Nad, County Cork (in the Boggeragh Mountains). A house was raided with six members of the Mallow IRA column asleep in it. Two made their escape (Joe Morgan and John Moloney) but the other four volunteers are shot dead. *11 March 1921: ** British troops in county Cork were tipped off by Mrs Mary (or Maria) Lindsay, a local Protestant, about an impending IRA ambush at Dripsey, on 28 January 1921 to which she had somehow become privy. She first told the local Catholic priest who tried unsuccessfully to dissuade the IRA from the ambush. At the ambush eight Volunteers were captured, two IRA volunteers were killed and five IRA prisoners were later executed under martial law. On 11 March 1921 the IRA killed Mrs Lindsay and her chauffeur, James Clarke, and burned down her home, Leemount House, in reprisal. **
Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...
debated, resolved and finally on 11 March declared war on the British administration. **The North Longford IRA officer Seán Connolly and five other IRA volunteers were killed by British troops at the Selton Hill ambush, near Mohill, County Leitrim when their ambush position was allegedly betrayed by a local Orange Institution, Orangeman. **Three RIC men attacked and killed by the IRA near the corner of Victoria Square and Church Street in Belfast. Two civilians injured in the attack, one of whom later died in the hospital. *12 March 1921: A firefight took place between the Kilkenny IRA unit and British forces at Garryricken House on the Clonmel-Kilkenny road. One RIC constable was killed. *13 March 1921: A Moyasta farmer and Sinn Féin magistrate named Tom Shannon was murdered in his home by unknown assailants-suspected to be British Forces. *14 March 1921: **Six IRA prisoners were hanged by the British in Mountjoy Prison. **The Battle of Brunswick Street. An Auxiliary patrol of two lorries and an armoured car, which was on its way to raid St Andrews Club, 144 Brunswick Street, Dublin, was attacked on Brunswick Street (now Pearse Street) near the corner of Erne Street. In the gun battle that followed, three IRA volunteers and two policemen as well as two civilians were killed. A number of IRA volunteers were captured. One, Thomas Traynor, was hanged on 25 April. *16 March 1921: **The IRA in Galway attacked the RIC barracks in Clifden, killing two constables. The Auxiliaries and Black and Tans burned and looted 16 buildings in Clifden in reprisal for the attacks. One civilian was shot dead during the reprisals. The IRA column retreated to the Maam valley, where they ambushed British reinforcements at Munterowan and Screebe. **Dublin: A troop lorry from Wellington Barracks, carrying British soldiers from the South Lancashire Regiment, was hit by two grenades hurled from overlooking buildings on Wexford Street, killing two soldiers (Lance Corporal Jarvis and Private G. Thomas) and wounding six others, one of whom, Private Whiting, died from his wounds two days later. *18–19 March 1921: **Burgery ambush - West Waterford IRA under Pax Whelan, George Lennon and George Plunkett (Irish Republican), George Plunkett from Dublin HQ, ambushed a convoy of Black and Tans returning to Dungarvan via the Burgery. One Black and Tan was killed along with two IRA volunteers (Pat Keating and Seán Fitzgerald). **An IRA firing squad killed a Dungarvan constable, Michael Hickey. Affixed to his tunic was the notation "police spy". He was later interred, upon the intercession of the parish priest, in an unmarked grave belonging to his fiancée's family at St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Dungarvan. *19 March 1921: **Crossbarry Ambush - The IRA Cork no. 3 Brigade under Tom Barry (soldier), Tom Barry fought an action against 1,200 British troops at Crossbarry, Crossbarry, County Cork. The IRA column, comprising roughly 100 men, escaped encirclement. One RIC constable and six soldiers killed.Royal Irish Constabulary Roll
, policememorial.org.uk; accessed 10 October 2016.
The British claimed six IRA volunteers were killed; however, the IRA claimed only three were killed and the other three were wounded. **An RIC Constable and a RIC Sergeant killed in IRA ambushes. *21 March 1921: **The Kerry IRA Headford ambush, attacked a train carrying military personnel at Headford Junction near Killarney. The IRA claimed twenty British soldiers were killed, as well as two IRA volunteers and three civilians. The British reported only 8 soldiers killed and 12 wounded. **In an ambush at Lispole, County Kerry, three IRA volunteers were killed **The IRA attacked the homes of up to sixteen USC officers in the Roslea district of Fermanagh, killing three and wounding others. IRA volunteers were also wounded and one captured. **Attack on RIC patrol at Rosemount, Dundrum, County Dublin. Two RIC constables wounded. *22 March 1921: **Three members of the West Mayo IRA flying column under the command of Michael Kilroy attacked a four-man RIC patrol at Clady. Three policemen were wounded and one was killed. **Attack on Auxiliaries at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dún Laoghaire. 3 Auxiliaries killed and at least 1 wounded. One IRA volunteer (Lt. Jim McIntosh) was killed. *23 March 1921: **An IRA ambush on the
Strokestown Strokestown ( ga, Béal na mBuillí), also known as Bellanamullia and Bellanamully, is a small town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is one of the 27 designated Heritage Towns in Ireland. Located in the part of the country marketed for Desti ...
-
Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meet ...
road by the IRA's County Roscommon, South Roscommon Brigade claims the lives of one British soldier and two constables. Two Black and Tan constables surrender and are "missing" (i.e. killed by the IRA). Arms and ammunition including a Hotchkiss gun, Hotchkiss machine gun were captured by the IRA. One volunteer was killed in the Scramogue Ambush. **The Press reports that 28 people were killed and 33 wounded in various ambushes on this day, bringing the total for the previous five days to 65 killed and 67 wounded. **Six IRA volunteers of the Cork number 1 Brigade were captured Cork by British forces at Clogheen, County Cork and summarily shot. It was alleged that an ex-British soldier/informer Patrick Joseph "Cruxy" O'Conner from within the IRA provided the location of the IRA unit and then fled the country to New York. Over a year later on April 13, 1922 he was shot four times and seriously wounded on a New York City street by an IRA ASU squad but survived the murder/revenge attempt. O'Conner died in Canada in the 1950s. *24 March 1921: A bomb was thrown at a group of soldiers at Westport, County Mayo, Westport, County Mayo. British reprisals took place that night throughout West Mayo. *28 March 1921: Attack on mixed patrol of Auxiliaries and military on Marine Road, Dún Laoghaire. One lorry was hit by a grenade, and sped away to George's Street, where it ran into a burst of fire from an IRA patrol. This convoy then proceeded to the Blackrock area where it was ambushed at Temple Hill. Tender disabled by bomb. Several auxiliaries and one IRA volunteer were wounded *29 March 1921: A Black and Tan, Const. William Stephens, was shot and mortally wounded in
Ballyhaunis Ballyhaunis () is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is at the crossroads of the N60 and N83 National secondary roads and on the railway line linking Dublin to Westport and Ballina. It is thought that the town grew up around St Mary's Augus ...
, County Mayo. *30 March 1921: Two RIC men were killed and one wounded in an ambush in Ballyfermot, County Dublin. *March 1921: **The West Cork IRA column under Tom Barry attacked the RIC barracks at Rosscarbery. **A County Donegal IRA column under Peadar O'Donnell attacks the RIC station at Falcarragh; one constable is killed. **An informer (identified as Dan Shields) reportedly betrayed the position of an IRA column in Nad, County Cork. Three IRA volunteers were killed in the subsequent British ambush.


April 1921

*1 April 1921: **The IRA's East Mayo Brigade commander, Seán Corcoran, was killed by British troops at Crossard near
Ballyhaunis Ballyhaunis () is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is at the crossroads of the N60 and N83 National secondary roads and on the railway line linking Dublin to Westport and Ballina. It is thought that the town grew up around St Mary's Augus ...
, County Mayo. Vice Cmdt. Maurice Mullins also captured and almost beaten to death. Later that day, Michael Coen an IRA volunteer from Lecarrow, Ballyhaunis was captured, tortured, murdered and his body mutilated in retaliation for the killing of William Stephens in
Ballyhaunis Ballyhaunis () is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is at the crossroads of the N60 and N83 National secondary roads and on the railway line linking Dublin to Westport and Ballina. It is thought that the town grew up around St Mary's Augus ...
on 29 March. **In Derry, the IRA attacked the RIC barracks on Lecky Road and a British Army post on Strand Road with gunfire and grenades. Two RIC officers were killed. *2 April 1921: An IRA informer, Vincent Fovargue (aged 20) from Dublin, was shot dead at a golf course near London, England. A note was left saying, "let spies and traitors beware, IRA". The shooting was reported carried out by IRA Officer Reginald Dunne, who would later be executed for the killing of British Field Marshall Sir Henry Wilson, 1st Baronet. *3 April 1921: The South Leitrim Brigade of the IRA hold up the Cavan and Leitrim Railway and intercept the Mail Car. A letter implicates a local farmer, John Harrison, as an informer; he is later killed. *6–7 April 1921: An RIC officer was killed and four wounded in an IRA ambush in Dromore, County Tyrone. The next day, an RIC sergeant shot a Catholic girl on the main street in a sectarian attack. He was then shot dead by an IRA volunteer, the girl's brother. In reprisal, the USC kidnapped and killed three local IRA volunteers. *9 April 1921: An abortive IRA ambush took place in Mullinglown, County Carlow - no casualties resulted but several IRA volunteers are arrested. *10 April 1921: **The IRA ambushed USC officers outside a church in Creggan, County Armagh, killing one and wounding others with gunfire and grenades. The IRA had evacuated civilians from the area. In reprisal, the USC attacked nationalists and burned their homes in Killylea, where the officers came from. **Privates George Motley and John Steer, both of the East Lancashire Regiment, were captured by the IRA at Barraduff, County Kerry. Moved around the countryside for about six months before being shot, their bodies were dumped in Anablaha bog and not recovered until January 1927 when Motley was buried in Nab Wood Cemetery near his home town of Shipley, West Yorkshire, Shipley, West Yorkshire, and Steer in Immanuel Church, Accrington, Lancashire, both with full military honours. *13–15 April 1921: Captain W.L. King, commanding officer of F Company Auxiliary Division, RIC, was tried by court-martial for the murder of James Murphy on 9 February 1921. Murphy's dying declaration was ruled inadmissible. Two Auxiliaries provided alibis for Captain King at the time of the murder. King was acquitted. *14 April 1921: Sir Arthur Vicars is assassinated in Kilmorna
County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...
by IRA. It was thought that Vickers had British forces at his home and he was accused of being a spy. Vickers home (KIlmorna House) and its contents were also destroyed. *15 April 1921: Major McKinnon, an Auxiliary officer, is shot dead by the IRA at
Tralee Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in County ...
golf course, County Kerry. *18 April 1921: Attack on Cabinteely RIC barracks in County Dublin. **A mixed patrol of British army and RIC came upon armed men drilling in a field in Mullannagaun, Ballymurphy, Borris, County Carlow. Four IRA Volunteers were killed and six were wounded. One civilian was also killed by a stray bullet. *19 April 1921: **After a shootout near Loughglynn, County Roscommon, Black and Tans killed two IRA volunteers, Sean Bergin (23) and Stephen McDermott (19), and injured two others, Joe Satchwell and Thomas Scally. One soldier was seriously injured during the gun battle. **Two RIC officers were taken from a train at Ballysadare, County Sligo, and summarily killed by the IRA. *23 April 1921: **In central Belfast, two IRA officers Seamus Woods and Roger McCorley shot dead two Black and Tans. They exchanged fire with other RIC men as they made their escape and two civilians were injured in the crossfire. Loyalist gunmen killed two Catholic civilians in reprisal. Uniformed RIC men assassinated two republicans, the Duffin brothers, in revenge. **The
Third Tipperary Brigade The 3rd Tipperary Brigade () was one of the most active of approximately 80 such units that constituted the IRA during the Irish War of Independence. The brigade was based in southern Tipperary and conducted its activities mainly in mid-Munster ...
, IRA ambushed a small party of British soldiers accompanying two horse-drawn carts approached from Clogheen, County Tipperary, Clogheen, near Curraghcloney, close to the village of Ballylooby. The IRA volunteers withdrew southwards towards the Knockmealdown Mountains leaving one British soldier dead and two others wounded, one fatally. By chance, RIC District Inspector Gilbert Potter was returning by car from police duties at Ballyporeen, drove into a section of the withdrawing Column. Potter was held as a hostage for the safe release of Thomas Traynor, an IRA Volunteer under sentence of death. Following Traynor's hanging, Potter was shot dead by the IRA. *26 April 1921: The IRA ambushed a USC patrol in Newry, killing one and wounding others. Some of the IRA unit were captured shortly after. *28 April 1921: **IRA volunteers Patrick Ronayne of Greenhill, Mourneabbey, Mallow, County Cork and Thomas Mulcahy were executed at Cork Military Detention Barracks for their involvement in the failed Mourne Abbey, Mourneabbey Ambush. Both men were buried in Cork Prison yard. The number of volunteers killed/wounded in this action is unclear. *29 April 1921: West Waterford Flying Column under
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, County W ...
ambushed a train carrying British troops at the Ballylinch level crossing. The exchange of gunfire continued for half an hour, one volunteer was wounded and two British military were killed in a fire-fight. *30 April 1921: Major Geoffrey Lee Compton-Smith (DSO), of the 2nd Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers, shot dead by the IRA (captured 18 April in
Blarney Blarney () is a suburban town within the administrative area of Cork City in Ireland. It is located approximately north-west of the city centre. It is the site of Blarney Castle, home of the legendary Blarney Stone. Blarney is part of the Dáil ...
, Co Cork, the IRA promised the Majors release in return for the release of IRA prisoners being held under the sentence of death. The request was refused and 6 prisoners were executed, in reprisal the IRA Volunteers killed the Major near Donoughmore, Co Cork on 28 April 1921). *April 1921: **A group of Auxiliaries mistook a group of off-duty RIC constables drinking in a hotel in Castleconnell, Castleconnell, County Clare for IRA volunteers and opened fire on them. Two RIC men, one Auxiliary and the hotel landlord were killed in the gunfight until the mistake was realised. **The IRA in
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
shot two Auxiliaries dead in Donegall Place, in the city centre. The same night, two Catholics were killed in reprisal on the Falls Road (Belfast), Falls Road. **The Dublin IRA carried out 67 attacks on British forces in the city in the course of the month. ***Road trenching by IRA party on Churchtown Road, Churchtown Park, County Dublin surprised by two parties of RIC and B&T's coming from two different directions. Running battle ensued for more than two hours and was eventually broken at Milltown. ***Large quantities of clothing belonging to the Auxiliaries and military officers in Dublin Castle and other barracks in the city seized in Milltown and Dundrum laundries and destroyed. These operations were repeated weekly until the enemy stopped sending its soiled clothes to the laundries. ***A party of IRA engaged in destroying Classons bridge, Milltown, Dublin, were attacked by a large force of military and Auxiliaries who had penetrated a ring of outposts owing to the defection of one of the outposts. They advanced to within 50 yards of the bridge and then opened fire with machine guns. Ensuing engagement lasted over an hour. One IRA volunteer was wounded and three members of the Crown forces were wounded; one of whom later died of his injuries. ***Telephone and telegraph equipment seized in all post offices and telephone exchanges in south County Dublin. ***General attack on RIC, B&T and Military posts in Barracks, Courthouse, Royal Hotel and Coastguard station in Bray. Shooting lasted for 2 hours. Several B&T's and civilians wounded. ***Attack on mixed patrol of Auxiliaries and B&T near Bray RIC barracks. 1 B&T and Auxie wounded. ***Attack on residence of Mr Cross (an Orangeman) in Ballycorus, County Dublin. The attack continued until a shortage of ammunition forced the IRA to retire. One IRA volunteer (Peter Little) was wounded. It was later reported that one occupant of the house had been killed and another wounded. ***Attack on RIC barracks, Dundrum, County Dublin. IRA party advanced to positions behind a wall at the railway accommodation and attacked the courthouse and barracks machine gun post which was put out of action and gunner wounded. ***British soldiers held up at the Dodder banks, South Dublin while they were rendezvousing with girlfriends. They were ordered to return to the city minus all clothing except trousers and shirt. ***Attack on Dundrum RIC barracks, County Dublin by seven IRA riflemen who shot only one round each at delayed intervals. The RIC continued firing for many hours after the attackers had withdrawn. ***Attack on military lorry at Jamestown, Sandyford, County Dublin. Lorry raced away with the occupants shooting wildly. Casualties unknown. ***Attack on military and B&T's in lorries at William Park near Booterstown, County Dublin. British casualties unknown. ***Attack on private car carrying British Colonel McCabe and escort lorry at Kilgobbin, County Dublin. Two vehicles speed up and race away. One member of the escort party wounded.


May 1921

*1 May 1921: **An abortive IRA ambush at Islandeady, County Mayo led to the death of two IRA volunteers. **The IRA shot dead two Black and Tans outside Arvagh, County Cavan. *2 May 1921: An IRA column ambushed British troops near Lackelly, County Limerick, but took heavy casualties in the ensuing fire fight. The IRA columns was itself ambushed another three times as it retreated during a five and a half-hour running fight. Between five and fourteen IRA volunteers were killed and up to thirty wounded. *3 May 1921: The South Mayo IRA flying column under Tom Maguire ambush British troops at Tourmakeady, killing four RIC policemen (Sgt John Regan, Constable William Power, Constable Christopher O'Regan, Constable Herbert Oates). The IRA volunteers were then pursued across the Partry Mountains. They managed to escape despite Maguire being badly wounded. Two IRA volunteers were killed in this engagement (Michael O'Brien and Patrick Feeney) and another died later in 1922 as a result of an infection picked up from lying in a ditch while on the run. *4 May 1921: The County Kerry, Kerry IRA ambushed an RIC patrol. Eight out of nine constables were killed or died of their wounds. Five houses and a creamery were burned in reprisal. The IRA had left the body of an 80-year-old informer, Thomas Sullivan, whom they had killed, at the side of the road near Rathmore, to lure the police into the ambush. *8 May 1921: **An IRA training camp was surrounded by British troops and Auxiliaries in the Lappanduff Hills, County Cavan, sparking a two-hour firefight. An IRA volunteer was killed and eleven captured, all of them from the Belfast Brigade. **British forces in Carrigtouhil, Cork, shot dead an IRA volunteer. **RIC Constable Frederick Sterland killed while leaving a hotel off duty by four men he befriended **RIC Head Constable William K. Storey Shot dead from behind while returning from church with his wife. **RIC Sgt Constable Thomas McCormack Fatally shot when the patrol he was part of was ambushed by a large IRA unit. *9 May 1921: **In Kerry, near Castleisland, two RIC men were shot by IRA volunteers on their way home from Mass (liturgy), Mass. One (RIC COnstable Alexander Thomas Clark) was killed, the other saved when his wife covered him with her body. **Attack on Dundrum RIC barracks, County Dublin. When the IRA attacking party had withdrawn the RIC and B&T's came out of the Barracks presumably to search for the attackers. Some IRA men had remained hidden near to the barracks and threw two grenades into the middle of the assembled RIC and B&T's. One IRA volunteer was wounded. Number of constables and B&Ts killed unclear. **Two Black and Tans/RIC Constables, Thomas Clarke and Charles Murdock, were shot dead by the IRA near Clonmany, County Donegal. The body of Clarke was washed up on the shore the next day, the other was reportedly buried in a bog. *RIC COnstables James Cullen and Martin Fallon killed when shop was fired on and Bombed. Each Posthumously awarded Constabulary Medal for Gallantry. *10 May 1921 **There was an attack on Cabinteely RIC barracks, County Dublin with grenades from a motor car at the front entrance and with rifles from the rear by IRA men from the 6th Battalion Dublin Brigade. Casualties were admitted by RIC but no number was given. *11 May 1921: A party of
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 ...
shot dead Christopher Folan, Woodquay,
Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
, and injure Joseph Folan, while searching the family home for James Folan, Battalion-Quartermaster of the Galway Brigade, who had just been released from prison for republican activities. They then went to another house and shot dead Hubert Tully, a republican suspect and contact of Seán Broderick, a Galway republican leader. *12 May 1921: **A group of
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 ...
travelling from
Listowel Listowel ( ; , IPA: lʲɪsˠˈt̪ˠuəhəlʲ is a heritage market town in County Kerry, Ireland. It is on the River Feale, from the county town, Tralee. The town of Listowel had a population of 4,820 according to the Central Statistics Of ...
towards Athea arrested three young men in Gortaglanna. Prior to this the barracks in
Listowel Listowel ( ; , IPA: lʲɪsˠˈt̪ˠuəhəlʲ is a heritage market town in County Kerry, Ireland. It is on the River Feale, from the county town, Tralee. The town of Listowel had a population of 4,820 according to the Central Statistics Of ...
had been burnt out and the troops decided to execute the young men in revenge. One of the men, Dalton, attempted to free himself from captivity and escaped, though injured by a bullet. Both of the other two men are shot on the spot. **Attack on Cabinteely RIC barracks, County Dublin. One IRA volunteer was wounded and later died on 28 May. *13 May 1921: Attack on Cabinteely RIC barracks. 1 B&T (Constable Skeates) shot dead by IRA sniper. *13–15 May 1921: "Black Whitsun": a general election for the parliament of Southern Ireland (1921–22), Southern Ireland was held on 13 May.
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Gri ...
won 124 of the new parliament's 128 seats unopposed, and its elected members refused to take their seats. Over the next two days (14–15 May) the IRA killed fifteen policemen. *14 May 1921: **IRA volunteers, led by
Paddy Daly Paddy Daly (1888–1957) sometimes referred to as Paddy O'Daly, served in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence''Michael Collins: A Life'' by James Mackay, p. 132 and subsequently held the rank of major-general in the I ...
and Emmet Dalton seized an Armored car (military), armoured car on the North Circular Road in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, killing two British soldiers. The car was then used to gain entrance to
Mountjoy Prison Mountjoy Prison ( ga, Príosún Mhuinseo), founded as Mountjoy Gaol and nicknamed ''The Joy'', is a medium security men's prison located in Phibsborough in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. The current prison Governor is Edward Mullins. History ...
in an effort to free Seán Mac Eoin. However, the plot was discovered and the IRA volunteers in the car had to shoot their way out of the prison. The car was later abandoned in Clontarf, Dublin, Clontarf. **IRA in Castletownbere, led by Michael Óg O'Sullivan, kill four soldiers of the King's Own Scottish Borderers and wound two others at Furious Pier. **RIC Head Constable Francis Benson Shot and killed by an IRA gang as he left his home in Tralee. **RIC Constable Peter Coghlan fatally wounded by the explosion of an IRA bomb thrown at the patrol he was part of. **RIC Constables Harold Thompson and Thomas Cornyn both Shot dead going to summon a priest after a colleague was shot by the IRA. **RIC Sgt Joseph E. Coleman Shot dead in a public house by the IRA. **RIC Constable Robert Redmond Fatally shot while off duty on leave. **RIc Constable John McKenna Shot dead in a field near his barracks by four IRA gunmen. **RIC Constable Thomas Bridges Attacked by IRA gunmen and shot dead as he went for provisions. **IRA volunteers in Tipperary assassinated an RIC Detective Inspector, Harry Biggs, and a local Protestant woman, Miss Barrington, sitting beside him in a police car. **IRA Volunteer Edward McCusker shot dead during an attack on RIC in Dromore, County Tyrone. **RIC Constable Peter Carolan Fatally wounded together with two constables who died on 15 and 24 May, by the explosion of an IRA bomb thrown at their patrol. *15 May 1921: **Ballyturin House Ambush: An IRA unit in County Galway ambushed a motor car as it left Ballyturin House near
Gort Gort ( or ) is a town of around 3,000 inhabitants in County Galway in the west of Ireland. Located near the border with County Clare, the town lies between the Burren and the Slieve Aughty and is served by the R458 and R460 regional roads, wh ...
. Two Army officers were shot dead, along with an RIC District Inspector Cecil Arthur Maurice Blake and his wife. Margaret Gregory, daughter-in-law of Augusta, Lady Gregory, Lady Gregory, was unharmed. The RIC came under fire when they arrived at the scene; one constable was wounded and died six days later. **British forces in Carrigtouhil, Cork, shot three civilians dead. **Execution of Peter Grey (or Graham), a purported spy, at Killiney, County Dublin golf links by IRA Volunteers from the 6th Battalion Dublin Brigade. **Sgt S Goldsmith of Royal Fusiliers thrown off bicycle and seriously wounded by two men at Kenmaore Co Kerry; dies of injuries 25 May 1921 *16 May 1921: Two IRA volunteers are killed in an attempted ambush of an RIC patrol at Barrowhouse, county Kildare. *17 May 1921: Pvt of 8th Royal Marine Battalion RMLI was kidnapped and killed. *18 May 1921: **An RIC officer was killed and another wounded in an IRA ambush in Letterkenny, County Donegal. In reprisal, Black and Tans attacked several businesses and civilians in the town. **A British sergeant was taken from his home in Inchicore by members of the 4th Battalion Dublin Brigade IRA and killed near Crumlin. *19 May 1921: **Kilmeena ambush, British troops surprised an IRA ambush party at Kilmeena, County Mayo; 6 IRA volunteers were killed and seven wounded. The remainder of the column fled over the mountains to Skerdagh. One RIC man and one Black and Tan were killed in the action. British forces threw the dead and wounded IRA volunteers into the street outside the Police barracks in Westport, County Mayo, Westport, causing widespread revulsion. The Marquess of Sligo visited the Police station to complain. **Two RIC men were killed by IRA members in Kinnitty, Kinnitty, County Offaly. **Farmer Joseph Hayden shot to death in apparent reprisal for the earlier wounding of a RIC member. Haydens brother was wounded in the back with a bayonet. *21 May 1921: IRA ambush at Ballyvaughan of ten members of the British 8th Royal Marine Battalion RMLI (RMBs). At least two RMBs were killed and another two wounded. **21 May 1921: RIC Constable Peter McDonagh shot to death in ambush in Mountfield, County Tyrone. *22 May 1921: Attack on military lorry at Foxrock, County Dublin. One soldier is wounded. *23 May 1921: **The IRA in Clare ambushed an RIC patrol at Glenwood, between Sixmilebridge and Broadfoot. Six RIC constables were killed including a District Inspector and two were wounded. The IRA volunteers captured ten rifles. **A British Army Officer disappears, presumed killed, in County Cork. **Two British soldiers of the 1st Battalion Machine Gun Corps [names unknown] [PVts Cagney and Musgrave[?] claim to be deserters to the IRA near Charleville, County Cork; however they are both killed as being suspected Intelligence operatives *24 May 1921: Members of K Coy, 3rd Battalion Dublin Brigade IRA attacked Black and Tans on Merrion Row. Heavy Tan casualties. No IRA casualties.Laurence Nugent Witness Statement Bureau of Military History WS#907 *25 May 1921: **Dublin IRA units Burning of the Custom House, occupied and burned the Custom House, centre of local government in Ireland in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
city centre. The building and the IRA units were quickly surrounded by first two companies of Auxiliaries and then several hundred more British Army troops. Five IRA volunteers and three civilians were killed and about eighty volunteers were captured. Four Auxiliaries were wounded in the firing. The operation was a publicity coup but a military disaster for the Dublin IRA. **Attacks on Dundrum RIC barracks, Cabinteely RIC barracks (twice), Enniskerry RIC barracks, Military patrol on the Bray road at Stillorgan, Naval base and wireless station Dún Laoghaire, Military lorry, Alma Road, Monkstown. These attacks were carried out by IRA Volunteers from the 6th Battalion on orders from Dublin Brigade HQ to relieve pressure on the city Battalions as a result of the Customs House attack. *26 May 1921: **There was an IRA attack on the Naval base and wireless station at Dún Laoghaire. While the attack was in progress, an armoured car leading a party of troops from the naval base advanced up Marine Road. Another party from the wireless station proceeded from Clarence Street. Both patrols were attacked on the way and shortly after capturing Georges Street. They (the British patrols) clashed and opened fire on each other. They suffered some killed and 5 wounded before they realised their mistake. **Pvt E. Budd of Machine Gun Corps [attached to the Royal Irish Constabulary] was killed. *27 May 1921: Cpt. Paddy Boland O/C Crossard Coy, Ballyhaunis IRA killed by Crown forces.O'Malley Notebooks P17b/113 (Johnny Grealy) *29 May 1921: The IRA ambushed a USC patrol at Mullaghfad, County Fermanagh, killing two officers and wounding others. *30 May 1921: **Volunteer Tommy Murphy was shot dead in his home in Foxrock, County Dublin, by British forces. Before leaving his house the raiders attached a label to Murphy's body "Executed by the IRA". This allegation was refuted in a subsequent issue of ''An tÓglach''. **After an attack on RIC patrol at Kill O'The Grange, IRA volunteers from the Deansgrange Coy, 6th Battalion, Dublin Brigade encountered another party of RIC at Monaloe under Sergeant Cullen. An engagement ensued but both sides retired safely. *31 May 1921: IRA volunteers explode a remotely detonated mine under a British Military band at Youghal, Youghal, County Cork. Seven British soldiers (military bandsmen from Hampshire regiment) are killed. 20 others are wounded in the explosion. *May 1921: **Pope Benedict XV issued a letter that encouraged the ''"English as well as Irish to calmly consider ... some means of agreement"''. **Ulster Special Constable George Lynas is shot dead in
County Armagh County Armagh (, named after its county town, Armagh) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the southern shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and ha ...
; the B-Specials shot dead two local Catholics in reprisal. **Lt. Breeze of the Warwickshire Regiment is shot dead by IRA at Foxrock, County Dublin. **Attack on military lorry at Castle Street, Dalkey, by IRA volunteers from the 6th Battalion Dublin Brigade. The driver was shot dead. The lorry crashed and was later destroyed. An undisclosed amount of ammunition was seized by the IRA. **Destruction of Jamestown Bridge near Sandyford. **Second attack on the home of a member of the
Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants, particularly those of Ulster Scots heritage. It also ...
, Mr Cross, Ballycorous, County Dublin. One occupant wounded and two killed. 6th Battalion Cmdt. Andy McDonnell (IRA) is wounded and taken to hospital.


June 1921

*1 June 1921: IRA volunteers ambushed a police bicycle patrol near Castlemaine, County Kerry. An RIC District Inspector and three constables were killed outright; a sergeant was wounded and died later. *2 June 1921: Carrowkennedy ambush, County Mayo. Michael Kilroy and the IRA's West Mayo Flying Column ambushed a convoy of RIC and
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 ...
. The fighting lasted three and a half hours in which seven policemen were killed and six were wounded, two mortally. The surviving seventeen police surrendered and the IRA seized a large quantity of arms. Many of the locals went into hiding to avoid retribution from the Black and Tans. Volunteers went on the run throughout the region sheltering in safe houses. *3 June 1921: IRA volunteers ambushed British troops at Kylebeg near Modreeny in
County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...
. Members of the IRA's Northern Tipperary Flying Column led by Sean Gaynor attacked a mixed group of 25 British soldiers, RIC policemen and Black & Tans, travelling from
Borrisokane Borrisokane () is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is situated at the junction of the N52 and N65 national secondary roads. At the 2016 census, it had a population of 942. The Ballyfinboy River flows through the town on its way to Lough ...
to Cloughjordan killing four RIC men and wounding 14. *4–14 June 1921: Around 800 British troops swept the
Macroom Macroom (; ga, Maigh Chromtha) is a market town in County Cork, Ireland, located in the valley of the River Sullane, halfway between Cork city and Killarney. Its population has grown and receded over the centuries as it went through periods of ...
area, of County Cork. *5 June 1921: **Three members of Manchester Regiment were killed at Kilcrea, Ovens, Cork. **The IRA ambushed USC officers outside their barracks in Swatragh, County Londonderry, killing one. Shortly after, a Sinn Féin supporter was shot dead at Ballintemple, near Garvagh. *6 June 1921: The British government called off the policy of house burnings as official reprisals. *7 June 1921: **The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland appoints James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon, James Craig as the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. Several other members of the new Northern government are also appointed. **Two republicans Patrick Maher and Edmond Foley are hanged at MountyJoy Prison after being found guilty of a killing of a Policeman during attempted rescue of an IrA prisoner by a military tribunal [Both men had been previously twice acquitted by Civilian Courts]. Also hanged is a Black and Tan Temporary Constable William Mitchell on a charge of being an accessory in the robbery-murder of Dunlavin magistrate Robert Dixon in February 1921-although the prime suspect had committed suicide and apparently Mitchell's "guilt" was determined before his trial despite no evidence of his guilt in the original crime. *8 June 1921: The IRA ambushed a USC patrol at Carrogs, near Newry, County Down. In reprisal, USC officers went to the nearest Catholic home and fatally shot two civilian men. The IRA fired on the USC from a nearby hill, killing one and forcing them to withdraw. *10 June 1921: **Seven Waterford IRA men were captured when a party of Marines, having crossed from Youghal by boat to Ferrypoint by night, surprised them near
Piltown Piltown (), historically known as Ballypoyle, is a village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It lies on the R698 regional road, which was the N24 national primary road before the locality was bypassed in 2002. Approaching Piltown from Carrick-on- ...
, County Waterford. **Two Auxiliary Cadets were surprised by the IRA near Woodstock, Co Kilkenny; one escaped. The Other Cadet Leonard French was missing but apparently killed. *11 June 1921: Royal Scots Private George Duff Chalmers captured in West Clare while serving a summons and killed by IRA *12 June 1921: Three RIC men were shot by the IRA on the Falls Road in Belfast. Two were wounded and one died. Uniformed RIC/Black & Tans including John William Nixon, DI Nixon arrested and murdered three Catholic male civilians in north Belfast. Over the following two days, loyalist gunmen killed six more Catholics and the IRA assassinated three Protestants in the city. *15 June 1921: **Members of the East Clare Brigade IRA were ambushed by British soldiers at Woodcock Hill, Meelick, while attempting to raid the Limerick to Ennis train. Captain Christopher McCarthy of the IRA was wounded during the ambush and Captain Michael Gleeson returned under fire to rescue McCarthy. Both men were subsequently captured by British soldiers and killed. *16 June 1921: An IRA ambush was mounted at Rathcoole, County Cork. Landmines were exploded under three lorries, killing two auxiliaries and wounding four others. *17 June 1921: **Two brothers with republican links were taken from their home in Dundalk, County Louth and summarily killed by Black and Tans. In reprisal, the IRA killed an RIC officer in the town. **
Ballyhaunis Ballyhaunis () is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is at the crossroads of the N60 and N83 National secondary roads and on the railway line linking Dublin to Westport and Ballina. It is thought that the town grew up around St Mary's Augus ...
RIC barracks in County Mayo was attacked. *18 June 1921: **36 IRA volunteers in Kilkenny try to ambush a British Army convoy between Castlecomer and Athy, travelling with a mine. However the British were tipped off by a local woman informer, Florrie Draper. British troops crept up on the would-be ambushers and opened fire, killing two volunteers (Seán Hartley and Nicholas Mullins), and injuring another. Draper's house was burned in reprisal. **The 9th Battalion of the Kilkenny IRA ambushed a patrol of Black and Tans from Fiddown Barracks at Sinnotts Cross, near Clogga, Mooncoin, Mooncoin, County Kilkenny. One Black and Tan was killed and another injured. No volunteers captured or lost. **Three British officers, dressed in civilian clothes but carrying pistols, were captured near Fethard, County Tipperary, by IRA volunteers under
Ernie O'Malley Ernest Bernard Malley ( ga, Earnán Ó Máille; 26 May 1897 – 25 March 1957) was an IRA officer during the Irish War of Independence. Subsequently, he became assistant chief of staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA during the Irish Civil War. O'Malley ...
. The three were shot by firing squad at dawn the next day in reprisal for the execution of captured IRA men by the British. *19 June 1921: While escorting a coffin of a slain R.I.C. man by Devonshire Regiment, New Bridge, Carrick-on-Suir Co Tipperary, ambushed by IRA; one British Soldier Pvt W. Smith killedIrish Medals website
*20 June 1921: Group Returning from a tennis party at Benown House, Glasson about six miles from Athlone, Co Westmeath ambushed by IRA. Colonel Commandant Thomas Stanton Lambert [General Staff] dies of shotgun wounds *22 June 1921: George V of the United Kingdom, King George V addressed the first session of the parliament of
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, calling on "all Irishmen to pause, to stretch out the hand of forbearance and conciliation, to forgive and to forget, and to join in making for the land they love a new era of peace, contentment, and good will." *23 June 1921: **Over 1000 British troops mounted a sweep of Millstreet, Millstreet, County Cork and environs. **An IRA column was encircled by British forces in Ballycastle, County Mayo, Ballycastle, County Mayo; one IRA volunteer was killed and seven volunteers were captured. **The IRA derailed a British troop train with a bomb at Adavoyle railway station, Adavoyle, County Armagh. It carried the king's armed escort, the 10th Royal Hussars, back from the opening of the Northern Ireland Parliament. Five soldiers and a civilian train guard were killed or fatally wounded, as were fifty horses. Some soldiers fired at civilians in surrounding fields, killing one. *24 June 1921: **The British Coalition Government's Cabinet decided to propose talks with the leaders of
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Gri ...
. Coalition Liberals and Unionists agreed that an offer to negotiate would strengthen the Government's position if the revolutionaries refused. Austen Chamberlain, the new leader of the Unionist Party, said that "the King's Speech ought to be followed up as a last attempt at peace before we go to full martial law". **The IRA mounted an attack on Grafton Street, central Dublin, killing two Auxiliaries. *26 June 1921: IRA volunteers in Dublin killed RIC Auxiliary Division William F. H. Hunt (35) in the dining-room of the Mayfair Hotel on Baggot Street. Hunt was from Watford, England and had also been a British Army officer. *30 June 1921: In Coolacrease, County Offaly (near Cadamstown), Richard Pearson (aged 24) and his brother Abraham (aged 19) were Killings at Coolacrease, shot in their genitals and buttocks in front of their mother and sisters. It took 14 hours for the two brothers to slowly bleed to death from their groin injuries. The family home was later burned. There are conflicting versions of the incident. Some contend that the two were killed for sectarian reasons and to steal the family's property. Others claim the family were British informers and had fired at an IRA party some days before. *June 1921: **The Dublin IRA attacked a cricket match involving British soldiers in Trinity College Dublin. One woman spectator was killed in the crossfire. **The Dublin IRA carried out 93 attacks on British forces in the city in the course of the month. **A reported deserter, Lt John Watts, is captured and killed by the IRA near Rivertown, County Sligo.


July 1921

*1 July 1921: Seven-man RIC patrol was ambushed by the IRA; the RIC had 4 casualties-2 wounded and two captured and later shot dead by the IRA in County Sligo. *4 July 1921: Local IRA Volunteers joined West Waterford Column under
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, County W ...
in an attack on a Waterford-bound military train. After a fire fight of some fifteen minutes the train smashed through the crossing gates. This was the last engagement between British forces and the Waterford Brigade Flying Column. *6 July 1921: Disguised USC officers raided homes at Altnaveigh (near Newry), County Armagh and summarily killed four Catholic civilian men. *8 July 1921: IRA volunteer Dennis Spriggs taken from his home in Cork and killed by British forces. *9 July 1921: **Truce terms were signed in Dublin, to be effective on 11 July. **Filling in a trenched area at Kilgobnet, just north of Dungarvan, six civilians were killed when a secretly buried British mine exploded. **4 British soldiers (Alfred Cannim, Albert Powell, Harold Daker, and Henry Morris) were captured and shot dead at Ellis Quarry, Cork City by the IRA. **The IRA mistakenly killed Draper Holmes, a Protestant railway worker, during a reprisal attack in
Newry Newry (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland, divided by the Clanrye river in counties Armagh and Down, from Belfast and from Dublin. It had a population of 26,967 in 2011. Newry was founded in 1144 alongside a Cistercian monastery, althoug ...
, Co Down. The reprisal attack was in response to the four killings at Altnaveigh (see 6 July 1921). **IRA Volunteer James McSorley shot to death in an attack by USC near Dunteague, County Tyrone. *10 July 1921: **Bloody Sunday (1921), Belfast's Bloody Sunday The IRA mounted an ambush in Raglan Street in Belfast, killing two policemen. This sparked an outbreak of ferocious fighting between Catholics and Protestants in west Belfast in which 16 civilians (11 Catholics and 5 Protestants) lost their lives and 161 houses were destroyed. Of the houses destroyed, 150 belonged to Catholics. Four more civilians died in the shooting over the next two days. **The IRAs Kerry No. 2 Brigade attacked a British Army patrol in Castleisland, County Kerry; three IRA volunteers and four British soldiers were killed. Three British troops were wounded in the action. *11 July 1921: The Truce: Actions commanded by IRA HQ ended outside
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
at midday under the Truce. Violence in Northern Ireland and unofficial violence in the south and west continue. **Mary McGowan, aged 12 was shot and killed as she and her mother crossed the street in front of there home on Derby Street, Belfast. Shots were fired from a USC armoured car, her mother was also wounded. An inquest jury specified that USC members were responsible for her death. *12 July 1921: The IRA shot dead Special Constable Thomas Sturdy at the junction of Dock and North Thomas streets in Belfast. Later that night, the USC took Patrick Milligan and Thomas Millar from their homes (on Dock Lane and New Dock Lane respectively), and shot them dead in the street. *July 1921: In County Kildare, an RIC constable was wounded and died of his wounds on 14 September 1922.


August 1921

*26 August 1921: Workers in Bruree, Limerick seized the Mill they worked in and hoisted the Red flag (politics), Red flag over the building & hung a banner over the building proclaiming "Bruree Workers Soviet Mills – We Make Bread Not Profits". The Soviet lasted until 3 September 1921. *27 August 1921: A house in Belfast was bombed by loyalists. Over the next two days, two Protestants are killed by republican snipers. *30–31 August 1921: Eighteen people were killed during street battles in Belfast; nine Protestants and nine Catholics.


September 1921

*7 September 1921: In a letter to de Valera regarding counties County Fermanagh, Fermanagh and County Tyrone, Tyrone, Lloyd George acknowledged that his government had a very weak case on the issue of "forcing these two counties against their will" to be part of Northern Ireland. *11 September 1921: De Valera received nationalist delegations from counties Down, Londonderry, Antrim and the city of Belfast who expressed anxiety at partition. Referring to the unionists, one Protestant member of the Belfast delegation (Councillor James Baird (trade unionist), James Baird - trade unionist and expelled workers’ representative) said that "partition would place power in the hands of those responsible for the pogroms". *15–18 September 1921: There was further riots in Belfast and two Protestants were killed by a sniper. *24 September 1921: **Speaking in Dundee, Winston Churchill threatened war if the Dáil refused to accept the British offer. **During rioting in Belfast, a grenade was thrown at a loyalist mob advancing towards a nationalist area. Two were killed and more than twenty injured. *25 September 1921: **In Belfast, an IRA volunteer was killed by a loyalist mob; one civilian was killed by a stray RUC bullet; and another civilian was killed by a grenade thrown into his home. **Galway Town hall, A dispute between Crown forces and republican Stewards at a dance for relief for republican Prisoners relief result in shots being fired; an accidental stray bullet kills Lt G.H. Souchen of the 17th Lancers who is passing by with several others on his way back to camp


October 1921

*9 October 1921: The delegation from Dáil Éireann arrived in London. *11 October 1921: The first meeting of the British-Irish conference was held. Over the next two months there would be seven plenary sessions, 24 sub-conferences and 9 meetings of special committees. *From July–October 1921, membership of the IRA's Belfast Brigade, Irish Republican Army, Belfast Brigade had gone from 998 to 1,506. In addition it was bringing in a considerable number of weapons.


November 1921

*15 November 1921: Tadhg Barry was shot and killed while interned at Abercorn Barracks, Ballykinlar Internment Camp in County Down. Barry was a long time Irish Republican, leading trade unionist, and Alderman on Cork City Council. Barry was shot while waving good bye to departing prisoners. *21–25 November 1921: Thirty people (all civilians) were killed during violence in Belfast. *28 November 1921: After Westminster decided to hand over responsibility for local government to Stormont, Tyrone County Council pledged its allegiance to Dáil Éireann. Eight smaller public bodies followed. That same day a bill was introduced in Stormont which allowed it to dissolve any local authority. Offices of Tyrone County Council were subsequently raided by the police and their records seized on 2 December 1921. *30 November 1921: **Speaking to the IRA's Mid Clare Brigade, de Valera said "We know the terrorism, we know the savagery that can be used against us, and we defy it". He and Cathal Brugha had spent a week reviewing IRA brigades in counties Galway, Clare and Limerick. Preparations were being made in case the negotiations broke down. **In the NI Parliament, James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon, James Craig blamed Sinn Féin for the recent violence and stated that Ulster Special Constabulary, 700 A-Specials and 5,000 B-Specials would be enrolled immediately. Around this time, Divisional Commissioner of the RIC in the North ordered his men to regard the truce as non-existent.


December 1921

*2 December 1921: Two RIC men were killed during a failed escape attempt from
Derry Gaol Derry Gaol, also known as Londonderry Gaol, refers to one of several gaols (prisons) constructed consecutively in Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Derry Gaol is notable as a place of incarceration for Irish Republican Army (IRA) m ...
. *6 December 1921:
Anglo-Irish Treaty The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty ( ga , An Conradh Angla-Éireannach), commonly known in Ireland as The Treaty and officially the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was an agreement between the government of the ...
was signed between the British Government and the Irish delegation. It was signed in London. *9 December 1921: IRA prisoners begin to be released. **As internees reach Thurles railway station, a bomb is thrown at the train. Vol. Declan Hurton is injured and later dies of his wounds. *10 December 1921: **At a meeting of the Supreme Council of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, IRB, 11 supported the Treaty and 4 opposed it. **In Belfast, nationalist areas came under sustained attack from loyalist gunmen. *14 December 1921: Both the British Parliament and Dáil Éireann began to debate the Treaty. *15 December 1921: Fermanagh County Council pledged allegiance to Dáil Éireann. After the meeting the RIC took over the council chamber. *16 December 1921: Anglo-Irish Treaty is passed in the British House of Commons (401 support, 58 oppose) and House of Lords (166 support, 47 oppose). *17 December 1921: In Belfast, four people were shot dead. Meanwhile, six IRA volunteers were captured in an attempted raid at Balmoral military base, also in Belfast. *27 December 1921: In Belfast there was a shootout between an RIC patrol and an IRA unit, one RIC constable and one IRA volunteer were killed.


1922


January 1922

*1–2 January 1922: In Belfast, five people were shot dead by snipers. *7 January 1922: **The Anglo-Irish Treaty was approved by Dáil Éireann (64 support, 57 oppose, 3 do not vote). **In Ireland, 328 statutory public bodies endorsed the Treaty; 5 declared against. Curran says 369 elected and other bodies endorsed the Treaty by this date; 14 had declared against. *10 January 1922: Arthur Griffith was elected
President of Dáil Éireann President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
. *12 January 1922: In Belfast, loyalists threw five grenades at groups of Catholic civilians. *14 January 1922: **In County Tyrone (Northern Ireland) members of the Monaghan GAA, Monaghan Gaelic football team were arrested on their way to a match in Derry. Among them were IRA volunteers, who carried plans to free IRA prisoners from Derry prison. **Sixty Pro-Treaty TDs and four Unionist MPs met as the "Southern Parliament" and set up a Provisional Government of the Irish Free State, Provisional Government. Michael Collins was elected chairman. *16 January 1922: Dublin Castle was surrendered to the Provisional Government under the terms of the Treaty. *31 January 1922: The first regiment of the Irish Army, Irish National Army was set up in Dublin.


February 1922

*1 February 1922: An RIC officer was shot dead in battle with the IRA in Killarney, County Kerry. *3 February 1922: Two RIC officers were shot dead after leaving a pub in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare. *7–8 February 1922: IRA units crossed the border into Northern Ireland and took 43 USC officers and prominent loyalists captive in counties Fermanagh and Tyrone. They were to be held as hostages for the Monaghan Gaelic footballers and IRA volunteers who had been arrested in January. Most were taken from their homes. Two trucks of USC officers were also ambushed near Newtownbutler and they were captured after a firefight in which seven of them were wounded. A number of IRA volunteers were also captured during the raids. This operation had been approved by Michael Collins, Richard Mulcahy,
Frank Aiken Francis Thomas Aiken (13 February 1898 – 18 May 1983) was an Irish revolutionary and politician. He was chief of staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA at the end of the Irish Civil War. Aiken later served as Tánaiste from 1965 to 1969 and Minister fo ...
and
Eoin O'Duffy Eoin O'Duffy (born Owen Duffy; 28 January 1890 – 30 November 1944) was an Irish military commander, police commissioner and politician. O'Duffy was the leader of the Monaghan Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and a prominent figure in ...
. In response, many cross-border roads were sealed-off by the Northern Ireland authorities. *9–10 February 1922: A USC platoon was forced to withdraw from Clady, County Tyrone two nights in a row after coming under fire from the IRA. One USC officer was killed. *11 February 1922: IRA volunteers stopped a group of armed USC officers on a train in Clones, County Monaghan, Clones, County Monaghan. Unbeknownst to the Irish Provisional Government, the USC unit had boarded a train which crossed the border on its way from Belfast to Enniskillen (Northern Ireland). The IRA called on the USC men to surrender for questioning, but one of them shot dead an IRA sergeant. This sparked a firefight in which four USC officers were killed and several wounded. Five others were captured. The incident threatened to spark off a major confrontation between North and South, and the British government temporarily suspended the withdrawal of British troops from the South. *12–15 February 1922: In Belfast, violence erupted in response to the Clones shootings. Between 37 and 39 people were killed. This included six children who were killed when loyalists threw a grenade into their school yard. Forty other children were injured in this attack. *20 February 1922: 2 British soldiers killed outside village of Bluebell Co Dublin; a passing Army Lorry is then attacked by Co A 4th battalion, Dublin IRA. Two additional soldiers in Lorry also killed. *22 February 1922: Michael Collins secretly authorised the formation of a specially-paid unit of 70 IRA volunteers (Parkinson says 72, including 12 officers), known as the Belfast City Guard, to protect districts from loyalist attacks. It operated until August 1922, the same month that Collins was killed. *26 February 1922: **The Anti-Treaty IRA under Ernie O'Malley captured an RIC barracks in Clonmel, County Tipperary, and seized a large number of weapons. **It was reported that there had been 80 attacks on the RIC in Southern Ireland since the previous December, resulting in the deaths of 12 officers.


March 1922

*2 March 1922: The Anti-Treaty IRA smuggled weapons from Germany to Helvic Head, County Waterford. *3 March 1922: IRA volunteers ambushed RIC vehicles in Tipperary (town), Tipperary town, killing two officers. *4 March 1922: IRA volunteers under Mick Mansfield seized the RIC barracks in Dungarvan, County Waterford. *6 March 1922: In Belfast, four people were shot dead (three civilians and one IRA volunteer). *7 March 1922: In Belfast, four people were shot dead. *9 March 1922: In Belfast, three people were shot dead. *10 March 1922: In Belfast, six people were shot dead (three civilians, two RIC constables, one British soldier). *15 March 1922: IRA volunteers shot dead two RIC constables and wounded another at St Brigid's Hospital, Galway. *16 March 1922: **In the Northern Ireland Parliament, Dawson Bates declared "we are at war" with the IRA. **In Belfast, four people were killed and numerous others injured by grenades. *18 March 1922: In Belfast, the RIC and USC raided IRA headquarters, seizing weapons and the names of IRA volunteers. The Irish Provisional Government condemned this as a breach of the truce. Meanwhile, four people were killed in the city. *19 March 1922: IRA volunteers raided two RIC barracks in the North, in Pomeroy, County Tyrone, Pomeroy and Maghera, seizing rifles and ammunition.McKenna, ''Guerrilla Warfare in the Irish War of Independence'', pp. 266-267 *20 March 1922: IRA volunteers crossed into the North and attacked the USC barracks at Aughnacloy, County Tyrone. *21–22 March 1922: IRA volunteers shot dead two RIC men in Trillick, County Tyrone (Northern Ireland); in reprisal, local loyalists shot dead three Catholic civilians. *23 March 1922: McMahon Murders – In Belfast, members of the RIC/USC shot dead six members of the Catholic McMahon family at their home. Prior to this incident, six people had been shot dead in Belfast (including two USC constables). *24 March 1922: The IRA shot dead an off-duty USC officer while carrying out a bomb attack on the Moyola Bridge at Castledawson, County Londonderry (Northern Ireland). *28 March 1922: A column of fifty IRA volunteers crossed into the North and seized the RIC barracks in Belcoo, County Fermanagh (Northern Ireland) after a three-hour battle. Fifteen officers were captured and marched across the border and held until 18 July. *29 March 1922: **IRA volunteers shot dead two RIC officers in Cullaville, County Armagh (Northern Ireland). **IRA volunteers under Seán O'Hegarty seized the British ship ''Upnor'' off the coast of Ballycotton, County Cork, taking a large cache of weapons. *31 March 1922: **In
Newry Newry (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland, divided by the Clanrye river in counties Armagh and Down, from Belfast and from Dublin. It had a population of 26,967 in 2011. Newry was founded in 1144 alongside a Cistercian monastery, althoug ...
, the IRA ambushed a USC patrol, killing one and wounding another.Lawlor, ''The Outrages'', p. 256 **In Belfast, the IRA killed a USC officer and wounded another. In retaliation, the USC killed four Catholic civilians in the area.


April 1922

*1 April 1922: Arnon Street Massacre – USC officers killed six Catholic civilians in their homes in the Arnon Street area of Belfast as revenge for the IRA having killed a fellow officer. *2 April 1922: A force of 500 USC officers carried out a major sweep to arrest suspected IRA members in the Sperrin Mountains between
Cookstown Cookstown ( ga, An Chorr Chríochach, IPA: anˠˈxoːɾˠɾˠˈçɾʲiːxəx is a small town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the fourth largest town in the county and had a population of 11,599 in the 2011 census. It, along with Maghe ...
, Draperstown and Greencastle, County Tyrone, Greencastle (Northern Ireland). Many homes were raided and 300 men were arrested but only four were believed to be IRA members. *6 April 1922: **Six ex-RIC men were shot dead in counties Mayo, Clare and Kerry. **The IRA ambushed two USC patrols in Northern Ireland. A foot-patrol was ambushed near Garrison, County Fermanagh. One USC officer was killed and three wounded by machine gun fire. Another was ambushed at Roughan's Cross, County Armagh, resulting in the death of a USC Head Constable. *12 April 1922: Dún Laoghaire; Two British Privates are loading furniture in a car; one armed with a rifle is ordered by a man to put up his hands; he is then shot and mortally wounded *13 April 1922: **In Belfast, IRA volunteers shot dead two RIC men. **In New York (state), New York, IRA volunteers from Cork shot and wounded a suspected informer. **The Anti-Treaty IRA under Rory O'Connor took over the Four Courts building in Dublin. *19 April 1922: In Belfast, four people were shot dead and many others injured. *21 April 1922: **In Belfast, six people were killed. Fr Bernard Laverty (chair of the Belfast Catholic Protection Committee) sent a telegram to Winston Churchill saying that Catholics were "being gradually but certainly exterminated". **The Ulster Council of the IRA met in Clones and agreed that every division with territory inside Northern Ireland would carry out operations in two weeks. McDermott says Collins sanctioned this policy. He goes on to say that "The aim of the new campaign was to make the government of the six counties as difficult as possible, rather than the overthrow of the state". *24 April 1922: A general strike took place, called by the Labour Party (and supported by 75,000 workers) against the prospect of civil war. *26 April 1922: The Provisional Government's Northern Advisory Committee met and urged Collins to restart IRA operations in Northern Ireland by 2 May if Craig did not accede to his three demands. At this time, Collins was preparing for a major Northern offensive (without the knowledge of his cabinet colleagues). Northern IRA staff were paid as part of the pro-Treaty army and supplied with arms from anti-Treaty divisions after Collins negotiated this with Liam Lynch. *26–28 April 1922: Dunmanway Massacre: After the fatal shooting of a local anti-Treaty IRA officer, Michael O'Neill, in a dispute over a car which the IRA wanted to commandeer, elements of the local IRA shot 14 local Protestant men in and around Dunmanway, County Cork, killing all but one, in revenge. *28 April 1922: 3 British officers, their army driver and a Newfoundland dog on a hunting trip are captured at Dick William Hotel at Macroom, Co Cork by the IRA. The next day all four men and the dog are shot at Kilgobnet.


May 1922

*2 May 1922: The IRA launched a series of attacks on RIC barracks in counties Londonderry and Tyrone, Northern Ireland. One RIC officer was killed and three wounded in an attack on Bellaghy barracks. An IRA volunteer was also killed and three captured. Draperstown and Coalisland barracks were also attacked. *3 May 1922: **Two Catholic civilian men were shot dead on a road outside Coalisland, allegedly by USC officers. **Three USC officers were shot dead by the IRA in Ballyronan, County Londonderry. Another was killed in an ambush of a mobile patrol at Corvanaghan, County Tyrone. **The IRA ambushed a USC patrol at Annaghmore, County Armagh, killing one officer. The IRA had attacked the home of a USC officer to draw the patrol into the ambush. *6 May 1922: **The IRA ambushed a USC group at Trew and Moy railway station, County Tyrone. No casualties were reported. **Two Catholic civilian men were shot dead at a house at Cluntygeeragh, near Dungiven, County Londonderry. It is believed the USC were responsible. *8 May 1922: The IRA attacked the homes of three unionists in Castlecaulfield, County Tyrone. The owners returned fire but a USC officer and another man were killed. *10 May 1922: USC officers shot three Catholic civilian men at their home in Ballyronan, killing one. *12 May 1922: Dublin: Two unarmed gunners of the Royal Garrison artillery are held up by two men armed with a pistol; one demands a bandolier. When one gunner asks for a receipt for stolen item he is given it but then shot and mortally wounded *18 May 1922: **The IRA's new Northern offensive began. Twenty Belfast IRA volunteers, under Roger McCorley, attacked Musgrave Street RIC barracks and seized weaponry. Two RIC officers were shot, one fatally. A number of IRA volunteers were also wounded. The IRA attacked other RIC barracks, commercial buildings, railway stations and Destruction of Irish country houses (1919–1923), stately homes. **Loyalists boarded a tram in central Belfast and killed three workers whom they identified as Catholics. The next day, IRA volunteers entered Garret's Cooper (profession), cooperage on Little Patrick Street in Belfast and shot four Protestant workers in retaliation, killing three. *19 May 1922: **In revenge for the burning of a unionist-owned mill, a mob of USC officers and loyalists attacked and burned many Catholic homes and businesses in Desertmartin, County Londonderry. USC officers took four Catholic men from their homes outside the village and summarily killed them. **The IRA attacked Martinstown, County Antrim, Martinstown RIC barracks in County Antrim with gunfire and grenades. They also ambushed a group of USC reinforcements, killing one. Three weeks later, a Catholic civilian was shot dead by USC officers at his home in nearby Cloughmills, apparently in revenge. *22 May 1922: Unionist Member of Parliament, MP William J. Twaddell, William Twaddell was assassinated by the IRA in Belfast city centre. The Unionist government of Northern Ireland introduced internment in response and arrested up to 350 republican suspects. A total of 724 people were interned in Northern Ireland up to the end of 1924. *24 May 1922: **There were lengthy gun battles between loyalists and republicans on the Falls Road in Belfast. Three people were killed and 20 wounded. **Two IRA volunteers were killed in a firefight with USC officers in Glenariff, County Antrim.Lawlor, ''The Outrages'', p. 301 *26 May 1922: The IRA planted seven bombs at the Protestant Model School on Divis Street in Belfast, destroying the school, but causing no casualties. *26–27 May 1922: The IRA carried out several attacks in south County Armagh, killing a USC officer in the Jonesborough/Forkhill area. *28 May 1922: An IRA unit of 100 men occupied Pettigo, just on the Northern side of the border, sparking a firefight with a group of 100 USC officers, in which one USC man was killed. A battalion of British troops and an artillery battery of six field guns was then mobilised to dislodge the IRA party. *31 May 1922: IRA volunteers shot dead a USC officer in central Belfast and wounded another. That night, nine Catholics were killed by loyalists and USC men in the city. At least one Protestant civilian was also killed. *May 1922: A total of 75 people were killed in Belfast during the month. Many refugees from Belfast go South.


June 1922

*1 June 1922: **The new Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) took over policing in Northern Ireland. **Fighting between the IRA and USC took place around Pettigo. Two civilians were killed in the crossfire. *4 June 1922: The IRA shot dead a magistrate at Newry Cathedral.Lawlor, ''The Outrages'', p. 291 *6 June 1922: A USC officer was killed by a sniper near Caledon, County Tyrone. *7 June 1922: British troops re-took Pettigo and Belleek with the help of artillery. Seven IRA volunteers were killed, six wounded and four captured. Another 50 IRA volunteers were later captured. The remainder made it back across the border. One USC officer died in the engagement. *13 June 1922: USC officers took two Catholic civilian men from their homes in south County Armagh and shot them dead near Lislea. *17 June 1922: IRA volunteers under Frank Aiken retaliated for the killing of the two Catholic men and the sexual assault of a Catholic woman in south County Armagh. A group of fifty IRA volunteers ambushed a USC patrol at Drumintee, killing two. Another IRA group attacked nine Protestant homes and shot dead six Protestant civilians at Altnaveigh. *20 June 1922: Two USC officers were killed in an ambush at Derrynoose, County Armagh. *22 June 1922: British General Sir Henry Wilson, 1st Baronet, Sir Henry Wilson, who had been a military adviser to the Northern Ireland government, was shot dead at his home in London by IRA volunteers Reginald Dunne and Joseph O'Sullivan, purportedly in reprisal for attacks against Catholics in Ulster; two policeman and a passerby were also wounded. The two IRA volunteers were captured and hanged on 10 August 1922. *23 June 1922: A group of USC officers and British soldiers opened fire on civilians in the mainly-Catholic village of Cushendall, County Antrim. USC officers summarily killed three young Catholic men. They claimed they were ambushed by the IRA and returned fire, but a British government inquiry concluded that this was not true. The report was not made public for almost a century.Lawlor, ''The Outrages'', pp. 302-309 *28 June 1922: Battle of Dublin, Fighting broke out in Dublin between pro- and anti-Treaty units of the IRA. This marked the start of the
Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...
, which effectively ended serious violence in Northern Ireland as it distracted attention from the continued British presence there. *30 June 1922: A British army truck is fired upon in Dublin; One RAF Private mortally wounded.


August 1922

*30 August 1922: A British Lt found dead in Dublin Shot by person or persons unknown; 2 additional British soldiers killed.


See also

*Timeline of the Irish Civil War


References

*Tom Barry, ''Guerilla Days in Ireland'', Anvil, Cork 1981. *Richard Abbott, ''Police Casualties in Ireland, 1919-1922'', Mercier Press, Dublin 2000. *M.E. Collins, ''Ireland 1866-1966'', Educational Company of Ireland, Dublin 1993. *T. Ryle Dwyer, ''The Squad and the Intelligence Operations of Michael Collins'', Mercier Press, Dublin 2005. *Michael Hopkinson, ''The Irish War of Independence'', Gill & MacMillan, Dublin 2004. *Toby Harnden, ''Bandit country, The IRA and South Armagh'', Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1999. *David Leeson, "Death in the Afternoon: The Croke Park Massacre, 21 November 1920", ''Canadian Journal of History'', vol 38, no. 1 (April 2003). *Eunan O'Halpin & Daithí Ó Corráin, ''The Dead of the Irish Revolution''. Yale University Press, London, 2020. *
Ernie O'Malley Ernest Bernard Malley ( ga, Earnán Ó Máille; 26 May 1897 – 25 March 1957) was an IRA officer during the Irish War of Independence. Subsequently, he became assistant chief of staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA during the Irish Civil War. O'Malley ...
, ''Raid and Rallies'', Anvil Books, Dublin 1982. *Alan F Parkinson, ''Belfast's Unholy War'', Four Courts Press, Dublin 2004. hbk *Robert Lynch, ''The Northern IRA and the Early Years of Partition'', Irish Academic Press, Portland Oregon, 2006.


Footnotes


External links


War of Independence: Clare and Galway







Killdare and the War of Independence
{{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Of The Irish War Of Independence Irish War of Independence 1919 in Ireland 1920 in Ireland 1921 in Ireland Irish military history timelines