Tag: RIC
#OTD in 1920 – IRA members and brothers Patrick and Harry Loughnane were abducted and killed by Black and Tan Auxiliaries at Kinvara, Co Galway.
26/11/2020.Reading time 3 minutes.
County Galway saw its share of controversial incidents during the War of Independence. Most of these incidents were carried out by Crown Forces, specifically the RIC and a new force, the Auxiliaries, created in order to help the RIC in dealing with militant republicanism. Patrick Loughnane (aged 29) was a local IRA leader and Sinn […]
#OTD in 1920 – Irish War of Independence: In Dublin, 31 people are killed in what became known as 'Bloody Sunday'.
A day of carnage in Dublin in an increasingly bitter and bloody Irish War of Independence; in total, 31 people were killed. Early in the day, Michael Collins 'Squad' and the Dublin Brigade wipes out much of British Intelligence in Dublin. Hours later, British troops take horrible revenge. In a superbly executed guerilla operation, Michael […]
#OTD in Irish History | 17 November:
1814 – Joseph Finegan, a Confederate general in the American Civil War, is born in Clones, Co Monaghan. 1852 – Sligo-born Brigadier Michael Corcoran's Irish Legion is mustered into the Federal service; it is involved in the defense of Washington D.C. 1869 – For nearly 150 years, the Suez Canal has played a vital role […]
#OTD in 1920 – Rineen Ambush | Six RIC men were killed by the IRA in an ambush in Rineen, Co Clare.
One of the most memorable encounters of the War of Independence took place at Dromin Hill, Rineen on this date. The purpose of this act was to get revenge for the murder of Martin Devitt, an Irish soldier who was shot dead in an ambush in February of that year in the locality. A secondary […]
#OTD in 1920 – Sinn Féin County Councillor John Lynch of Kilmallock, Limerick was assassinated by British agents at the Exchange Hotel, Dublin.
At 1.15 am Captain Geoffrey Thomas Baggallay, a "one-legged" courts-martial officer had phoned Dublin Castle telling of John Lynch's presence at the Exchange Hotel. A group of 12 soldiers entered the Exchange Hotel, wearing military caps and long black Burberry coats. They held the hotel porter, William Barrett, at gunpoint. After consulting the register they […]
#OTD in 1920 – Court-martial of Terence MacSwiney, Lord Mayor of Cork for possession of seditious articles and documents.
'One armed man cannot resist a multitude, nor one army conquer countless legions; but not all the armies of all the empires of earth can crush the spirit of one true man. And that one man will prevail'. –Terence MacSwiney Lord Mayor, Terence MacSwiney is under court-martial over which Colonel James, Staffordshire Regiment, presided, assembled […]
#OTD in 1894 – Birth of nationalist revolutionary and politician, Dan Breen, in Grange, Donohill, Co Tipperary.
One of the most famous fighters in the fight for Irish freedom, Dan Breen is born in Co Tipperary. He was an iconic IRA figure in both the War of Independence and also the Civil War. Breen was involved in what is accepted as the first action of the War of Independence 1919-1921 when with […]
#OTD in 1923 – The Civic Guard is renamed the Garda Síochana.
An Garda Síochána (meaning "the Guardian of the Peace"), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí ("Guardians"), is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána who is appointed by the Irish government. Its headquarters are in Dublin's Phoenix Park. The force was originally named the Civic […]
#OTD in 1919 – The first assassination authorised by Michael Collins – Detective Sergeant the Dog Smith was shot by The Squad.
30/07/2020.Reading time 18 minutes.
"Our only way to carry on the fight was by organised and bold guerilla warfare. But this in itself was not enough. England could always reinforce her army. To paralyse the British machine it was necessary to strike at individuals outside the ranks of the military. Without her Secret Service working at the top of […]
#OTD in 1920 – The IRA executes English Army officer Colonel Gerald Bryce Ferguson Smyth in Cork.
The IRA executes English Army officer Colonel Gerald Bryce Ferguson Smyth in Cork. While all British Army personnel were deemed legitimate targets, Smyth's fate was sealed when he spoke in quite brutal fashion about how Irish citizens were to be treated. At a meeting in Listowel, Co Kerry on 19th June, Smyth reportedly told RIC […]