Pickardstown ambush
Encyclopedia
The Pickardstown Ambush, an action in the Irish War of Independence
, took place near the town of Tramore County Waterford
on the night of 6 January 1921.
The ambush was conceived by Paddy Paul, the leader of the IRA East Waterford Brigade, who gathered Volunteers from the local Dunhill and Waterford City units of his command, as well as the West Waterford flying column led by George Lennon
. This made for a total of fifty men although several were armed only with shotguns.
An attack was made on the RIC
barracks in the town, and the British military garrison in Waterford City quickly dispatched forty troops in four Crossley tenders. However the ambush had been badly planned with the result that the British troops were able to make a determined counterattack, killing two IRA men and wounding two more. One British soldier and one Black and Tan were wounded.
A memorial was later erected on the ambush site.http://www.waterfordcountyimages.org/exhibit/web/DisplayWAIImage/K0Jforwardslash3MlF2gYNc/http://www.flickr.com/photos/feargal/3762561364/
In later years, local GAA
fields were named after the two dead IRA men. http://homepage.eircom.net/~tramoregaa/history.htmhttp://www.claneire.com/connected/default.asp?com=dfba&org=dgaa&id=10&mnu=10
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
, took place near the town of Tramore County Waterford
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
on the night of 6 January 1921.
The ambush was conceived by Paddy Paul, the leader of the IRA East Waterford Brigade, who gathered Volunteers from the local Dunhill and Waterford City units of his command, as well as the West Waterford flying column led by George Lennon
George Lennon
George Lennon was an Irish Republican Army leader during the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. In later years he became a dedicated pacifist.IRA career=...
. This made for a total of fifty men although several were armed only with shotguns.
An attack was made on the RIC
RIC
-Companies:* Reliance Infocomm* Rickenbacker International Corporation , or merely short for Rickenbacker* RIC TV Rede Independência de Comunicação)- Brazilian network television...
barracks in the town, and the British military garrison in Waterford City quickly dispatched forty troops in four Crossley tenders. However the ambush had been badly planned with the result that the British troops were able to make a determined counterattack, killing two IRA men and wounding two more. One British soldier and one Black and Tan were wounded.
A memorial was later erected on the ambush site.http://www.waterfordcountyimages.org/exhibit/web/DisplayWAIImage/K0Jforwardslash3MlF2gYNc/http://www.flickr.com/photos/feargal/3762561364/
In later years, local GAA
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
fields were named after the two dead IRA men. http://homepage.eircom.net/~tramoregaa/history.htmhttp://www.claneire.com/connected/default.asp?com=dfba&org=dgaa&id=10&mnu=10
Sources
- Rebel Heart: George Lennon: Flying Column Commander Mercier 2009, ISBN 1856356493
- British Voices: From the Irish War of Independence 1918-1921 Collins Press 2007 ISBN 1905172370