The Ballytrain Barracks Attack
The Ballytrain Barracks Attack
Introduction from Chronology
The IRA, under Eoin O'Duffy,
captures its first RIC barracks in Ulster at Ballytrain, Co Monaghan
More Detail
There were about 120 IRA men
involved in the attack and they were armed with a dozen rifles, twenty
revolvers and about thirty shotguns. The barracks was defended by six RIC
men (Sgts Lawton and Graham and Constables Gallagher, Murtagh, McDonnell and
one other).
At first the RIC refused to
surrender but they did after the IRA blow a hole in the gable end of the
barracks with gelignite stolen from Monaghan County Council. Six carbines
and ammunition in the barracks was taken by the IRA and the surrendered RIC
were released.
Among the IRA who took part in
the attack were Ernie O’Malley, Dan Hogan, Seamus McKenna, Terry Magee, James
Flynn, Phil Marron, P J Daly, John Donnolly, Thomas Donnelly, Patrick
McDonnell, Charles Walton, Barney Marron and Patrick McCabe.
(O’Drisceoil says that Peadar O’Donnell also took part.)
Dooley suggests that the one
other constable present in the barracks was Constable Fox. Lawlor doesn’t give
the name of Constable McDonnel but does give the names of Constables Nelson and
Roddy. He also says that O’Duffy ensured
that injured RIC men were given medical attention and that it was a major
propaganda success.
Lawlor notes that within a month
most of those who took part in the attack were arrested (which suggests that
the RIC had good intelligence on the local IRA).