The Pickarstown
Cross Ambush
Introduction from Chronology
Men from the East Waterford Brigade IRA, under Paddy Paul (assisted by
West Waterford men under George Lennon), tried to replicate the Piltown Cross
ambush (see Nov-01-20/3). There were
about 60 IRA men involved in this ambush. It went badly wrong for the IRA.
More Detail
This time the feint attack was on the RIC barracks in Tramore, led by
Pat Keating (or Paddy Paul), while most of the IRA lay in ambush at Pickarstown Cross, a mile from Tramore on the
Waterford side.
As expected, the RIC in Tramore summoned help from Waterford City. However, not only did the British Army send
more help than anticipated (four lorries instead or one or two) but, also one
of the volunteers shot prematurely and this alerted the British. A fire fight ensued – most of the ambushers
withdrew but one section was caught and suffered two dead (Michael McGrath and
Thomas O’Brien) and two badly wounded (Michael Wyley
and Nicholas Whittle). The two wounded
IRA men were eventually brought to the Mental Hospital in Waterford City for
treatment. A tip-off from RIC Sgt Greene
led to the two injured men being removed from the Mental Hospital before it was
raided by Crown forces.
Two BA officers of the Devonshire Regiment received MBEs for their part
in repelling this ambush.
There was much recrimination in the East Waterford Brigade in the wake
of this ambush. A subsequent
investigation by the IRA concluded that “all [IRA] parties were 2 & 3 hours
late and three men” were drunk. It also
concluded that, due to its inexperience, the East Waterford Brigade should not
have undertaken such a large ambush.
McCarthy and O’Farrell say January 7th; Kautt
says 7th/8th and O’Halpin and Ó Corráin
say January 8th.