Pro-Treaty Forces attack Waterford

Introduction from Chronology

Commandant General John T. Prout leads his pro-Treaty forces from Kilkenny to attack Waterford City.  (Paddy Paul was his second-in-command.) He takes Waterford City on July 21st.

More Detail

The anti-Treaty forces had destroyed all the bridges across the River Suir in Waterford and took up a number of positions along the quay. The pro-Treaty forces use an 18lb field gun to bombard a number of these positions across the river which forced the anti-Treaty forces to evacuate them.

The pro-Treaty forces crossed the Suir about three miles downstream at Gyles Quay and made their way into the city and remove the anti-Treatyites from a number of their positions. The anti-Treaty forces (under Pax Whelan) retreat and on July 21^st and the drawbridge on Redmond Bridge is lowered by hand (the control equipment had been dismantled). 

An anti-Treaty column from Cork (under Pa Murray) arrive in Waterford as it is being evacuated and take no part in the fighting.  Another column from Carrick-on-Suir Tipperary (under Dinny Lacey) attempted a flanking movement to attack the pro-Treaty forces but withdrew without engaging their enemy.

(McCarthy says that the pro-Treaty forces arrived on Waterford on July18^th and took Waterford by the 21^st. Walsh says that Prout left Kilkenny of the 18^th.)

Two anti-Treaty volunteers were killed – Maurice McGrath (accidently shot before the fighting began) and John ‘Bonny’ Boyle. Two pro-Treaty soldiers – Sergeant James Howlett and Michael Costelloe (or Costello) – were also killed. Also, at least six civilians including Joseph Dwan and William Long and a ten-year old girl were killed. Many civilians are wounded.

Hopkinson commented “the fall of Waterford demonstrated an extreme unwillingness on the part of the Republicans to fight, and a complete failure of co-operation between the various anti-Treaty forces”

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