The Rathclarin Ambush
Introduction from Chronology
Ambush by men from the
Kilbrittain company Irish Volunteers (Bandon Battalion, Cork No.3 Brigade) on a
joint RIC-British Army patrol at Rathclarin,
Co. Cork. One Volunteer and one British Army soldier wounded. The
Volunteers get away with five rifles, one revolver and 200 rounds of
ammunition.
More Detail
There
were 6 men in the patrol (1 RIC and 5 British Army) and 14 in the IRA ambushing
party. Only two of the IRA men were armed (one revolver and one shotgun)
- the rest attacked the armed British patrol unarmed using only the element of
surprise. The injured IRA man was Mick O'Neill - other IRA men who took
part in the ambush included Jeremiah O'Neill and Con Crowley. This action
was not sanctioned by Brigade HQ.
Deasy
comments that "The fact that it was completely successful had an immense
effect on morale and on the whole direction of the volunteer military effort in
West Cork" (Deasy 1973, pg 67). Hart refers to this ambush as
pivotal to the mobilization of the Volunteers in west Cork.