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The consignment was on a horse-drawn cart, led by two council men and guarded by two RIC officers armed with rifles. On 21 January, around noon, Patrick O’Dwyer saw the transport leaving the barracks.
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Both constable were popular within the community.Įach day from 16 to 21 January, the men chosen for the ambush took up their positions from early in the morning to late afternoon and then spent the night at the ‘Tin Hut’. Constable McDonnell, who was about 50 years was from Belmullet, County Mayo. They preferred the drawing-room as a battleground.’Ĭonstables James McDonnell and Patrick O’Connell (both Irish born Catholics), had been walking with loaded rifles escorting a horse drawn cart containing a load of gelignite from Tipperary Military Barracks for blasting purpose at Soloheadbeg Quarry (located 3 miles from Tipperary). Breen, a ruthless, brilliant guerilla fighter later said ‘The people had voted for a Republic now they seemed to abandon us who tried to bring that Republic nearer, for we had taken them at their word.
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resulted in the deaths of two RIC constables, James McDonnell and Patrick O’Connell.Īlthough much of nationalist Ireland went on to support the war against Britain, this attack evoked outrage at the time. On the same day, the first Dáil was meeting, an ambush takes place at Soloheadbeg, Co Tipperary that is now seen as being the opening skirmish in the War of Independence.Īn unauthorized attack led by Seán Treacy and Dan Breen but also involved Seán Hogan, Séamus Robinson, Tadhg Crowe, Patrick McCormack, Patrick O’Dwyer, Michael Ryan and Seán O’Meara (the latter two being cycle scouts). The Soloheadbeg ambush shook British rule in Ireland. 101 years ago today on a quiet Tipperary roadway the first nationalist revolt against the British Empire, last century, was started by a small band of armed men from town lands and villages-Donohill, Solohead and Hollyford-in the vicinity of Tipperary Town.