Irish War of Independence (Cogadh na Saoirse) / Black & Tan War

Thank you Joe.

The Rineen Ambush: Hell Comes to County Clare

It was the first major ambush of the War of Independence by the Mid-Clare Brigade and it started out as a rousing success, but when several lorries full of British soldiers showed up, they were on the verge of a disaster.

On March 23, 1921, 100 years ago today, North and South Roscommon Brigades of the Irish Volunteers ambushed a convoy of British soldiers and RIC at Scramoge, killing 4. The North and South Roscommon Brigades of the Irish Volunteers, like many of the brigades around the island, were very restricted in the early part of the Irish War of Independence by a severe lack of modern arms. While attacks in the southwest had cause martial law to be declared in many other counties it had not been in Roscommon. But now, under Patrick Madden, commandant of the 3rd Battalion of the South Roscommon Brigade, with the help of weapons from other Volunteer groups in the area, the men of Roscommon would strike a heavy blow at the Crown Forces. In March alone there had been major attacks at Clonbanin, Co. Cork, Kilfall, Co. Mayo, Belfast in Co. Antrim, “The Burgery" in Co. Waterford, Crossbarry, Co. Cork, Headford & Lispole in Co. Kerry, and now at Scramogue the men of Co. Roscommon joined in. Just as Michael Collins hoped, the British were now being challenged in widespread areas of the island. Joe Gannon tells the story of this ambush here: The Scramogue Ambush: Roscommon Steps Up