Selton Hill ambush

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Selton Hill ambush
Part of the Irish War of Independence
Date11 March 1921
Location
between Mohill and Fenagh, County Leitrim
53°59′24″N7°51′07″W / 53.990°N 7.852°W / 53.990; -7.852
Result British victory
Belligerents
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Irish Constabulary
(Auxiliary Division)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British Army
(Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment)		 Flag of Ireland.svg Irish Republican Army
(Leitrim Brigade)
Commanders and leaders
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Thomas Gore-Hickman (RIC) [1] Flag of Ireland.svg Seán Connolly (IRA)
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
None 6 killed
1 informer later executed by IRA
Island of Ireland relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
class=notpageimage|
Location within island of Ireland

The Selton Hill ambush took place on 11 March 1921, during the Irish War of Independence. An Irish Republican Army (IRA) flying column was ambushed by members of the RIC Auxiliary Division at Selton Hill (a.k.a. Seltan Hill), County Leitrim. Six IRA members of the South Leitrim Brigade were killed, which effectively destroyed the IRA in South Leitrim. [2]

Contents

Background

Seán Connolly was an IRA activist from County Longford, but he was also used by IRA GHQ to organise surrounding areas; first County Roscommon and then County Leitrim. When Michael Collins ordered Connolly into the county, he warned that it was "the most treacherous county in Ireland". [ why? ] [3] As Connolly was running a training camp at Selton Hill in early 1921, his position was given to the RIC. [4] The RIC District Inspector, Thomas Gore-Hickman, had been alerted to Connolly's position by a local doctor who had served in the British Army. [5] The doctor had reportedly been told of the training camp by a local member of the Orange Order. [5]

Ambush

The events at Selton Hill took place one week after the Sheemore ambush, in which British troops from the Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Regiment, based in Boyle suffered several casualties and at least one fatality. At Selton Hill, a large force of RIC and Auxiliaires, based in Mohill and troops from the Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Regiment surrounded and then attacked the IRA camp on 11 March. Six IRA volunteers were killed. The RIC suffered no losses. The IRA dead were Sean Connolly, Seamus Wrynne, Joseph O'Beirne (or Beirne), John Reilly, Joseph Reilly, and Capt ME Baxter. [6] [7]

Ernie O'Malley later claimed the volunteers' bodies were "taken to Mohill by soldiers who shouted 'fresh meat!' as they were driving through the town". O'Malley was quoted as saying "Men from the Bedfordshire Regiment were seen by a badly wounded IRA officer, Bernie Sweeney who survived, to use rifle butts on the skulls of two wounded men." He also stated that the location of the column was given to the local D/I of the RIC by a doctor who had been in the British Army, who received the information by a local Orangeman. [5] The IRA officer who survived was Bernie Sweeney, from Ballinamore, who survived by hiding in a drain, where the cold water prevented him bleeding to death. He was rescued and hidden from the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries by locals. [8]

Aftermath

The IRA learned their position had been given away by the doctor and the Orangeman; the latter was later killed by the IRA (30 March 1921). [9] The doctor escaped to England and later died in an accident. [5]

The border country of the north midlands often proved to be a treacherous place for IRA training camps. On 8 May 1921 another camp (of Belfast IRA volunteers) based in the Lappanduff hills in neighbouring County Cavan, was also surprised – one volunteer was killed, thirteen captured, and much arms and ammunition seized by the British forces. [3]

See also

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The Kilmeena ambush was an action during the Irish War of Independence that took place at Kilmeena, County Mayo on 19 May 1921. The ambush ended in defeat for the local West Mayo Irish Republican Army (IRA), with five IRA volunteers killed and four wounded and captured. Two members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and one Black and Tan were also killed in the action.

The Tourmakeady ambush or Battle of Tourmakeady occurred on 3 May 1921 during the Irish War of Independence. The South Mayo Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), commanded by Commandant Tom Maguire ambushed an RIC/Black and Tan re-supply patrol in the village of Tourmakeady, County Mayo in the west of Ireland in order to destroy the patrol and to cause the closure of Derrypark RIC Barracks, seven miles to the south.

References

  1. ↑ O'Malley, Ernie; O'Malley, Cormac K. H. (2007). Rising out: Seán Connolly of Longford (1890-1921). p. 161. ISBN   978-1-904558-89-7.
  2. ↑ O'Halpin, Eunan; Ó Corráin, Daithí (2020). The Dead of the Irish Revolution. Yale University Press. p. 331.
  3. 1 2 Hopkinson, Michael. The Irish War of Independence. pp. 144, 147.
  4. ↑ Coleman, Marie. County Longford and the Irish Revolution. p. 129.
  5. 1 2 3 4 O'Malley, Ernie. Raids and Rallies. pp. 101, 136.
  6. ↑ Hegarty Thorn, Kathleen. "They Put the Flag a-Flyin The Roscommon Volunteers 1916-1923". generationpublishing.com. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  7. ↑ "Chronology of Irish History 1919-1923: March 1921". dcu.ie. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "Leitrim Guardian - Selton Ambush - "Eye Witness Account"" (PDF). leitrimguardian.ie. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  9. ↑ O'Halpin, pg 365-366.
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