Sacking Of Balbriggan

Morpheus

September 20th 1920

in reprisal for the murder of one RIC officer and the injuring of a sargent in Ms Smiths pub on the square (now mill race) the black and tans destroyed 54 houses 4 pubs and a factory before bayonetting 2 locals to death on the mainstreet opposite browns butchers.

Im doing some research into this and was wondering does anyone have any good info on different events that occurred that night?

Ive heard bits about how:

the IRA men carried out the attack

that it was a firefight not just a murder - the two RIC were armed and at

least managed to fire back at some stage

that locals from clonard street fled out across the area known now as the canal, up the town, along the rail line and up the hills towards the naul where they lived in fear in the fields for a day or two

the local reverand in the church of ireland church gave local catholics refuge and refused to allow the black and tans entry

Moonbeam

I remember reading about this before but never got around to further reading.

http://www.dcu.ie/~foxs/irhist/september_1920.htm might help.

RobFowl

http://www.balbriggan.net/images/history/Balbriggan-short-history-lite.pdf

Page's 16,17,and 18

Chinafoot

Balbriggan Library has a lot of information on it. There's also a book in stock by Brendan Matthews called "The Sack of Balbriggan." You'll find it upstairs in the reference section at 941.83/Balbriggan.

cathy01

Try asking Jim Walsh in Balbriggan Historical.Nice guy, sure to help.
Cathy

sdanseo

Morphéus wrote: »

September 20th 1920

in reprisal for the murder of one RIC officer and the injuring of a sargent in Ms Smiths pub on the square (now mill race) the black and tans destroyed 54 houses 4 pubs and a factory before bayonetting 2 locals to death on the mainstreet opposite browns butchers.

Im doing some research into this and was wondering does anyone have any good info on different events that occurred that night?

Ive heard bits about how:

the IRA men carried out the attack

that it was a firefight not just a murder - the two RIC were armed and at

least managed to fire back at some stage

that locals from clonard street fled out across the area known now as the canal, up the town, along the rail line and up the hills towards the naul where they lived in fear in the fields for a day or two

the local reverand in the church of ireland church gave local catholics refuge and refused to allow the black and tans entry

I think I know what you mean (i.e. that it was not in cold blood), but killing a policeman, however illegitimate s/he was deemed to be, is just as murderous in a firefight as any other way.

Morpheus

Im referring to a fact I heard that the RIC men actually fought back and werent taken totally by surprise, they managed to return fire, not disputing whether or not it was a murder or terrorist attack or legitimate military target etc