Mullingar in the War of Independence

Ascendant

An article on a kidnapping incident by the Mullingar IRA during the War of Independence.

Kidnapped in Mullingar: An IRA Operation and its Aftermath, 1920

Two judicial officers for the Crown courts were abducted after leaving Mullingar by car en route to Castlepollard. Police and soldiers from the nearby British garrison searched the area, only to find no trace of the missing men besides their wrecked vehicle.

The hijacking had been carried out by the Mullingar IRA, partly due to its policy of undermining the British system in Ireland, but also because some men of the Castlepollard company were due to be tried in court by one of the kidnapped officials.

Despite the successful spiriting away of the two targets, the British response would exact a heavy toll on the Mullingar-Castlepollard companies.

While Mullingar was not one of the 'busiest' areas during the War, this incident is an example of how a low-key guerilla war, complete with risks, was conducted in Ireland.