Modreeny Ambush in Discussion Board Forum

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Modreeny Ambush

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grheffernan	Modreeny Ambush		Lead	[-]
Sergeant Posts: 1 28-Nov-2010 9:39 PM	Remove this ad I have just joined the forum. I live near the scene of the Modreeny Ambush (3rd June 1921) in which four RIC were killed. I am researching the RIC members who were attacked that day and would welcome any help from members.
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Paddy Mayne.debcenrevisited		#1	[url]	[-]
District Inspector 3rd Class Posts: 16 28-Nov-2010 9:55 PM	There seem to be conflicting dates on this ambush. Abbott's Police Casualties in Ireland has it on the 2nd June. The four Constables killed were James Briggs DCM, MM 29 years old, John Cantlon 53, Martin Feeney 32 and William Walsh 52. They were in a mobile patrol from which someone was heard singing "I'm forever blowing bubbles" when they were ambushed at short range by the IRA. "I am not an Ulsterman but yesterday, the 1st. July, as I followed their amazing attack, I felt that I would rather be an Ulsterman than anything else in the world." Captain Wilfred Spencer 2nd July 1916
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Peter Mc RIC	Modreeny	#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 661 28-Nov-2010 10:01 PM Inspector-General	And also see here Ger. It would be great if you could supply some present day photos of the ambush site. Peter Mc
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grheffernan	Modreeny Ambush	#3	[url]	[-]
Sergeant Posts: 2 6-Feb-2012 12:57 AM	Sorry for delay in replying. I am just finishing an article for the local Heritage Magazine on Constable James Briggs who was killed in Modreeny Ambush. In your post about Briggs you say that that the cycle patrol was followed by a motorised patrol of 16 men. Where did you get the information that the number was 16 ? By the way I think the cycle patrol was only 11 strong. I have identified 16 members of the RIC in the ambush and intend to try and trace them all. The article I referred to has photos of the ambush site - I will post it on the forum when I have it finished.
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grheffernan	Modreeny	#4	[url]	[-]
Sergeant Posts: 3 6-Feb-2012 1:05 AM	Any idea where the "im forever blowing bubbles" reference comes from. Date of the ambush was definitely 3rd June 1921 at approx 10am.
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Peter Mc RIC		#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1229 7-Feb-2012 11:12 PM Inspector-General	Dublin Castle Statement 10 June 1921 (CO904/168) - extract -" The Police Force on this occasion consisted of a cycle patrol of 11 constables under the command of a sergeant, and a motor patrol under the command of a District Inspector". Peter Mc Last Edited By: Peter Mc RIC 7-Feb-2012 11:23 PM. Edited 1 time.
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Peter Mc RIC		#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1230 7-Feb-2012 11:23 PM Inspector-General	Outrages against Police - June 1921 (CO904/150) - "Tipperary N.R. At 10am on 3.6.21 a party of police were ambushed at Kylebeg Cross on the Borrisokane and Cloughjordan road, Roscrea District. Sergeant Jones and 11 Constables left their station, Borrisokane, to attend Petty Sessions at Cloughjordan. They were overtaken on the road at Kylebeg by DI Fitzpatrick and a party of 16 men in motor cars from Roscrea. ...........The fight lasted about 1 1/2 hours, during which Constables Cantlon and Walsh of Roscrea, and Constables Feeney and James Briggs of Borrisokane, were shot dead. Sergeant Wm Jones, Constables Carson, Rennie, Doyle and Dolan were wounded". I should have given the references in my earlier posting on Briggs. It is sloppy and unprofessional on my part, and it irks me when people post information on web sites without proper attribution or referencing of sources. Peter Mc Last Edited By: Peter Mc RIC 7-Feb-2012 11:28 PM. Edited 2 times.
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Peter Mc RIC		#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1231 10-Feb-2012 10:51 PM Inspector-General	Remove this ad And the 'blowing bubbles' reference came from 'Raids and Rallies', Anvil Books 1982; though it may have originally appeared in a Sunday Press article in the mid-1950's. Peter Mc
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grheffernan	Modreeny Ambush	#8	[url]	[-]
Sergeant Posts: 4 11-Feb-2012 3:20 PM	Yes I have seen the "blowing bubbles" reference in the "Raids and Rallies" book. Irish Press article in the 50's was by same author - Ernie O'Malley. I went to Kew last week and looked up a lot of information on the ambush. The original telegram to Dublin Castle informing them of the attack is clearly stamped "2nd June 1921" but I think this is a mistake - stamper not dated correctly. I have identified sixteen/seventeen of the RIC involved in the ambush (out of a total of twenty nine). I traced the service records of them all with the exception of a "Constable Brawl" - not listed in Jim Herlihey Index. Also since I returned I have found a reference to a "Constable Oilman" who is reported as wounded. About twelve months ago I was searching the internet for details on the Modreeny ambush and came across accounts by former RIC officers (I think their were three of them)of their time in the force. One of them mentioned that he was involved in the Modreeny Ambush and described how Constable Briggs died. Foolishly I did not note the website and now cant find it despite extensive searching. Have you come across this report and if so could you let me know the website. Also I have tried to make contact with a James McKie (great grand nephew of James Briggs) but to date have had no success. He visited the site of the ambush about ten years ago and took some video footage and photographs with a local man from Borrisokane who unfortunately has lost his phone number and address. Do you have any contact for him ?
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ballyroughan	Con Brawl, ?	#9	[url]	[-]
Posts: 295 11-Feb-2012 6:18 PM	Hi grheffernan, Just a note on Brawl, dont ask me why but i have a reference in one of my note books to a Con Brawl, which i have written next to his name = Con Cyril H.Brawley 79223 Born Essex, England,1898.Enlisted 1920, R.I.C. Film 852095, Page 23 b, he may be your man, but its worth a look.
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grheffernan	Constable Brawley	#10	[url]	[-]
Sergeant Posts: 5 11-Feb-2012 11:57 PM	Thanks for that. Another box "ticked". Another 12 to go !!!!! Is there any way of finding names of police stationed in Borrisokane and Roscrea barracks around June 1921 ??
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grheffernan	Constable Brawley 79223	#11	[url]	[-]
Sergeant Posts: 6 28-Feb-2012 4:26 PM	It now seems that Constable Brawley was an Auxiliary. Is there any record of what company he was attached to around June 1921 ?
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ballyroughan	Brawley.	#12	[url]	[-]
Posts: 300 28-Feb-2012 7:14 PM	Hi ,Grheffernan. It seems i some how gave you misinformation on this man, as the R.I.C. Reg no 79223 is for Bramley, G.H.J. Aux no 922, H Coy ( Aux Index page B, & page 78, Aux Register ) and now i cannot find my note's, but as soon as i find out more i will post on site, there is a Cyril H. Brawley, 79223 ? in Herlihy's, R.I.C. Complete Alphabetical List, which is like all of us, not infallible. I will do a look up at Kew, in a few weeks time, unless some one comes up with the answer for us. John.
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grheffernan	Constable Brawley 79223?	#13	[url]	[-]
Sergeant Posts: 7 28-Feb-2012 8:12 PM	Remove this ad My only reference to above is from a claim of £14 for loss of bicycle in the Kylebeg Ambush by a "Con. Brawl". Reported in Nenagh Guardian 16th july 1921. I am reasonably sure that all the RIC on bicycles were stationed in Borrisokane barracks. This I think would make Brawl/Brawley a B&T not an Auxiliary. I don't think there is any "Brawl" in Jim herlihey's book. Apart from newspaper reports of the time is there any other avenue to explore that might identify RIC at the ambush or stationed in Borrisokane/Roscrea in June 1921. Have any paymaster records survived in Kew or elswhere. I know that a Sgnt Michael O'Connell was paymaster in Borrisokane and would have been with the cycle patrol but for the fact that he "had to pay the men". Lucky break for him. One other question. When the RIC were on cycle patrol as in Modreeny/Kylebeg did they usually carry their rifles on their backs or were they attached someway to their bicycles ? Are there any photographs of RIC on bicycle patrol ? Ger
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