#OnThisDay 1920 Black & Tans, Auxiliaries & British soldiers set Cork city ablaze, in retaliation for an earlier IRA ambush. The British set houses, businesses & the town hall alight and prevented firemen from quenching the fires causing £3 million of damage. #Ireland #History
#OnThisDay 1920 The British Government, after escalating violent events during the War of Independence such as Bloody Sunday & the Kilmichael ambush, declared Martial Law in Cork, Kerry, Limerick & Tipperary. This would be extended in January. (Pic from 1916). #Ireland #History
#OnThisDay 1710 The Irish Brigade fought & won at the Battle of Villaviciosa, Spain. Lt. Gen. O’Mahoney was at the forefront of this victory when his cavalry rushed the right flank of the enemy & captured 400 mules laden with “The plunder of Castile”.
#OnThisDay 1921 Republican prisoners are released from POW camps following the signing of the Treaty. 1,700 are released from the notoriously poorly run Ballykinlar camp in Co. Down, where POWs had organised their own currency, church, hospital & an orchestra.
#OnThisDay 1920 Ernie O’Malley was captured by British forces in Inistioge, Kilkenny. On him was a notebook with the names of all members of the West Kilkenny IRA Brigade who were later arrested. O’Malley gave a fake name throughout being tortured and interrogated by Auxiliaries in Dublin Castle.
#Onthisday 1922 Four Republican prisoners were executed in Mountjoy Jail in response to the shooting of Pro-Treaty TD Sean Hales. Each prisoner represents the four Irish provinces. The four men were: Dick Barrett, Joe McKelvey, Liam Mellows & Rory O’Connor.
#Onthisday 1941 US base Pearl Harbour was attacked by Japan. John W. Finn was awarded the first Medal of Honor of WW2 for firing a machine gun from an exposed position throughout the attack, despite being severely wounded. Finn’s grandparents were from Galway.
