#OnThisDay 1864 At the Battle of Cold Harbor, hundreds of Irishmen from the Irish Brigade & Corcoran’s Irish Legion met their deaths. Among them was Hubert McNamara (right) who penned his last letter to his wife, Mary (left) the night before.
#OnThisDay 1921 At the Carrowkennedy Ambush, Mayo IRA ambushed a 2 truck patrol of Black and Tans. The IRA, led by Michael Kilroy, killed 7 including DI Stevenson & seriously wounded 6, while taking no casualties themselves. Aid for the wounded was sent for.
#OnThisDay 1917 Four soldiers from Ballymoney, Antrim were sheltering in a shell hole when they were hit by a shell. Three were killed outright. The fourth, G. Wales, survived only to be killed a year later at Cambrai. The dead:
J McCoubrey
W Wade
J Hanna
#OnThisDay 1866 The Fenians defeated Canadian militia at the Battle of Ridgeway. After 90 mins of fighting, the Civil War vets pushed the inexperienced Canadians from the field with a bayonet charge. The Fenian Invasion of Canada started well. Note IRA on flag.
Maureen Patricia (Paddy) O’Sullivan from Dublin was a wireless operator with SOE (Special Operations Executive) & worked with French Resistance during WW2. Parachuted into France in 44, ‘Paddy’ landed hard but the 2million francs strapped to her back saved her life.
The Irish at War 