#OnThisDay 1899 The British lost the Battle of Colenso to the Boers. Once again, there were Irish units fighting on both sides in this battle. MacBride’s Irish Commandos fought against Royal Dublin Fusiliers, Connaught Rangers & other British Army units.
#OnThisDay 1955 Grace Gifford passed away. A member of the Sinn Fein Executive & an Anti-Treaty supporter who used her skills as a cartoonist to promote Sinn Fein. Arrested in February 1923, she drew this Madonna & Child painting in her cell in Kilmainham Gaol.
#OnThisDay 1922 Tom Barry & 100 AT-IRA attack & take Carrick-on-Suir. They capture 107 rifles, 2 Lewis guns, a Crossly Tender & two touring cars. The Pro-Treaty OC, Capt Balfe is captured but released unharmed after a few days. They do not try to keep the town and take several more towns and villages over the next number of days.
#OnThisDay 1862 The Irish Brigade charged the Confederate lines at the Battle of Fredericksburg at Marye’s Heights. Of the 1,200 Irish men who started the charge, only 256 men present for duty the next day. They were cut down by an Irish unit from Georgia. As the Irish Brigade came into view some of the Irish Confederates shouted “Oh God, what a pity! Here comes Meagher’s fellows.”
It was at Fredericksburg that Confederate General Robert E. Lee allegedly called Meagher’s men ‘The Fightin’ 69th”.
#OnThisDay 1920 Dr Daniel Cohalan, Bishop of Cork, issued a decree saying that anyone, “within the diocese of Cork who organises or takes part in ambushes or murder or attempted murder shall be excommunicated”. This was while Cork was literally still burning.
The Irish at War 