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#OnThisDay 1798 General Humbert & his Franco-Irish army surrendered after the hour long battle of Ballinamuck, his army being outnumbered by over 10:1. The French surrendered but the rebels, knowing there would be no quarter, fought on and hundreds were killed. The French prisoners were boated via the canal to Dublin, the officers enjoying a dinner party along the way hosted by the English. Of the two hundred or so Irish prisoners, including Teeling and Wolfe Tone’s brother, they were hanged in groups of twenty. 

#Ireland #History

#OnThisDay 1919 The IRA led by Liam Lynch ambushed 15 British Army soldiers of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry on their way to mass in Wesleyan Church, Fermoy, Cork. Pvt William Jones was killed. This was the first major attack on the British Army by the IRA during the war. The 20 IRA ambushers got away with 15 rifles. The next day the KSLI rampaged in Fermoy wrecking 50-60 shops causing £1000s of damage. The regiment was soon replaced by the Buffs. 
#Ireland #History

#OnThisDay 1798 at the Battle of Collooney, Sligo, Lieutenant Bartholomew Teeling charged out of the Franco-Irish line & single-handedly disabled a British gunnery post. Teeling shot the cannon’s marksman captured the cannon causing the British to retreat. #Ireland #History

#OnThisDay 1939 Willie Murphy from Cork was the first @RoyalAirForce Bomber pilot to be shot down. Also shot down that day was Larry Slattery (pic) from Tipperary. Slattery became the longest serving POW of WW2 & spent time in the famous Stalag Luft III camp.

#Ireland #History #WW2

#OnThisDay 1922 Liam Pilkington, GOC 3rd Western Division Anti-Treaty IRA captured Dromahair barracks in Leitrim. Disillusioned with the Civil War, he became a priest & served in Cape Town & Liverpool where he died in in 1977. Pilkington Terrace in Sligo is named in his honour.

#Ireland #History