Chronology of Events Impacting Co. Mayo and
Its Brigades, 1918-24

Note: Actions in brigade areas are denoted by N=North, S=South, E=East, W=West.

1918

Apr. Conscription Crisis - the proposal that conscription be introduced to Ireland is vigorously opposed.

May 17 Many prominent Republican leaders arrested because of the so-called 'German Plot' .

Nov. 11 Armistice Day; assault on Westport citizens by the RIC and the British Army.

Dec. 14 All four Mayo constituencies return Sinn Féin TDs in the general election. E: É. de Valera, N: Dr J. Crowley, S: W. Sears, W: J. MacBride.

1919

Mar. 29 W: Westport: John C. Milling, resident magistrate, killed.

Apr. 14 W: Sinn Féin Club in Westport closed by the RIC.

1920

Apr. 3 W: Easter burning of tax offices and RIC barracks after their evacuation around Ireland includes Deergrove/Driminahaha, Cloontumper and Carrowkennedy Hut.

Apr. 4 E: Ballyhaunis: IRA attack RIC patrol, two wounded.

Apr. 20 N: Bellacorick Barracks burned (attack led by Paddy Hegarty, Seán Corcoran).

May 12 E: Bohola Barracks burned (attack led by Seán Corcoran, M. Mooney, Tom Ruane).

June N: Cloongee House, Foxford, raided for arms.

June E: Ambush on two lorries of soldiers at Swinford - no casualties.

June 4 Mayo County Council local elections: Dr John Madden, Tom Maguire, Ned Moane, P. J. Ruttledge and twenty-four others win a clean sweep for Sinn Féin.

June 15 N: Belmullet RIC Constable Pierce Doogue killed.

July At Castlebar the decision is made to create four Mayo brigades: West (O/C Tom Derrig), North (O/C Tom Ruane), East (O/C Seán Corcoran), and South (O/C Tom Maguire).

July 1 N: Culleens RIC Barracks attacked.

July 17 E: Swinford: IRA ambush 2nd Border Regiment patrol, both soldiers wounded.

July 22 N: Ballina: IRA attack RIC patrol: RIC Sgt Thomas R. Armstrong fatally wounded; Constable Regan seriously wounded.

Aug. 1 E: Near Ballyhaunis, IRA attack lorry of soldiers, three wounded.

Aug. 19 E: Swinford Railroad Relay Supply Station destroyed.

Aug. 22 E: Ballyvary Barracks attacked (led by Seán Corcoran and Seán Walsh).

Aug. 30 N: Enniscrone Coast Guard Station attacked and burned.

Aug. 30 N: Belmullet Coast Guard Station, Ballyglass, raided and destroyed.

Aug./Sep. W: Tom Derrig arrested and M. Kilroy succeeds him as O/C West Mayo Brigade.

Nov. P. J. Ruttledge arrested.

1921

Jan. 9 N: Beckett's Mill, Ballina, attacked by RIC; Patrick Coleman captured.

Jan. 24 Archbishop of Tuam, Dr T. P. Gilmartin, condemns the IRA.

Mar. 7 S: At Kilfaul, near Partry, a number of soldiers are wounded (Capt. Chatfield, Corporal Bell, Privates Wade and Southworth) and one is killed by an ASU of the South Mayo Brigade.

Mar. 7 S: IRA carry out the Portroyal ambush on the Ballinrobe-Castlebar road.

Mar. 15 W: IRA attempt ambush at Gloshpatrick, near Westport.

Mar. 22 W: In the first IRA ambush at Carrowkennedy on an RIC patrol, on the Westport-Leenane road, RIC Sgt J. Coughlan is fatally wounded and Constables Maguire, Love and Creeden are wounded.

Mar. 26 W: RIC reprisal in Westport for IRA's Carrowkennedy ambush.

Mar. 29 E: IRA man James Mulrennan, wounded at Kilmovee.

E: RIC Constable William H. Stephens killed in Ballyhaunis.

Apr. N: Easky RIC Barracks attacked.

Apr. 1 E: IRA man Seán Corcoran killed at Crossard, Ballyhaunis, and Maurice Mullins arrested. IRA man Michael Coen killed at Lecarrow, Ballyhaunis.

Apr. 3 E: Charlestown bank raid.

Apr. 3 N: IRA attack a motor patrol at Bunnyconnellan, near Ballina and one RIC man is wounded.

Apr. 3 N: RIC capture IRA ammunition dump near Ballina.

Apr. 5 E: Two spies shot by the IRA at Loughglynn.

Apr. 15 N: IRA ambush RIC patrol in Bridge Street, Ballina, wounding two RIC men. This is followed by RIC/Tan reprisals.

Apr. 19 E: RIC raid in Loughglynn, where IRA men John Bergin and Stephen MacDermot are captured and executed, and Matt Kilcawley arrested.

Apr. 23 W: IRA attack RIC motor patrol at Clogher - no casualties.

May 3 S: IRA ambush RIC lorry at Tourmakeady, killing RIC Constables Christopher P. O'Regan, Herbert Oakes, William Power and John Regan, and wounding Lt Ibberson and two others. Adjutant Michael O'Brien and Scout Pádraig Feeney, IRA, are killed and Tom Maguire wounded.

May 6 W: Big or High Wall ambush near Islandeady Dance Hall, where a high wall separates the road from the railway. Thomas O'Malley, and Thomas Lally of the IRA are killed and Frank O'Boyle and James MacNulty are wounded and captured.

May 8 W: IRA attack a patrol at the Red (Railway) Bridge, Westport, wounding five RIC men.

May 9 S: RIC Constable Thomas Hopkins on home leave is killed at Leface, Ballindine.

May 17 E: Ballaghaderreen RIC Barracks attacked from train.

May 18 W: RIC Sergeant Francis J. Butler killed in Newport and another RIC man wounded.

May 19 W: IRA ambush RIC lorries at Kilmeena. John Collins, Seamus MacEvilly, Thomas O'Donnell and John Pat Staunton of the IRA are killed and Paddy Jordan is wounded and dies shortly afterwards. John Cannon, Paddy Mulloy, Thomas Nolan, Paddy O'Malley and John Pierce are captured. Constable Harry Beckett, RIC, is killed and Head Constable Potter wounded.

May 22 E: Kilmovee RIC Barracks attacked by the IRA.

May 23 W: Skerdagh engagement after retreat from Kilmeena. Constable Joseph Maguire, RIC, is killed and DI James Munro wounded; Jim Browne, IRA, is killed.

May 23 N: Foxford Barracks attacked.

May 24 N: RIC District Inspector White attacked in Ballina.

General election provides a clean sweep for Sinn Féin candidates: N/W Mayo: J. Crowley, T. Derrig, J. MacBride, P. J. Ruttledge; S. Mayo/Roscommon: T. Maguire, H. Boland, W. Sears, D. O'Rourke; E. Mayo/Sligo: F. Ferran, T. O'Donnell, A. McCabe, S. Devins and F. Carty.

May 25 N: At Bunree, near Ballina, IRA man James Howley (Enniscrone) is wounded and dies later.

May 27 E: At Aghamore, Ballyhaunis, IRA man Paddy Boland is killed.

June 1 W: Drummin RIC Barracks burned after evacuation.

June 2 W: Second Carrowkennedy ambush. The IRA attack RIC patrol lorries, killing District Inspector Edward J. Stevenson, Sgt Francis Creegan, Constables Sydney Blythe, James Browne, John Doherty, Thomas Dowling and William French, and wounding four constables. There are no IRA casualties.

June 2-July 11 W: Massive round-up by RIC/British Army after the Carrowkennedy ambush.

June 16 E: Ballyhaunis RIC Barracks attacked by the IRA.

June 22 N: Clydagh, Ballina. In an exchange of fire with the RIC Tom Nealon (Aughoose) is killed and Éamonn Gannon, O/C North Mayo IRA, Pat Bourke, Bartley Hegarty, Anthony Farrell, Tom Loftus and his father (all on the local IRA staff) are captured.

July 1 N: IRA raid on Tuffy's Post Office in Culleens. In Glenesk RIC Constables Thomas Higgins and John King are captured and killed and two other RIC men are wounded, while two IRA men are killed.

July 7 N: RIC Sgt Anthony Foody's body is found at Caralavin, near Bunnyconnellan with a note stating 'Revenge for O'Dwyer'.

July 11 Truce between the IRA and British forces comes into effect.

Aug./Sep. Four Western Divisions are formed. O/Cs are 1st: Michael Brennan, 2nd: Tom Maguire, 3rd: Liam Pilkington and 4th: Michael Kilroy.

Sep./Oct. IRA training camps established in Ballycarran, Belmullet, Clydagh, Enniscrone, Nephin and Swinford.

Oct. 5 W: Westport Workhouse taken over by the IRA.

Dec. 6 Anglo-Irish Treaty signed. Westport meeting for the return of the IRA internees.

1922

(terms: FSA = Free State army; IRA = anti-Treaty Republicans)

Jan. 7 Dáil Éireann approves the Treaty.

Jan. 16 IRA raid an RIC barracks in Charlestown for guns; Sgt McGovern is wounded.

Jan. 17 Swinford Barracks attacked by the IRA.

Feb. 2 Ballinrobe and Claremorris Barracks taken over by the IRA.

Feb. 14 Castlebar and Ballina Barracks taken over by the IRA.

Mar. 4 Swinford Barracks taken over by the IRA.

Mar. 8-10 Limerick stand-down: FSA troops under Michael Brennan retire, leaving the city in the hands of Ernie O'Malley's anti- Treaty troops.

Spring Michael Collins sets up a rifle-swap plan to help arm the Catholic community in the North with guns not traceable back to the new southern authorities.

Apr. 1 Castlebar pro-Treaty election rally, where Michael Collins is heckled by anti-Treaty supporters.

Apr. 13 W: Joe Ring, FSA, arrested in Westport, then released by the IRA.

Apr. 13 IRA take over the Four Courts in Dublin.

Apr. 24 FSA General Adamson killed in Athlone.

Apr. 30 FSA Comdt Simmons captured in Mayo. He is eventually released by Tom Maguire.

June 16 General election held. In Mayo N/W, Mayo S/Rosc. S, and Mayo E/Sligo eight anti-Treaty and five pro-Treaty TDs are elected. Nationally eighty-two pro-Treaty and forty-six others are elected.

June 28-30 Attack on and surrender of the Four Courts. This...