Kilbrittain Barracks attack

The Kilbrittain Barracks attack refers to an attempt made by 28 members of the Third West Cork Brigade of the Irish Republican Army to destroy the barracks of the Black and Tans in Kilbrittain, County Cork during the Irish War of Independence.

Background
As 1920 drew to a close, members of the Third West Cork Brigade of the Irish Republican Army prepared to launch the first attack of the new year.

The barracks of the Black and Tans in Kilbrittain was the target chosen by the Brigade to launch its attack. The barracks itself was strongly fortified and held; it had steel shutters in place of windows and was surrounded by barbed wire entanglements. The only way the volunteers would be able to take the barracks would be by planting a mine against a door or wall and then storm it immediately after the explosion.

The mine was home-made. It consisted of 30 pounds of gelignite and gun cotton encased in a wooden box. To detonate it, the volunteers had an electric detonator which was connected to an exploder by electric cable.