Carrowkennedy ambush

The Carrowkennedy Ambush was an ambush carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) on 2 June 1921, during the Irish War of Independence. It took place at Carrowkennedy, County Mayo.

The ambush was organized by Major General Michael Kilroy, later Commandant of the 4th Western Battalion of the IRA. He and his flying column of 33 volunteers took up position between Widow Sammon’s House and that of Widow McGreal in Carrowkennedy and awaited a Royal Irish Constabulary patrol. When a unit of Black and Tans arrived, the volunteers opened fire. Seven of the British side were killed outright or died of their wounds and sixteen surrendered. A large number of weapons were seized. The Black and Tans who surrendered were not killed, even though this policy had been endorsed by IRA General Headquarters due to the terror and mayhem they inflicted on civilians. Many of the local people went into hiding to avoid the retribution of the Tans. The IRA volunteers escaped arrest by sheltering in safe houses.