218:
170:
141:
130:
667:. Three volunteers who had taken part were arrested afterward. Pat Mullooly and Brian Nagle of the North Roscommon Brigade were arrested, as they tried to get away from the scene of the ambush, as was "Cushy" Hughes, who was picked up when he was drawing his soldier's pension in Roscommon. Mullooly and Nagle were badly beaten by their captors on the road to Roscommon. The next day, another volunteer, Michael Mullooly (brother of Pat) was shot dead in his home by the RIC.
629:, bolted onto it, but its gunner got off only one burst before being badly wounded and the gun put out of action. The commander of the patrol, Captain Roger Grenville Peek, was hit in the lorry but tried to run to safety, only to be hit again 400 yards down the road and killed. The other officer with the party, Lieutenant Tennant, was also killed by a shotgun blast. After the death of the two officers, the surviving British, several of whom were wounded, surrendered.
159:
119:
225:
655:
The IRA leaders—Pat Madden, Luke Duffy and Frank Simons—decided to kill the two Black and Tans, despite their offering to show the IRA how to use the captured machine gun. The IRA officer reasoned that if the prisoners identified the IRA men who had taken part in the ambush, the volunteers would be
642:
who had been placed under arrest by the soldiers (Constable
Buchanan and Constable Evans) – they were made prisoners by the IRA. The ambush party took the British arms (including the Hotchkiss gun), burned the lorry and made their escape over the hill of
609:
The IRA waited in their position all day for
British forces to come from Strokestown. Just as a troop lorry finally appeared, two civilians came up the road in a pony and trap and had to be frantically waved out of the way.
624:
The IRA opened fire from very close range, killing the driver and halting the lorry in its tracks. Several of the soldiers and policemen were hit and they scrambled for cover behind a wall along the road. The lorry had a
577:
Among the volunteers who took part were Martin Fallon, 'Cushy' Hughes, Frank Simons, Luke Duffy, Peter Casey, Peter
Collins, Patrick Gallagher and Tom Compton. Several of the IRA men, including Hughes, had served in the
545:
Sean
Connolly had been sent by IRA GHQ from Longford to re-organise the Roscommon IRA and had chosen the ambush site at Scramoge (also spelt Scramogue). However, he was killed twelve days before the action, at the
621:(RIC) patrol travelling on the Strokestown–Longford road. The British inquiry into the incident was to question why the lorry was unescorted, as their practice was not to travel in lone vehicles.
635:
Four of the
British force were killed – this included two British Army officers (Roger Grenville Peek and John Harold Anthony Tennant), an RASC driver, and one RIC man (Constable Edward Leslie).
162:
542:
in the flat open countryside there. Prior to the action at
Scramogue, the biggest previous incident had been in October 1920, when four RIC officers were killed in an ambush near Ballinderry.
597:
road. A farmhouse and barn at the bend had been taken over and loopholed, and a trench was dug behind a hedge alongside the road. Only a mile from the IRA's position, the
British
889:
268:
562:, but only 14 took part in the actual attack; the remainder were tasked with blocking roads to keep the IRA's line of retreat open. The IRA party was armed with 13 rifles (11
174:
574:. This was the largest collection of arms that the IRA had assembled in Roscommon during the war and some of them had been borrowed from IRA units in Longford.
946:
538:
County
Roscommon was not one of the more violent areas of Ireland during the conflict. The local IRA argued to their GHQ that it was very difficult to conduct
530:
Following the ambush, the
British carried out a sweep in which they captured three of the IRA volunteers involved, and killed another who had not taken part.
261:
931:
819:
793:
632:
Just as the firing was dying-down, another lorry—an RIC/Black and Tan patrol—approached the ambush site but turned back after coming under fire.
217:
254:
233:
845:
169:
140:
129:
558:
Both the North and South
Roscommon brigades of the IRA took part, and were commanded by Patrick Madden. There were 39 volunteers in the
885:
292:
500:
122:
61:
941:
656:
at risk of being executed if captured. The two were taken to remote locations and shot over the next two days.
598:
444:
951:
926:
504:
278:
30:
936:
618:
512:
145:
459:
841:
664:
626:
563:
474:
570:
and 1 sporting rifle), 20 shotguns (though some of them in bad condition) and two or three
464:
449:
344:
334:
329:
8:
359:
304:
547:
479:
434:
409:
379:
314:
299:
718:
539:
419:
389:
364:
349:
815:
789:
567:
520:
469:
454:
399:
54:
583:
571:
439:
424:
394:
384:
374:
354:
339:
309:
638:
Two men in civilian clothes were also found in the lorry. They turned out to be
639:
524:
414:
404:
369:
324:
589:
The ambush site was carefully prepared. It was located at a sharp bend on the
920:
559:
319:
76:
63:
246:
614:
579:
508:
134:
663:
town mounted a sweep directly after the ambush with eight lorries and one
644:
590:
516:
586:, but had been persuaded by Pat Madden to join the IRA on their return.
523:. Three British soldiers and an RIC officer were killed, while two RIC '
660:
594:
158:
118:
207:
1 IRA volunteer killed and 3 captured in sweeps after the ambush
496:
918:
683:O'Halpin, Eunan & Ó Corráin, Daithà (2020),
202:4 killed in action, 2 captured and later killed
601:regiment was garrisoned in Strokestown House.
527:' were captured and shot dead shortly after.
947:British Army in the Irish War of Independence
276:
262:
269:
255:
932:Ambushes of the Irish War of Independence
553:
224:
919:
687:, Yale University Press, pgs. 356-357.
250:
16:Ambush carried out by the IRA in 1921
892:from the original on 11 October 2016
507:. The IRA ambushed a lorry carrying
822:from the original on 4 October 2021
796:from the original on 4 October 2021
503:(IRA) on 23 March 1921, during the
101:Successful Irish ambush and getaway
13:
14:
963:
515:(RIC) officers at Scramoge, near
237:Location within island of Ireland
848:from the original on 12 May 2016
685:The Dead of the Irish Revolution
550:in neighbouring County Leitrim.
223:
216:
168:
157:
139:
128:
117:
904:
878:
869:
860:
834:
808:
782:
773:
764:
755:
746:
737:
728:
712:
703:
690:
677:
1:
698:The Irish War of Independence
670:
613:The lorry carried a nine-man
604:
533:
650:
7:
942:History of County Roscommon
10:
968:
505:Irish War of Independence
288:
280:Irish War of Independence
211:
206:
193:
180:
151:
111:
36:
31:Irish War of Independence
28:
23:
659:The British garrison in
619:Royal Irish Constabulary
513:Royal Irish Constabulary
146:Royal Irish Constabulary
465:Bloody Sunday (Belfast)
345:Bloody Sunday (Dublin)
175:Roger Greenville Peeke
152:Commanders and leaders
627:Hotchkiss machine gun
501:Irish Republican Army
475:Arnon Street killings
194:Casualties and losses
123:Irish Republican Army
779:O'Malley, pp.107–108
554:Preparing the ambush
234:class=notpageimage|
875:O'Malley pp.109–115
696:Michael Hopkinson,
499:carried out by the
73: /
548:Selton Hill ambush
480:Dunmanway killings
315:Sack of Balbriggan
952:March 1921 events
927:Conflicts in 1921
723:Raids and Rallies
540:guerrilla warfare
488:
487:
245:
244:
107:
106:
959:
911:
908:
902:
901:
899:
897:
882:
876:
873:
867:
864:
858:
857:
855:
853:
838:
832:
831:
829:
827:
812:
806:
805:
803:
801:
786:
780:
777:
771:
768:
762:
759:
753:
750:
744:
741:
735:
732:
726:
716:
710:
709:Hopkinson, p.144
707:
701:
694:
688:
681:
572:Webley revolvers
521:County Roscommon
470:McMahon killings
283:
281:
271:
264:
257:
248:
247:
227:
226:
220:
173:
172:
161:
144:
143:
133:
132:
121:
88:
87:
85:
84:
83:
78:
77:53.765°N 8.064°W
74:
71:
70:
69:
66:
55:County Roscommon
38:
37:
21:
20:
967:
966:
962:
961:
960:
958:
957:
956:
937:1921 in Ireland
917:
916:
915:
914:
910:O'Malley, p.111
909:
905:
895:
893:
884:
883:
879:
874:
870:
866:O'Malley, p.109
865:
861:
851:
849:
840:
839:
835:
825:
823:
814:
813:
809:
799:
797:
788:
787:
783:
778:
774:
770:O'Malley, p.106
769:
765:
760:
756:
752:O'Malley, p.106
751:
747:
743:O'Malley, p.103
742:
738:
734:O'Malley, p.101
733:
729:
717:
713:
708:
704:
695:
691:
682:
678:
673:
653:
607:
584:First World War
556:
536:
493:Scramoge ambush
489:
484:
355:Burning of Cork
284:
279:
277:
275:
241:
240:
239:
238:
236:
230:
229:
228:
167:
138:
137:
127:
81:
79:
75:
72:
67:
64:
62:
60:
59:
58:
24:Scramoge ambush
17:
12:
11:
5:
965:
955:
954:
949:
944:
939:
934:
929:
913:
912:
903:
877:
868:
859:
842:"RIC Memorial"
833:
807:
781:
772:
763:
761:Hopkins, p.144
754:
745:
736:
727:
719:Ernie O'Malley
711:
702:
689:
675:
674:
672:
669:
652:
649:
640:Black and Tans
606:
603:
555:
552:
535:
532:
525:Black and Tans
509:British troops
486:
485:
483:
482:
477:
472:
467:
462:
457:
452:
447:
442:
437:
432:
427:
422:
417:
412:
407:
402:
397:
392:
387:
382:
377:
372:
367:
362:
357:
352:
347:
342:
337:
332:
327:
322:
317:
312:
307:
302:
296:
295:
289:
286:
285:
274:
273:
266:
259:
251:
243:
242:
232:
231:
222:
221:
215:
214:
213:
212:
209:
208:
204:
203:
200:
196:
195:
191:
190:
187:
183:
182:
178:
177:
165:
163:Patrick Madden
154:
153:
149:
148:
125:
114:
113:
109:
108:
105:
104:
103:
102:
94:
90:
89:
82:53.765; -8.064
52:
50:
46:
45:
42:
34:
33:
26:
25:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
964:
953:
950:
948:
945:
943:
940:
938:
935:
933:
930:
928:
925:
924:
922:
907:
891:
887:
881:
872:
863:
847:
843:
837:
821:
817:
816:"CWGC record"
811:
795:
791:
790:"CWGC record"
785:
776:
767:
758:
749:
740:
731:
724:
720:
715:
706:
699:
693:
686:
680:
676:
668:
666:
662:
657:
648:
646:
641:
636:
633:
630:
628:
622:
620:
616:
611:
602:
600:
596:
592:
587:
585:
581:
575:
573:
569:
565:
561:
560:flying column
551:
549:
543:
541:
531:
528:
526:
522:
518:
514:
510:
506:
502:
498:
494:
481:
478:
476:
473:
471:
468:
466:
463:
461:
458:
456:
453:
451:
450:Carrowkennedy
448:
446:
443:
441:
438:
436:
433:
431:
428:
426:
423:
421:
418:
416:
413:
411:
408:
406:
403:
401:
398:
396:
393:
391:
388:
386:
383:
381:
378:
376:
373:
371:
368:
366:
363:
361:
358:
356:
353:
351:
348:
346:
343:
341:
338:
336:
335:Piltown Cross
333:
331:
328:
326:
323:
321:
318:
316:
313:
311:
308:
306:
303:
301:
298:
297:
294:
291:
290:
287:
282:
272:
267:
265:
260:
258:
253:
252:
249:
235:
219:
210:
205:
201:
198:
197:
192:
188:
185:
184:
179:
176:
171:
166:
164:
160:
156:
155:
150:
147:
142:
136:
131:
126:
124:
120:
116:
115:
110:
100:
99:
98:
95:
92:
91:
86:
56:
51:
48:
47:
44:23 March 1921
43:
40:
39:
35:
32:
27:
22:
19:
906:
894:. Retrieved
880:
871:
862:
850:. Retrieved
836:
824:. Retrieved
810:
798:. Retrieved
784:
775:
766:
757:
748:
739:
730:
725:, pp.101–102
722:
714:
705:
697:
692:
684:
679:
665:Whippet tank
658:
654:
637:
634:
631:
623:
615:British Army
612:
608:
588:
580:Irish Guards
576:
564:Lee–Enfields
557:
544:
537:
529:
492:
490:
445:Custom House
429:
360:Pickardstown
135:British Army
112:Belligerents
97:IRA victory
96:
29:Part of the
18:
645:Slieve Bawn
599:9th Lancers
591:Strokestown
517:Strokestown
460:Coolacrease
435:Tourmakeady
410:Selton Hill
300:Soloheadbeg
80: /
921:Categories
671:References
605:The ambush
568:Winchester
534:Background
420:Crossbarry
390:Coolavokig
365:Drumcondra
350:Kilmichael
330:Ballinalee
65:53°45′54″N
53:Scramoge,
896:4 October
886:"missing"
852:9 October
826:4 October
800:4 October
661:Roscommon
651:Aftermath
455:Rathcoole
400:Clonbanin
305:Knocklong
68:8°03′50″W
57:, Ireland
890:Archived
846:Archived
820:Archived
794:Archived
595:Longford
440:Kilmeena
430:Scramoge
425:Headford
395:Sheemore
385:Clonmult
375:Dromkeen
310:Holywell
293:Timeline
181:Strength
49:Location
700:, p.143
582:in the
495:was an
415:Burgery
405:Kilfaul
370:Clonfin
325:Tooreen
497:ambush
340:Tralee
320:Rineen
93:Result
380:Upton
898:2021
854:2008
828:2021
802:2021
617:and
566:, 1
511:and
491:The
199:None
41:Date
519:in
923::
888:.
844:.
818:.
792:.
721:,
647:.
186:39
900:.
856:.
830:.
804:.
593:–
270:e
263:t
256:v
189:9
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