Active Service Unit Operations:
Before embarking on any operations one of our first duties was to familiarise ourselves thoroughly with the area in which we were to operate. This meant a comprehensive reconnaissance of the main streets, back streets, laneways, cul-de-sacs, etc. in the 4th Battalion area. We found to our advantage that the knowledge gained stood to us well later. The first ambush by the Unit took place at Bachelor’s Walk in 1921. We were told beforehand that this was to be the debut of the Active Service Unit. Bachelor’s Walk was in the 1st Battalion area and I don’t recollect if the whole of our Section was selected for the job or only a representative number, but I do know that all the Sections were represented there that day. The ambush took place between O’Connell Bridge and Liffey Street. I was stationed with Padraig O’Connor at Liffey Street. We were told that a number of lorries with Auxiliaries arriving from England would come along and that the signal for the ambush would be the first grenade bursting at O’Connell Bridge. The Tans did not arrive at the scheduled time and we remained in position for a considerable period. Eventually the firing started at O’Connell Bridge and continued right down along the Quays. When the Auxiliaries got to Liffey Street I could see at least four trucks coming towards me with the personnel firing in all directions, apparently panic stricken. We carried out our part of the job and got away by Abbey Street to the North Wall The Auxiliaries continued to fire in spite of the fact that the A.S. U. had completely withdrawn from the area. We were the last people to leave.
Shortly after the attack on the Auxiliaries at Bachelor’s Walk a number of us were seconded to the 3rd Battalion Section to carry out a job against four intelligence Personnel travelling between the Dublin Castle and the Auxiliaries’ Barracks at Beggars Bush. ‘Onion’ Quinn from the 3rd Battalion Section was to give us the signal when the car was coming. We took up positions as follows:- Paddy Rigney and I were at the Holles Street /Merrion Square corner; two other men, whose names I cannot recall, were at the archway of Goff’s Sales Yard with two more men at the corner of the street at the first turn to the left after passing Goffs Sales Yard . Quinn took up his position at Merrion Square East corner, in order to give the signal when the car came along. We saw a closed car approaching from the Clare street direction along Merrion Square. As the car was halfway up Merrion Square, Quinn crossed the road and when in the path of the car, he took out a white handkerchief and waved. He then rushed down Holles Street. As well as giving the signal to us, he had also given the signal to the people in the car who started firing before we opened fire on them. When they were about 2 yards from us we opened up with a grenade and revolver fire. The grenade landed in the centre of the car and as it passed us and before arriving at Goffs, the grenade exploded. At this time the car was practically stationary, and the other lads opened fire from the other two positions. By this time we had retreated down Holles Street and into Sandwith Street. From the information afterwards received this job was a complete success with 100% results.
The next operation I was engaged in was an attack in Camden Street and was carried out against a Military Staff car containing Court-martial Officers moving from Portobello to Dublin Castle. These Court-martial Officers were the same Officers who had conducted the Trial of our comrades in the 1st Battalion who had been captured at the Clonturk Park ambush and had been sentenced to death. We took up positions. I was at the Camden Row corner, at the public-house, with Jimmy McGuinness. Others of the Section took up positions between there and Bishop Street. We ambushed the car and fire was returned from it. One of the shots from the car wounded Paddy Rigney in the leg. With Jimmy Mc. Guiness covering, we got Rigney away. As my own house was the nearest place at the time and my own three sisters were always on ‘stand-to’ when an operation was being carried out in the area, we brought Rigney there where he was treated by the ASU Doctor -Dr. Flanagan. Afterwards he was removed to the Mater Hospital. While we had one casualty there were definitely two casualties, at least, amongst the British party. One of the Officers in the car, to my mind ,was a very brave man. From the very beginning of the ambush he sighted each shot of his Parabellum. I am of the opinion that it was one of his shots that wounded Paddy Rigney.
I was still in touch with my old Company and speaking one night with Paddy Holohan, the Company C/O., he told me that his Company had an operation lined up for an ambush in North Frederick St He asked me if I was not doing anything at that particular time with the ASU, would I go on the job with them. I told him, ‘Yes’, I would go. Again the attack was on a British military lorry. Three of us were stationed at Findlaters Church; Tom Sheerin, who was the Lieutenant of the Company, Rossa Mahon and myself. We started by firing grenades at the lorry. Others who were in position at the LSE garage joined in the attack I was told that this operation was a success and there were no casualties on our side. My Section Commander in the ASU, Gus Murphy, however became aware of my activities in the North Frederick St affair and gave me what was known as a ‘Disciplinary Choke-Off’. I was told that, in future, I was to confine myself solely to those operations ordered by him.
About this time we received information through our own sources about an R.A.F. group, who were stationed in Tallaght ,and who came regularly into the City to collect mail. I was detailed with Jimmy and Joe Mc. Guinness and Padraig O’ Connor to get ‘tabs’ on this lorry. We accumulated the necessary information and verified the fact that the lorry came into the city along the Naas Road after curfew hours, which at that time began at 10:30p.m. A decision was made to carry out an action against this lorry. For us, speed of action was essential as we were aware that either C Company or F Company of the 4th. Battalion were also after this job. One night we took up position behind what was known as the Valley wall, just on the Naas Road over Dolphin’s Barn Bridge. We waited there for a considerable time but the lorry failed to show up. Subsequent investigation elicited the fact that the route had been altered and the lorry was now coming in via the Crumlin Road. One night sometime later, we went into position on the Crumlin Road. Padraig O’onnor was appointed Look-Out man and at about 11p.m. Padraig signalled that the lorry was coming and we prepared to ambush it. We were all set up for the job when word was passed on to lie low and hold our fire that this was not the target we had expected. Instead of the Mail lorry this was a convoy of about eight trucks with a very heavy escort and three armoured cars.
We now learned that our target was still using the Crumlin route but was coming in during daylight hours and so it was decided to set up another ambush, this time on its way back to Tallaght from the City. The lorry was known to be a big one and loaded with about 15 soldiers. It had steel plates practically up to the cover and the difficulty of getting grenades into the vehicle was our chief worry. At this time our lads in the munitions factory in Vicker Street were turning out what was known as the famous No. 9 grenade and we were given two or three of these grenades to try out. I believe that the time fuse on them had been reduced from seven seconds to three seconds. Mc. Guinness and Sweeney, prior to the evening of the ambush, made a thorough examination of the area and selected the best location at which to carry it out. This proved to be in the vicinity of Yeates Public House, also known as the ‘Half-Way House’. It was considered to be an ideal location because:
- It was on a left-hand bend on the road
- A gable end faced on to the road ,against which a concrete lavatory had been built which had an opening facing the city which commanded a full view of the road for a couple of hundred yards and
- Beyond the building was a triangular field with a low stone wall fronting on to the roadway.
The plan was that Mickey Sweeney, who was now Section Commander, (Gus Murphy having been killed) and Jimmy McGuiness would position themselves in this lavatory each with a No.9 grenade and watching the roadway for the approach of the lorry. The remainder of us would be in position inside the stonewall of the field beyond the building. The plan was when the lorry neared the bend, the two lads in the lavatory would time themselves, emerge from there to cross the road, talking to each other casually, and they would arrive at the edge of the road having to stop there to allow the lorry to pass. As it was passing they would lob the No. 9 grenades through the narrow opening in the lorry. We were then to open fire with revolvers, ‘peter-the -painters’ and grenades, one man being specially detailed to get the driver of the lorry to force him to stop. We would then fight it out with them and get their guns. We were not long in position when we got word that the lorry was coming. McGuiness and Sweeney timed themselves perfectly and as the lorry was passing they lobbed their grenades. Sweeney’s grenade struck the outside of the cover and fell back; exploding at his feet. He was severely wounded in the legs and received superficial wounds around the face. McGuiness’s grenade exploded in the centre of the lorry. The lorry swerved towards the Landsdowne Valley Road and by this time we were giving it everything we had. We were preparing to cross the wall when the lorry engine picked up again and gathered speed up the road. We retired from the position and came out on the road leading to Walkinstown Cross and immediately in front of Walkinstown House where we met Jimmy Mc. Guinness who was holding Micky Sweeney. We realised that Sweeney had been badly hit and Paddy Rigney, Alley O’Toole and myself went into Walkinstown House where we knew there was a chauffeur and a car. We located the chauffeur in the kitchen but when we tried to get him out he could not move off the chair with fright We could get no good of him and we returned to the road. Just as we arrived there, the workers from the Blessington Steam-Tram Works came cycling down towards us, having finished work. They immediately grasped the situation and without request or order from us they jumped off their bicycles and handed them over to us to enable us get away. Either Jimmy Mc. Guinness or Simon Mc.Inerney took Micky Sweeney on the back-step of one of the bikes and escorted by Paddy Rigney and one or two other chaps, they made away. After they departed, the rest of us mounted bicycles and made for the canal bridges to get back in to the city. We were not long over the bridges when they were taken over by the Military and everybody going into the City was searched and examined. Were it not for the action of the lads from the Steam -Tram Company in giving us their bicycles we would have found it very difficult to get back in to the City that night. Paddy O’Connor would have been with us that night but for the fact that he had wounded some time previously. Nevertheless, knowing that the job was taking place that night, Paddy and his younger brother, Sean, who was not a member of the ASU, were actually making their way over Landsdowne Valley to get to the Half-Way House when they heard the firing. I was very troubled later that night as I had lost a new velour hat in the hedge in my get-away. I feared that if it was located, its owner’s identity would be known in a very short time. Next morning, against the wishes of my comrades, I returned to the area and retrieved my hat.
I believe that this was the most successful ambush carried out in the Dublin area. Its success was underlined by the fact that an official reprisal was carried out that night by the Auxiliaries by burning down Yeates’ Half-Way House.
