A young Socialist Republican considers the importance of the Soloheadbeg Ambush on its 103 anniversary
The Soloheadbeg Ambush
What happened ?
On January 21st, 1919 for the 6th day in a row volunteers of the Third Tipperary brigade IRA led by Seamus Robinson, awaited an RIC consignment of gelignite that was due to pass Soloheadbeg with the plan been to seize the gelignite from the RIC.
Shortly after 12 noon the Volunteers received the word from the scout Patrick Dwyer that the consignment of gelignite they had been waiting on had now left Tipperary military barracks on horse-drawn cart, guarded by two Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) men and two council workers.
When the assignment arrived at the spot where the ambush party lay in wait the main body of Volunteers 6, all armed with revolvers except Séan Treacy who carried a rifle, emerged from their waiting spots and demanded that the armed RIC men put their hands in the air and surrender immediately. Despite this demand being repeated multiple times the RIC failed to do so and attempted to fire upon the IRA Volunteers. Taking quick action to ensure no Volunteer was injured or killed the Volunteers shot and killed both RIC men and then seized the horse and cart that contained the gelignite with SéanHogan, Séan Treacy and Dan Breen speeding away on it as had been the initial plan. The explosives were then hidden in a field in Greenane just outside Kilmucklin in Co. Tipperary so that they could be used by the IRA at a later date.
The ambush at soloheadbeg coincidentally took place on the same day that An Chead Daíl convened in the Mansion House in Dublin, and is now regarded as the first shots of the Tan War.
In the days following, Martial Law was declared in South Tipperary under Britain’s defence of the realm act, giving the occupational forces free-reign essentially.
Analysis of what led to the ambush at Soloheadbeg
Now that we have provided a short background on what took place at Soloheadbeg let us now look at and analyse what events took place leading to Soloheadbeg in the first place.
On April 24th outside the GPO in Dublin, the Irish Republic was Proclaimed. Following the Proclamation of the Irish Republic it was defended through force of arms for 6 days by a number of organisations, all fighting together as the Army of the Irish Republic, the IRA, against military might of the largest and most militarily advanced empire in the world.
Although the Republican Army was forced into surrender for fear of further civilian casualties after 6 days of valiant fighting, the Irish Republic was not defeated, for having been Proclaimed by the Irish people the Irish Republic could now never be defeated except by the destruction of the Irish people and all those who believe in it.
Following the execution of the Republican leaders and the imprisonment of its Volunteers in internment camps those same Volunteers set about immediately re organising within Britain’s internment camps particularly Frongoch, so that upon their release they could rise up and strike another blow in defence of the Irish Republic.
Following Easter week 1916 the ranks of Sinn Fein swelled due to the media of the day wrongly presenting the Rising as a Sinn Fein Rebellion and following its 1917 Ard Fheis new more radical policies in favour of freedom from British rule by armed means if needed was adopted by Sinn Fein. Having previously won four seats in by-elections Sinn Fein announced they would run in the December 1918 general elections on an abstentionist ticket, vowing not to take their seats in Britain’s parliament but instead form our own Revolutionary parliament here in Ireland and declare an Irish Republic.
When the general election rolled around Sinn fein won 73 of 105 possible seats. The Irish Republic had been given a clear mandate from the Irish people.
Prior to the first Meeting of An Chead Daíl which set out a Democratic Programme and a declaration of independence on January 21st 1919, Britain had already made clear it would not recognize any separate Irish parliament and refused to release elected TDs, thus refusing Irelands right to self determination and denying the democratic will of the Irish people, this made any armed action against the British state forces in Ireland legitimate in defence of the Republic, until such time the declared intent to fully withdraw from Ireland and recognize the Irish Republic.
These events along with others not mentioned above had an almost domino effect on eachother and indeed on leading up to the soloheadbeg Ambush and had Britain recognised the Irish Republic in the first place either after it was Proclaimed in 1916 or after its ratification by the Irish people in 1918 then soloheadbeg and the ensuing Tan war would certainly never have happened.
The significance of Soloheadbeg today and the situation in Ireland 103 years on
Today 103 years on Soloheadbeg is regarded as the first action of the Tan War and indeed in many respects it was Although the Tans themselves would not arrive in Ireland for another year thousands of British troops were already in Ireland backed up by 10,000 members of the RIC.
Not only is the Soloheadbeg Ambush significant today as the first action of the Tan War it is also significant because of its ultimate aim which has been the ultimate aim of all actions against British troops in Ireland, to force a British withdrawal from our country.
103 years on from Soloheadbeg this ultimate aim of all action against the British state has not been achieved and the Irish people are still denied the Republic which they gave mandate to through in 1918 and which the Volunteers at Soloheadbeg and in many other places at many other times defend through force of arms.
103 years on, Ireland remains partitioned and is now both a semi colony and a colony of Britain, with 6 counties under direct British military occupation and colonial rule and with 26 counties under semi colonial rule through a British created and British subservient puppet free state administration.
Although now at a much lower level than during the Tan War, Revolutionary Resistance against British Imperialism and its military forces continues and using historical analysis it can with almost certainty be said that this will surely be the case until Britain withdraws from Ireland.
Conclusion
In conclusion the ambush at Soloheadbeg was successful in the aim of seizing gelignite from British troops to be used in the national liberation struggle however its ultimate aim and the aim of all action against the British state as has previously been stated which is to force British troops to withdraw from Ireland has not yet been achieved and the struggle for the Irish Republic goes on.
We remember with pride two IRA Volunteers, ViceBrigadier Séan Treacy and Lieutenant Michael Ryan who both took part in Soloheadbeg and were later killed in action during the Tan War, we also remember with pride all those who have given their lives in the ongoing struggle for Irish Freedom.
Fuair siad bás ar son saoirse na hÉireann