seamus dubhghaill

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Category Archives: Free State & Republic (1922-Present)


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Six Free State Soldiers Killed in Three Separate Ambushes

On August 29, 1922, six Irish Free State soldiers are killed in three separate ambushes, reflecting the intense and deadly engagements of the early Irish Civil War period.

The Irish Civil War (June 1922 – May 1923) erupts following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921, which creates the Irish Free State. Pro-Treaty forces, forming the National Army, clash with anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army (IRA) elements refusing to accept the Treaty. This conflict includes both conventional and guerrilla phases, with August 1922 marking the end of the conventional campaign as Free State forces advance to secure towns in the south and southwest.

On this day, six Free State soldiers are killed in three distinct ambushes. Two soldiers died in Tullamore, County Offaly, one in Macroom, County Cork, and two in an ambush and firefight between Killorglin and Tralee, County Kerry. In Tullamore, Lieutenant Matthew Cullen of the 3rd Southern Division is fatally shot near Bonaterrin Hill, while Lieutenant Leahy is seriously wounded in the same attack. These ambushes are carried out by anti-Treaty forces and demonstrate the difficulties the National Army faces while attempting to secure supply routes and rural areas, even after major towns have fallen under Free State control.

These casualties underscore the dangers posed by guerrilla tactics, including ambushes, during the Irish Civil War. Free State soldiers are often young and inexperienced, and many fatalities occur in such rural confrontations. Despite these losses, the Free State maintains strategic momentum, continuing the offensive that eventually consolidates the new government’s control.

Overall, the Irish Civil War results in roughly 1,426 deaths in the Free State counties, with the National Army sustaining substantial casualties in actions like these ambushes. The conflict’s fatal events, including Tullamore on August 29, illustrate both the human cost of the war and the localized intensity of battles beyond major urban centers.

In summary, August 29, 1922, represents a notable moment in Irish Civil War history, highlighting the lethal impact of ambushes on Free State forces and the challenges of combatting anti-Treaty operations in rural Ireland. These events contribute to the broader struggle to establish the Irish Free State’s authority.

(Pictured: Irish Free State Army, 1922)


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Anti-Treaty IRA Ambush Near Glenflesk, County Kerry

Anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army (IRA) units carry out an ambush of Free State troops near Glenflesk, County Kerry, on August 27, 1922, as part of the broader Irish Civil War conflict between the pro-Treaty National Army and the anti-Treaty “Irregulars.”

By mid-August 1922, the Irish Free State, under Michael Collins, has launched a decisive offensive to re-take towns and strongholds in the south and west. The anti-Treaty IRA, led by figures such as Liam Lynch, has been holding areas like County Cork, County Limerick, and much of County Kerry, including Killarney, in defiance of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The Free State’s campaign aims to consolidate control over the territory and end the conventional phase of the war.

The ambush at Glenflesk is one of several IRA actions in County Kerry during this period. It occurs as Free State forces advance in the west, seeking to secure supply lines and isolate remaining anti-Treaty strongholds. The Anti-Treaty IRA, using guerrilla tactics, targets convoys and patrols to disrupt Free State operations.

While the exact casualty figures for this specific engagement are not detailed in the available records, such ambushes are part of a wider pattern of republican resistance. In County Kerry alone, Free State forces suffer multiple engagements in August, including a sniper kill at Tralee and ambushes on supply columns.

The Glenflesk ambush reflects the shift from conventional warfare to mobile, hit-and-run tactics by the anti-Treaty IRA after the Free State’s conventional offensives begin. County Kerry remains a contested area, with Killarney and surrounding towns serving as republican bases. Ambushes like this one aim to delay Free State advances and protect supply routes. While the Free State’s overall campaign succeeds in capturing major towns by late August, such ambushes prolong the conflict and keep republican forces active until the “dump arms” order in 1923.

In summary, the Glenflesk ambush of August 27, 1922, is a localized but significant IRA resistance action in County Kerry, emblematic of the guerrilla warfare that follows the Free State’s conventional offensives and contributes to the prolonged nature of the Irish Civil War.

(Pictured: Michael Collins (left) and Liam Lynch (right))


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Google Announces Construction of Second Data Centre in West Dublin

On August 21, 2015, Google announces a major investment of €150 million to build a new two‑story data centre alongside its existing facility at Profile Park, Grangecastle, West Dublin. This marks Google’s second major data centre investment in Ireland and is part of its ongoing expansion of cloud computing infrastructure.

The new facility is designed to support Google’s global fleet of cloud computing facilities, with a focus on building the world’s most energy‑efficient computing network. The expansion is completed in phases, with the groundbreaking in 2018 for the €150 million project, which takes about 16 months to build.

Google’s economic and employment impact includes over €750 million in capital assets in Ireland since 2003, with the new centre adding to that total. At peak construction, the project creates around 400 jobs; by completion, Google’s Irish operations employ 6,000 people (direct and contracted). A 2018 Copenhagen Economics report estimates the Irish data centre operations supports 4,900 jobs and contributes €400 million to Ireland’s gross domestic product (GDP) between 2011 and 2017.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny describes the opening as “a new chapter” in Google’s story in Ireland, noting the company’s role as a leader in the country’s digital community. Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor welcomes the investment as proof of Ireland’s competitive advantage for high‑tech companies and its skilled workforce. Ministers Heather Humphreys and Pat Breen call it a “vote of confidence” in Ireland’s business environment and a testament to the country’s technical expertise and infrastructure.

The Grange Castle site becomes a key hub for Google’s EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) operations, with engineering teams in Dublin central to the company’s global efficiency goals. The investment reinforces Ireland’s position as a major European data centre location, benefiting not only Google but also the broader Irish tech and business ecosystem.

In summary, the August 2015 announcement is the start of a significant infrastructure and employment boost for Ireland, with the completed €150 million expansion solidifying Google’s long‑term commitment to the country’s digital economy.


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Death of Johnny Lyons, 98FM Sports Presenter & Editor

Johnny Lyons, the long-time sports presenter and editor at 98FM, is found dead at his Dublin home on the evening of August 19, 2015. The 49‑year‑old broadcaster had been away from work for several weeks recovering from a broken ankle and was expected to return to the air the following week.

Friends become concerned when they cannot reach him, prompting a search of his apartment in Dublin city centre, where his body is discovered. The cause of death is not immediately known, but 98FM confirms he died suddenly and peacefully.

Lyons joins 98FM in 1996 and serves as the station’s Sports Editor for nearly two decades. He is best known for hosting the popular Sunday morning show Now That’s What I Call Sport (9 a.m.–10 a.m.) and also presents Premier League Live on Today FM. His distinctive voice, passion for soccer, and larger‑than‑life personality make him a familiar and beloved figure in Irish sports broadcasting.

The news of Lyons death shocks colleagues and fans across the media and sporting worlds. 98FM’s management describes him as “the backbone of our sports team” and “a great friend.” The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) praises him as “a great football man who really understood the game” and plans to pay tribute at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium during the following month’s match against Georgia. Tributes pour in from fellow broadcasters, politicians, and sports figures, with some calling him “the unmistakable voice of sport in Dublin.”

Lyons’s funeral is held at the Church of St. Therese, Mount Merrion, Dublin, followed by burial at Shanganagh Cemetery in Shankill, County Dublin. The station and FAI both announce on‑air tributes in his memory. His sudden passing leaves a significant gap in Irish sports radio, and his legacy as a passionate, knowledgeable, and charismatic sports voice will be remembered by many.


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Anti-Treaty IRA 4th Northern Division Attacks Dundalk

On August 16, 1922, three hundred men of the Anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army’s (IRA) 4th Northern Division, commanded by Frank Aiken, launches an attack on Dundalk in County Louth during the early phase of the Irish Civil War. This operation is part of a broader campaign by Anti-Treaty forces to resist the newly established Irish Free State army and to disrupt Free State control in the border counties.

By mid-1922, the Irish Civil War begins after the Anglo-Irish Treaty splits the IRA into pro- and anti-Treaty factions. The 4th Northern Division, based in counties Armagh, Down, and Louth, is one of the most formidable Anti-Treaty units in the region. Frank Aiken, a veteran IRA commander, has rebuilt this division during the Truce period, using it for guerrilla operations and border raids.

The Free State Army, under the National Army, is consolidating control in southern and midland counties, while Anti-Treaty forces focus on border counties to prevent Free State expansion and to maintain resistance.

The August 16 assault on Dundalk is a border raid aimed at disrupting Free State supply lines and communications, isolating and weakening Free State positions in the Louth area and demonstrating Anti-Treaty strength to other IRA units and the wider population. They use two mines to breach the walls of the barracks and temporarily take over the town.

Seven Free State soldiers are killed and fifteen are wounded. Two republicans are killed, accidentally by one of their own mines, and thirty are wounded. About 240 republican prisoners are freed from the prison and 400 rifles are taken. Aiken, however, does not try to hold the town and, while in possession of it, calls for a truce in a meeting in the town square.

While the attack is significant in symbolic terms, it does not achieve a decisive strategic breakthrough. Free State forces are able to regroup and counterattack, and the operation highlights the challenges Anti-Treaty units face in sustaining large-scale offensives against a better-equipped and more mobile National Army.

The raid exemplifies the “war along the border” strategy, where Anti-Treaty forces target Free State-held border towns and infrastructure. Aiken’s leadership as commander of the 4th Northern Division underscores his reputation as a skilled guerrilla leader. The attack reflects the early Civil War pattern of small-scale, mobile raids by Anti-Treaty forces against Free State-held towns and garrisons.

In summary, the August 16, 1922, Dundalk attack is a notable Anti-Treaty IRA operation that showcases the 4th Northern Division’s capabilities but also the limitations of their conventional-style assaults against the Free State’s growing military presence.

(Pictured: Frank Aiken and the 4th Northern Division of the Irish Republican Army)


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The Consecration of Galway Cathedral

The Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St. Nicholas, commonly known as Galway Cathedral, in Galway, County Galway, is consecrated by Cardinal Richard Cushing, Archbishop of Boston and Papal Legate for the Holy See, on August 15, 1965. The date is significant as it falls on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, to whom the cathedral is dedicated alongside Saint Nicholas, patron saint of sailors and merchants.

The consecration is a major ecclesiastical event attended by President Éamon de Valera, who lights the sanctuary candle, and by Cardinal William Conway, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, who celebrates Mass. Bishop Michael Browne, Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh, is accompanied at the altar by four archbishops, underscoring the cathedral’s importance as the mother church of the Diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh. Thousands of people gather for the blessing, which begins with a procession from the Convent of Mercy to the cathedral’s front entrance.

Galway Cathedral is built on the site of the old city prison, with construction starting in 1958 and completion in 1965. Designed by architect John J. Robinson, it is a striking example of Renaissance Revival architecture, with influences from Romanesque and Gothic styles. Constructed almost entirely of local limestone, it features an octagonal dome 44.2 metres (145 ft.) high, supported by eight pillars each adorned with a mosaic of one of the Beatitudes.

The consecration marks the opening of the cathedral as the last great stone cathedral to be built in Europe. The dedication to Our Lady Assumed into Heaven reflects both Marian devotion and the city’s maritime heritage, while the building itself stands as a testament to Galway’s cultural and religious identity.

In summary, August 15, 1965, is a historic day for Galway, when Cardinal Richard Cushing’s consecration of the new cathedral brings together national and international religious figures, Irish political leadership, and the faithful in a celebration of faith, heritage, and architecture.


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Liam Lynch & the Anti-Treaty IRA Abandon Fermoy

On August 11, 1922, Liam Lynch, Chief of Staff of the Anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army (IRA), abandons Fermoy — the last major republican-held town in County Cork — as the Free State forces advance. This marks a significant turning point in the Irish Civil War, symbolizing the collapse of the IRA’s last strongholds in County Cork.

By mid-1922, the Anti-Treaty IRA is in retreat after the Anglo-Irish Treaty has split the IRA into pro- and anti-Treaty factions. Lynch, a staunch opponent of the Treaty, had been appointed Chief of Staff in April 1922 to unify the Anti-Treaty leadership. Fermoy, a key County Cork town, has been a republican stronghold since the Irish War of Independence, but by August 1922, it is under increasing pressure from Free State troops.

Fermoy’s surrender is not a single battle but a series of engagements and encirclements. Free State forces have been systematically dismantling republican positions in County Cork, and Fermoy’s defenses are proving unsustainable. Lynch, recognizing the strategic and tactical inevitability of defeat, orders the withdrawal of IRA forces from the town. This move effectively ends the IRA’s presence in Cork city and its surrounding areas.

Fermoy’s fall is a strategic loss as it removes the last major republican-held town in County Cork, cutting off supply lines and communication with other Anti-Treaty strongholds. The abandonment underscores the crumbling of the Anti-Treaty position and the Free State’s consolidation of control over the south. It also results in a leadership shift as Lynch’s decision reflects his pragmatic approach — while ideologically opposed to the Treaty, he seeks to avoid further bloodshed and preserve the IRA’s remaining forces.

Following Fermoy’s fall, Lynch continues to command the Anti-Treaty IRA from the south, but without a major base. His leadership soon faces further challenges, culminating in his death on April 10, 1923, during a pursuit by Free State troops in the Knockmealdown Mountains.

In short, the abandonment of Fermoy on August 11, 1922, is both a military and symbolic end to the Anti-Treaty IRA’s last stronghold in County Cork, accelerating the end of the Irish Civil War.

(Pictured: IRA Chief of Staff Liam Lynch, shortly before the start of the Civil War. Photo © RTE Photographic Archive)


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The Hanging of IRA members Reginald Dunne & Joseph O’Sullivan

Reginald Dunne and Joseph O’Sullivan, members of the London Battalion of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), are hanged at Wandsworth Prison on August 10, 1922, for the assassination of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson on June 22, 1922.

Wilson, a senior British Army officer and military advisor to the Belfast Government (Stormont), is shot dead on the steps of his Eaton Square home in London as he returns from an unveiling ceremony at Liverpool Street station. Dunne and O’Sullivan, both former British Army soldiers, have joined the London IRA and are active in the anti-Treaty republican movement. O’Sullivan lost a leg at Ypres, Belgium, in 1917, while Dunne served in the Irish Guards during World War I.

The killing is widely seen as a political act, with Dunne and O’Sullivan claiming to have acted in defence of Irish nationalist principles, blaming Wilson for the “Orange Terror” and the deployment of the Ulster Special Constabulary (USC). Some historians suggest the assassination may have been intended to pressure Michael Collins to attack the Four Courts garrison, though no conclusive evidence of orders was ever established.

After the shooting, Dunne escapes but O’Sullivan is captured by a hostile crowd. Dunne attempts to rescue him but is himself arrested after wounding two police officers and a passerby. Both are tried quickly, found guilty after just three minutes of deliberation, and sentenced to death by Justice Montague Shearman.

Despite petitions from 45,000 people and appeals from figures like George Bernard Shaw, both men are executed on August 10, 1922, and buried within the prison grounds.

The executions are a major political flashpoint. It is only after the abolition of hanging that the law is changed and Joseph’s brother, with the assistance of the Irish National Graves Association, is able to arrange for the bodies of the two men to be repatriated to Ireland.

In 1967, the British government allows the bodies of Dunne and O’Sullivan to be exhumed and returned to Ireland. Former comrades accompany the bodies from England to Dublin Airport, where they place an Irish tricolour flag on Dunne’s coffin. This is the same flag that Dunne had placed on the coffin of Terence MacSwiney at Euston railway station when his body was returned to Cork in 1920.

Graveside orations are held in Dublin, attended by former comrades, Michael Collins’s associates, and representatives of Éamon de Valera, the president of Ireland. The bodies are reinterred in Dean’s Grange Cemetery outside Dublin in 1967.

Dunne’s trial speech, reprinted in the Irish Independent, remains a notable piece of republican political rhetoric, framing the act as a necessary stand for Irish rights.

(Pictured: Joseph O’Sullivan (left) and Reginald Dunne (right))


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The First Vietnamese Boat People Arrive in Ireland

On August 9, 1979, Ireland welcomes its first group of Vietnamese refugees, known as the “boat people,” under a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) resettlement initiative. These are Vietnamese who have fled the communist takeover of Vietnam after the fall of Saigon in 1975, enduring perilous journeys across the South China Sea in small boats.

The first arrivals come on a flight from Hong Kong, with 58 Vietnamese refugees disembarking at Dublin Airport. They are met by members of the Irish Red Cross and Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael O’Kennedy, who assures them of Ireland’s willingness to help. The refugees are taken by bus to a Red Cross centre in Blanchardstown for initial accommodation.

Many of the refugees have spent months in refugee camps in Hong Kong and Malaysia, often rescued from overcrowded boats after long, dangerous voyages. Some, like Tri Quoc Nguyen, recall the smell of vomit and sweat from days at sea, and the trauma of internment for family members. Delays in resettlement elsewhere—such as the United States—leads some to choose Ireland for its perceived safety and shorter wait.

The Irish government invites these refugees, and religious and non-governmental organisations play a major role in resettlement. The first group of about 212 Vietnamese is dispersed to various Irish towns, including Tralee, Portlaoise, and Cork. Many later move to Dublin, where they begin building new lives.

Over the decades, the Vietnamese-Irish community has grown into a well-established ethnic minority in Ireland, with contributions in business, education, and culture. Many open Vietnamese restaurants and community businesses, and maintain strong family and cultural ties.

This August 9, 1979 event marks the beginning of a significant chapter in Irish migration history, symbolising Ireland’s role in humanitarian resettlement during the late 20th century.

(Photo credit: RTÉ Stills Library)