The 3rd Cork Brigade, also known as Third (West) Cork Brigade, was a unit of the
Irish Republican Army that operated in the western areas of
County Cork during the
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...
. The unit was commanded by
Tom Barry for most of the conflict and was responsible for the
Kilmichael Ambush
The Kilmichael Ambush ( ga, Luíochán Chill Mhichíl) was an ambush near the village of Kilmichael in County Cork on 28 November 1920 carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the Irish War of Independence. Thirty-six local IRA vo ...
and
Crossbarry Ambush.
Activities
Under the command of Tom Barry, who later described many of the unit's activities in ''
Guerrilla Days in Ireland
''Guerrilla Days in Ireland'' (in some editions spelled "''Guerilla''") is a book published by Irish Republican Army leader Tom Barry in 1949. The book describes the actions of Barry's Third West Cork Brigade during the Anglo-Irish War, such as ...
'' (1949), the 3rd Cork Brigade was one of the most active during the Irish War of Independence.
Its actions were focused on the
West Cork area, and included the Kilmichael Ambush in November 1920, which resulted in the deaths of 18 members of the
Auxiliary Division
The Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary (ADRIC), generally known as the Auxiliaries or Auxies, was a paramilitary unit of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) during the Irish War of Independence. It was founded in July 1920 by Major ...
, and the
Crossbarry Ambush of March 1921, during which the unit escaped encirclement by 1,200 British troops.
Other activities, planned by the unit, were aborted. For example, a planned attack on a
Black and Tan barracks in
Kilbrittain was called-off after two aborted attempts. Towards the end of 1920, members the unit planned an attack on the barracks, proposing to plant a mine against a door or wall and to storm the barracks immediately after it exploded. A
"home-made" mine was made, consisting of 30 pounds of
gelignite and gun cotton encased in a wooden box. On the night of 31 December 1920, and again in mid-January 1921, two attempts were made. On both occasions the
mines failed to explode, and the attacks were aborted.
Actions associated with the brigade
:
:
:
See also
*
Timeline of the Irish War of Independence
*
North Longford Flying Column
References
{{reflist
External links
Cork's War of Independence - List of Third Brigade incidents
Irish Republican Army (1919–1922)