Kylebeg (''An Choill Bheag'' in Irish) is a

townland A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...

in the historical

Barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

Ormond Upper Ormond Upper ( Irish: ''Urumhain Uachtarach'') is a barony in County Tipperary, Ireland. This geographical unit of land is one of 12 baronies in County Tipperary. Its chief town is Toomevara. The barony lies between Ormond Lower to the north (wh ...

County Tipperary County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

Location

The townland is located between

Borrisokane Borrisokane () is a town in County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is 15 km north of Nenagh, at the junction of the N52 road (Ireland), N52 and N65 road (Ireland), N65 roads. At the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, it had a p ...

and

Cloughjordan Cloughjordan, officially Cloghjordan ( , ), is a town in County Tipperary in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Barony (Ireland), barony of Ormond Lower, and it is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. The town is si ...

along the R490 road, to the west of the townland of Modreeny.

Modreeny ambush

Although known as the "Modreeny ambush" an event took place here at Kylebeg Cross on 3 June 1921, during the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence (), also known as the Anglo-Irish War, was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and Unite ...

. The ambush was an attack on an RIC and

Black and Tan A black and tan is a beer cocktail made by layering a pale beer (usually pale ale) and a dark beer (usually stout). In Ireland, the drink is called a half and half. History The term likely originated in England, where consumers have blended ...

patrol en route to the local Petty Sessions in Cloughjordan Courthouse. It was undertaken by a

flying column A flying column is a small, independent, military land unit capable of rapid mobility and usually composed of all arms. It is often an ''ad hoc'' unit, formed during the course of operations. The term is usually, though not necessarily, appl ...

led by Sean Gaynor and resulted in the deaths of four RIC/ Black and Tan members. RIC patrol of twelve men led by Sergeant Jones were cycling from RIC barracks in Borrisokane to Petty Sessions in Cloughjordan courthouse. The Borrisokane courthouse had been badly damaged by IRA attack and the court sitting was transferred to Cloughjordan. Just before the ambush the cycle patrol was overtaken by a motorised patrol of sixteen men in cars from

Roscrea Roscrea () is a market town in County Tipperary, Ireland. In 2022 it had a population of 5,542. Roscrea is one of the oldest towns in Ireland, having developed around the 7th century monastery of Crónán of Roscrea, Saint Crónán of Roscrea, p ...

RIC barracks under the command of DI Edmund Fitzpatrick. The RIC men who were killed were Con. James Briggs DCM MM (Borrisokane RIC from Garlieston, Scotland - a "Black & Tan"), Con. John Cantlon (Roscrea RIC from Ballyellin, Co Carlow), Con. Martin Feeney (Borrisokane RIC from Culleenanory, Co. Roscommon), and Con. William Walsh (Roscrea RIC from Co. Kilkenny).PhotoBucket Album
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References

Townlands of County Tipperary {{Tipperary-geo-stub