Battle of Kilmallock

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Part of the Irish Civil War

Date	June 28 - August 5, 1922
Location	County Limerick
Result	Irish Free State victory

Belligerents

Irish Free State's National Army and Dublin Guard

Anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army

Commanders

Eoin O'Duffy
W.R.E. Murphy

Liam Deasy

Strength

1,500 troops (at start)
4,000 troops (by end)
artillery and armoured cars

2,000 troops (at start)
armoured cars

Casualties and losses

at least 20 killed

at least 21 killed

Irish Civil War

Dublin - Free State offensive - Kilmallock - Executions

The Battle of Kilmallock (also Killmallock) took place between June 28 and August 5, 1922, in County Limerick. It was one of the largest engagements of the Irish Civil War.

1 The battle
2 Final fights
3 External links
4 See also

The battle

The battle started when Republican forces under Comdt. Gen. Liam Deasy that had withdrawn from Limerick concentrated in Kilmallock and the nearby towns of Bruff and Bruree. This battle was the only 'line battle' of the war with the two sides facing each other along clear front-lines. The Kilmallock-Bruff-Bruree triangle would see some of the war's most intense fighting.

The main reason for this was that the Free State troops, most of whom were new recruits, were facing some of the best of the IRA forces without an advantage. General Eoin O'Duffy estimated that while his forces had about 1,300 rifles, the Republicans could muster over 2,000. The Republicans knew this and were confident of success. Nevertheless, the Republican commanders had their own problems. Logistical support and co-operation between forces from different counties was poor and unreliable because troops were fighting in their own counties against advancing Free State forces.

O'Duffy drew up plans for the advance on Kilmallock with the assistance of his second-in-command Major General W.R.E Murphy who had been a Brigadier General in the Great War. His experience in the trenches had a major effect on his approach. On Sunday 23 July, Free State forces took Bruff and began their advance on Kilmallock, but were twice beaten back. The following day, the Republicans managed to retake Bruff in a counter attack, taking 76 prisoners. O'Duffy called off the advance for the time being and waited for reinforcements.

Free State forces quickly retook Bruff, but things got worse as the week went on. On Tuesday, 25 July, a unit of the Dublin Guard under Tom Flood was ambushed on a narrow road. They fought their way clear, but only after losing four men. Three more Free State soldiers were killed two days later. On July 30, Major General Murphy launched an attack to take Bruree. The Free State troops were supported by armoured cars and an 18-pound field gun. The Dublin Guards attempted to take the town from the southeast. The Republicans held out for five hours until Free State artillery was brought into action. At least 13 Free State soldiers and nine Anti-Treaty fighters were killed in the action and more were wounded before the Free State troops secured Bruree.

The Republican commander Deasy knew how important Bruree was to the defence of Kilmallock and drew up plans to recapture the town using armoured cars, trench mortars and machine guns. On 2 August, Republicans captured Patrickswell south of Limerick city. The armoured cars then attacked Bruree taking Free State forces by complete surprise. One car even attacked Commandant Flood's headquarters at the Railway Hotel. Flood and his men escaped through the back of the hotel, but surrendered after a second armoured car attacked. Twenty-five soldiers were captured.

Free State reinforcements came from Comdt. Gen. Hogan who personally led his forces riding in the armoured car nicknamed 'The Customs House.' Having failed to secure the surrender of the town, Republican forces retreated. 'The Customs House' arrived in Bruree, but was followed by a Republican armoured car 'The River Lee'. It fled and Hogan and his car followed it. At a bend in the road, 'The Customs House' was led to two more Republican armoured cars. Perhaps then it was lucky for him that the Vickers machine gun in 'The Custom House' jammed and he was forced to break off the engagement.

Final fights

Having held Bruree against a Republican counter attack, Free State forces prepared once again to capture Kilmallock, but anticipated there would be heavy fighting. Republican Adjutant Con Moloney commented on 2 August, "Up to yesterday we have had the best of the operations there [the Kilmallock area]. There will, I fear, be a big change there now as the enemy have been reinforced very considerably." On Thursday, 3 August, 2,000 men strong Free State forces backed up by armoured cars and artillery advanced on the town from Bruree, Dromin and Bulgaden. Seven hundred troops arrived the next day with an armoured car and a field gun. By Saturday the town was surrounded by Free State forces. The Dublin Guard were also on hand to prevent Republican forces from escaping. Three miles away Free State artillery was deployed and shelled Republican forces on Kilmallock Hill and Quarry Hill. The two hills were soon controlled by Free State forces. They then entered town, but only found a Republican rearguard - volunteers from Cork. Most Republican troops had departed for Charleville.

They had departed not because the Free State troops were much stronger, but because more Free State troops had made seaborne landings in the so-called 'Munster Republic' on the coasts of County Kerry and County Cork on 2 and 8 of August respectively. The landing in Kerry forced Comdt. Gen. Deasy to release units from this area to return home to their own areas. Although the landings in Cork occurred after the retreat from Kilmallock, the loss of brigades from Cork and Kerry added to Commandant General Deasy's problems.

The final phase of the fighting in county Limerick came when the Free State advance was held up at Newcastlewest. Another day of heavy fighting ensued in which the Government troops had to bring up armoured cars and artillery to dislodge the Republicans, who were reported to have lost up to 12 men killed before they retreated in the direction of Cork.

Battle of Kilmallock

Contents

The battle

Final fights

External links

See also