Battle of Kilmallock
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| Battle of Kilmallock | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Irish Civil War | |||||||
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| Combatants | |||||||
| Irish Army Dublin Guard |
Irish Republican Army | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| General Eoin O'Duffy Major General W.R.E. Murphy |
General Liam Deasy | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1,500 troops at start of battle nearly 4,000 by end of battle Artillery Armoured cars |
2,000 troops at start of battle Armoured cars |
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The Battle of Kilmallock (also Killmallock) was a battle of the Irish Civil War.
[edit] 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The Battle started when Republican forces under Comdt.Gen.Liam Deasy that had withdrawn from Limerick concentrated in Kilmallock and the nearby towns of Bruff and Bruree.This battle would be the only 'line battle' of the war with the two sides facing each other and 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 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, stating, "We are operating in large areas with nothing better than a Rifle. I estimate that the Irregulars [Republicans] have 4 Lewis Guns...for our one... As regards Rifles, the last rifle is distributed and I have none for recruits coming in." The General complained about the quality of his personnel (though doubtlessly with some exaggeration):
"We had to get work out of a disgruntled, undisciplined and cowardly crowd. Arms were handed over wholesale to the enemy, sentries were drunk at their Posts, and when a whole garrison was put into the clink owing to insubordination, etc. the garrison sent to replace them often turned out to be worse, and the Divisional, Brigade, Battalion and Company officers were in many cases, no better than the Privates."
The Republicans knew this and were confident of success. Adjutant Con Moloney noted, "He [Gen. Deasy] is confident of success, as any time his forces have met in this area, the enemy ran away." Nevertheless, the Republican commanders had their own problems.As often,logistical support and co-operation between forces from different counties was poor and unreliable often because troops were fighting in their own counties against advancing Free State forces.
O'Duffy drew up plans for the advance on Kilmallock woth 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,already controlling Bruff began their advance on Kilmallock but were twice between back and the Republicans even managed to retake Bruff. 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 Comdt. Tom Flood was ambushed on a narrow road. They fought their way clear but only after losing for men. Five days later Maj. Gen. Murphy launched an attack to take Bruree. Free State troops were supported by armoured cars and an 18 pounder field gun.The Dublin Guards attempted to take the town form the south-east. The Republicans held out for five hours until Free State artillery attacked.
Comdt. Gen. 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 Comdt. 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 form 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 off and Hogan and his car now 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.
Having held Bruree Free State forces prepared once again to capture Kilmallock but knew there would be heavy fighting.Adjutant Con Maoloney 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 Free State forces 2,000 strong backed up by armoured cars and artillery advanced on the town from Bruree, Dromin and Bulgaden.700 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 form escaping.3 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 some Republican volunteers form 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.Although the landings in Cork occurred after the retreat from Kilmallock, the loss of Brigades from Cork added to Comdt. Gen. Deasy's problems.
