Seán Hogan
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Seán Hogan was one of the leaders of the South Tipperary Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the Irish War of Independence and was killed in a shoot out with British troops in Dublin in October 1920.
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[edit] Soloheadbeg
On 21 January 1919, Hogan and Dan Breen, together with Seán Treacy, Seamus Robinson and five other IRA members helped to ignite the conflict that was to become the Irish War of Independence. They shot dead two members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) - Constables McDonell and O’Connell - at Soloheadbeg in County Tipperary. The RIC men were transporting gelignite explosives, when they refused to surrender them, the IRA shot them dead. Robinson was the organiser of the action, while Treacy was the logistics expert.
"On the eventful day Dwyer saw the explosives, 160 pounds of gelignite, being loaded on a cart and heading off with a guard of two policemen. He cycled ahead and watched as they took the long route to the Soloheadbeg quarry. He took the short route and informed the anxious Volunteers of the convoy's size and movements. The horse was being led by two workmen, Edward Godfrey and Patrick Flynn, while the two policemen, Constables Patrick McDonnell and James O'Connell, walked behind with their rifles slung over their shoulders. As they passed Cranitch's Field near the quarry the policemen were called on to surrender by masked men. When they took up firing positions Seán Treacy, followed by Breen and Robinson, opened fire."
As a result of the action, South Tiperary was placed under martial law and declared a Special Military Area under The Defence of the Realm Act[1].
[edit] Knocklong
After another member of the Soloheadbeg ambush party, Hogan was arrested on 12 May 1919 the three others (Treacy, Breen and Seamus Robinson) were joined by five men from IRA East Limerick Brigade in order to organise Hogan's rescue. Hogan was being transported by train to Cork on 13 May 1919, and the men, lead by Treacy, boarded the train in Knocklong. A close-range shootout followed on the train. Treacy and Breen were seriously wounded in the gun fight, two policemen died, but Hogan was rescued.
[edit] References
- Brendan A. Creaner. The Rescue at Knocklong. Knocklong-Rescue.com. Retrieved on December 8, 2007.
- Jim Maher (1988). The Flying Column - West Kilkenny 1916-1921. Geography Publications.
