On This Day / December 14, 1920
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
19201214
Reference Date
19201214
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 14 December 1920, a major IRA assault on Camlough barracks triggered fierce fighting and ambushes near Newry as Frank Aiken’s men tried to destroy the garrison. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Battle Near Newry | On This Day – 14 December 1920
IN the early hours of yesterday morning – between midnight and 3am – an extensively planned and determined attack with the object of destroying the RIC barracks at Camlough [South Armagh] near Newry and its garrison – Sergeant Beatty and six men – was carried out by an estimated 200-300 armed Sinn Féiners.
The night was particularly dark and foggy and favoured the attack. The attackers had taken the precaution of blocking the roads leading from Newry by means of trees and they also had a strong outpost on the Egyptian Arch, a magnificent bridge about 100 feet high carrying the Great Northern Railway over the public road, with the object of frustrating any military or police assistance from Newry.
At midnight, when all the men had retired to bed with the exception of the orderly, a fierce outbreak of firing opened. Every man in the barrack was soon at his post and replied to the onslaught with vigour.
Bombs, rifles and revolvers were freely used while the raiders attempted to ignite the place. It is believed that several of the attackers were hit as small pools of coagulated blood were found in the vicinity of the barrack which was bombarded from all sides.
The garrison fought with the utmost determination and succeeded in beating off the raiders until help arrived.
In the meantime assistance had been requisitioned by Very lights. However, the rescue party of military and police from Newry had to beat their way through a determined ambush at the Egyptian Arch on the Camlough road.
On the approach of the motors conveying the military and police, bombs were thrown on them from the top of the bridge. Two or three fell into the motorcars but were thrown out before they could explode.
The military at once brought a machine-gun into action, effectively overcoming the opposition.
One of the attackers was shot through the throat and fell from the arch onto the roadway. His remains were afterwards removed to Newry Workhouse for identification.
A prominent Sinn Féiner named Francis Joseph O’Hare, Newry, was wounded and taken prisoner.
After the arrival of the military at Camlough a series of incendiary fires took place as a result of which practically half the village has been burned.
Among the places destroyed were the Sinn Féin Hall. Special Constables were drawn up in Newry.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: The IRA attack on Camlough barracks was the work of Frank Aiken’s Fourth Northern Division.
The son of a local builder, Aiken (1898-1983) had joined the Volunteers in 1917. A close ally of de Valera, he took the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War.)
On This Day – 14 December 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201214
Reference Date
19201214
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Listen Along in Éamons Voice
Summary: On This Day – 14 December 1920, a major IRA assault on Camlough barracks triggered fierce fighting and ambushes near Newry as Frank Aiken’s men tried to destroy the garrison. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Battle Near Newry | On This Day – 14 December 1920
IN the early hours of yesterday morning – between midnight and 3am – an extensively planned and determined attack with the object of destroying the RIC barracks at Camlough [South Armagh] near Newry and its garrison – Sergeant Beatty and six men – was carried out by an estimated 200-300 armed Sinn Féiners.
The night was particularly dark and foggy and favoured the attack. The attackers had taken the precaution of blocking the roads leading from Newry by means of trees and they also had a strong outpost on the Egyptian Arch, a magnificent bridge about 100 feet high carrying the Great Northern Railway over the public road, with the object of frustrating any military or police assistance from Newry.
At midnight, when all the men had retired to bed with the exception of the orderly, a fierce outbreak of firing opened. Every man in the barrack was soon at his post and replied to the onslaught with vigour.
Bombs, rifles and revolvers were freely used while the raiders attempted to ignite the place. It is believed that several of the attackers were hit as small pools of coagulated blood were found in the vicinity of the barrack which was bombarded from all sides.
The garrison fought with the utmost determination and succeeded in beating off the raiders until help arrived.
In the meantime assistance had been requisitioned by Very lights. However, the rescue party of military and police from Newry had to beat their way through a determined ambush at the Egyptian Arch on the Camlough road.
On the approach of the motors conveying the military and police, bombs were thrown on them from the top of the bridge. Two or three fell into the motorcars but were thrown out before they could explode.
The military at once brought a machine-gun into action, effectively overcoming the opposition.
One of the attackers was shot through the throat and fell from the arch onto the roadway. His remains were afterwards removed to Newry Workhouse for identification.
A prominent Sinn Féiner named Francis Joseph O’Hare, Newry, was wounded and taken prisoner.
After the arrival of the military at Camlough a series of incendiary fires took place as a result of which practically half the village has been burned.
Among the places destroyed were the Sinn Féin Hall. Special Constables were drawn up in Newry.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: The IRA attack on Camlough barracks was the work of Frank Aiken’s Fourth Northern Division.
The son of a local builder, Aiken (1898-1983) had joined the Volunteers in 1917. A close ally of de Valera, he took the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War.)
On This Day – 14 December 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
19201214
Reference Date
December 14, 2020
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 14 December 1920, a major IRA assault on Camlough barracks triggered fierce fighting and ambushes near Newry as Frank Aiken’s men tried to destroy the garrison. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Battle Near Newry | On This Day – 14 December 1920
IN the early hours of yesterday morning – between midnight and 3am – an extensively planned and determined attack with the object of destroying the RIC barracks at Camlough [South Armagh] near Newry and its garrison – Sergeant Beatty and six men – was carried out by an estimated 200-300 armed Sinn Féiners.
The night was particularly dark and foggy and favoured the attack. The attackers had taken the precaution of blocking the roads leading from Newry by means of trees and they also had a strong outpost on the Egyptian Arch, a magnificent bridge about 100 feet high carrying the Great Northern Railway over the public road, with the object of frustrating any military or police assistance from Newry.
At midnight, when all the men had retired to bed with the exception of the orderly, a fierce outbreak of firing opened. Every man in the barrack was soon at his post and replied to the onslaught with vigour.
Bombs, rifles and revolvers were freely used while the raiders attempted to ignite the place. It is believed that several of the attackers were hit as small pools of coagulated blood were found in the vicinity of the barrack which was bombarded from all sides.
The garrison fought with the utmost determination and succeeded in beating off the raiders until help arrived.
In the meantime assistance had been requisitioned by Very lights. However, the rescue party of military and police from Newry had to beat their way through a determined ambush at the Egyptian Arch on the Camlough road.
On the approach of the motors conveying the military and police, bombs were thrown on them from the top of the bridge. Two or three fell into the motorcars but were thrown out before they could explode.
The military at once brought a machine-gun into action, effectively overcoming the opposition.
One of the attackers was shot through the throat and fell from the arch onto the roadway. His remains were afterwards removed to Newry Workhouse for identification.
A prominent Sinn Féiner named Francis Joseph O’Hare, Newry, was wounded and taken prisoner.
After the arrival of the military at Camlough a series of incendiary fires took place as a result of which practically half the village has been burned.
Among the places destroyed were the Sinn Féin Hall. Special Constables were drawn up in Newry.
(Eamon Phoenix editor’s note: The IRA attack on Camlough barracks was the work of Frank Aiken’s Fourth Northern Division.
The son of a local builder, Aiken (1898-1983) had joined the Volunteers in 1917. A close ally of de Valera, he took the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War.)
On This Day – 14 December 1920
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
On This Day is a daily column in the Irish News looking back either 50 or 100 years. The column was compiled by Dr Éamon Phoenix from the mid 1980s until autumn, 2022. The Foundation is very grateful to the Irish News for giving permission to reproduce Eamon’s columns. Funding gratefully received from Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Magill Trust.
* The Foundation has worked hard to recreate Eamon’s distinctive voice through AI. Since this is an emerging technology, occasional imperfections may be audible.