On This Day / August 17, 1921

Summary: On This Day – 17th August 1921, evidence at the Raglan Street ambush inquest revealed the desperate gun battle that claimed the life of an RIC constable. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.

Falls Ambush Inquest | On This Day – 17th August 1921

AT THE Old Recorder’s Court yesterday, the City Coroner presided over the inquest on the victims of the July disturbances.

Evidence was heard in the case of the late Constable Thomas Conlon, RIC, Springfield Road barracks, who was shot dead during the ambush of a Crossley tender containing an RIC Curfew Patrol in Raglan Street on the night of 9th July.

Sergeant C P Clarke stated he left Springfield Road barracks in a Crossley tender along with Sergeant Hanley and five constables. About 11.50p.m. they entered Raglan Street from Panton Street.

Witness noticed the street was very dark, there being only one street lamp lighted. The car was about twenty yards past the illuminated lamp when witness heard a shot behind them. ‘… The whole street in front was lighted up by the flashes from rifles and revolvers’.

Constables Rogan and Golden and myself immediately opened fire on the attackers while the remainder of the party jumped out and lay behind the car.

Just then Constable Hogan said: ‘Sergeant, they have got me’. About the same time I observed Constable Conlon, who was in a kneeling position at the side of the car, drop his rifle and fall forward.’ Special Constable Charles Dunne, the driver, was hit in the side.

Sergeant Clarke continued: ‘Our position at this juncture was desperate … I then heard a voice calling out ‘Number One Section, burn the car!’

We immediately opened rapid fire to prevent one party from coming in on us and the other from getting near the car as, had the car been set alight, Constable Hogan would have been burned alive.

‘Subsequently we were able to get a telephone message through to the police office and in a few minutes assistance arrived. ‘Then we found Constable T Conlon dead and Constable Hogan and Special Constable Dunne wounded.’

Specials Charged with Sectarian Murder

SIX B Class Specials who had been in military custody since June in connection with the shooting of Joseph Hayden, a farmer, of Gortfad, Glebe, County Tyrone and had been handed to the civil authorities, will be formally charged at a special court in Derry.

(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: This inquest report concerned the so-called ‘Raglan Street Ambush’ of an RIC patrol by the Belfast IRA in response to IRA intelligence that the RIC ‘murder-gang’ had planned to assassinate IRA members in reprisal for the murder of a policeman in Union Street.

Sergeant Christy Clarke was later shot dead by the IRA. Meanwhile, the IRA continued to enforce the Dáil Éireann boycott of Belfast firms enacted the previous year in retaliation for the shipyard expulsions.)

On This Day – 17th August 1921

Further Reading on Irish History:

List of other On This Day columns

Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive

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