Death In The Glen

Death In The Glen

An account of the Pickardstown Ambush

By Dermot Power.

On Sunday January 8th last the people of the seaside town of Tramore, Co. Waterford, awoke to a sunny, cold, clear morning. A short distance along the main Tramore / Waterford road, the bushes and trees around Pickardstown were filled the sound of birdsong.

At 12 o’clock a small group gathered at the Shrine Rd., Pickardstown. A piper tuned up his pipes, much to the amusement of the several young children attending the ceremony. Small groups huddled together talking about events of the day, greeting each other with "cold morning", to the reply, "it is but thank God it’s dry". Some had come from Waterford city others from Tramore, Dunhill, and many other parts of the county. Flags were unfurled, and people formed in a line, the piper walking to the head of the procession began to play a martial air.

Fallen Heroes:

Veteran of the Spanish civil War, Mr. Peter O’Connor of Waterford City, took his position in the procession that was forming. The group headed by the piper then marched the short walk to the Shrine, dedicated to the fallen heroes. A speech was made by Mary Shanahan of the National Graves Association, who commented on the good attendance. A wreath was laid by Padraig Whittle, son of Nicholas Whittle who took part in the ambush and who was seriously injured during the battle and a beautiful patriotic poem was read by Peter McCarthy. The names of those who part in the ambush, from the East Waterford Brigade were also read out. After a short prayer the gathering dispersed returning to their homes.

Smell of Gunpowder:

How different a picture was presented to the people of Tramore and surrounding districts, on the 8th of January 1921, some 74 years previous. On that day the smell of gunpowder filled the air. People huddled together in small groups discussing the events of the night before, some asking, "what happened"?, "how many, were killed"?, "what are their names"?. As events unfolded, it quickly emerged that a ferocious gun battle had taken place in both Tramore and in the vicinity of Pickardstown, a short distance from the town. Three people were reported dead with a great many more wounded. Some said that many soldiers had been killed, but this could not be confirmed. Slowly throughout the day the facts started to emerge.

Combined Action:
A combined action by the East Waterford Brigade I.R.A., commanded by Waterford city man Paddy Paul, from Barrack St. and the West Waterford Brigade I.R.A., commanded by Pax Whelan, of Dungarvan, was planned. The East Waterford Brigade operated over the territory comprising of Waterford city and East Waterford, with a demarcation line running from Kilmacthomas to the sea, the West Waterford Brigade operated west of that line and up to the border with Cork.

There was a marked difference between the fire-power of each column, the West Waterford Brigade was well equipped. Their Flying Column, which participated in the ambush, consisted of twenty men all armed with rifles, while the East Waterford Brigade were very badly off. At the time of the ambush there were only nine rifles in the Brigade, with a very limited stock of shot guns and revolvers. Ammunition was particularly low. The number of cartridges carried by the men at Pickardstown did not exceed fifteen, while many carried as low as six.

Ambush:
The object was to draw the British forces, stationed in Waterford city, into an I.R.A. ambush position at the Metal Bridge just outside the town of Tramore. The ambush was originally planned to take place a few days previous, but had to be postponed. On Friday the 7th of January at about 10:00 p.m., the Waterford city I.R.A. volunteers collected their arms which were stored in the main arms dump at the Mental Hospital. They then assembled in a field in the Ballytruckle area before marching singly to the rendezvous point at Pickardstown.

The volunteers from the West Waterford Brigade arrived in a car, commandeered from Arthur Hunt at Mahon Bridge, Kilmacthomas. Eventually when all the volunteers arrived at Pickardstown, (the West Waterford Flying Column being an hour late due to their car breaking down), the officers had a hurried meeting and decided to make a change to the plan of attack.

Police and Black & Tans:
The original plan was to ambush a joint police and Black and Tan party who nightly patrolled the streets of Tramore. On many occasions they had threatened and abused the local residents. Once this act was complete they would wait for the British forces to come from Waterford city and ambush them at the Metal Bridge as previously stated. However, on the night of the 7th of January a local scout reported that this joint Police and Black and Tan patrol had finished their rounds early and had gone back to the barracks. The decision was then made to attack the Barracks itself which stood in Queen St. Tramore.

Queen Street Barracks:
A group of twelve men made their way to the Queen St. Police Barracks and took up positions around the station. Pat Keating, a member of the West Waterford Flying column, (he was later to be killed at the Burgery Ambush) took off his shoes and in his bare feet crept up to the door. He broke the glass in the fanlight and hurled two mills bombs in through the broken glass. As Pat Keating dashed for cover his comrades opened fire on the heavily sandbagged windows. A police constable named Bryant was wounded in the groin during this exchange. The police and the Tans inside returned fire and sent Verey lights shooting into the sky to signal the British forces in Waterford city that an attack was underway in Tramore.
The I.R.A. volunteers broke off the attack on the barracks after about a half hour, satisfied that the British forces would soon be on their way from Waterford city to assist the beleaguered garrison at Tramore. The police and Black and Tans inside the barracks however took no chances and continued firing long after the attackers had returned to the main body of volunteers at Pickardstown.

Barricades & Positions:
Ambush positions were then taken up by the I.R.A. awaiting the arrival of the British Military, a plan of retreat had also been worked out. Barricades made with upturned carts, iron gates, and some boulders were placed on the road about 18 yards on the Tramore side of the Metal Bridge. In all, over 52 volunteers took part in this ambush.
The I.R.A. positions were as follows: twelve men, approx, armed with shotguns on the Ballinattin Road, opposite the present Shrine. On their left flank further up the road, eight riflemen were positioned. At the junction of the old and new Tramore roads a further four rifle men were positioned. Most of these men were from the Waterford city contingent with some others from Dunhill and Tramore. On the railway line near the Metal Bridge, twelve men armed with shotguns lay prone across the tracks covering the main road. This group was drawn from the men of Dunhill, Fenor, Kilmeaden and Portlaw.

Glen Road Position:
In position on the Glen road were the West Waterford Flying column, comprising of 18 men all armed with rifles. This group covered the barricades and the opening of the Metal Bridge. The plan of attack was that the men in the neighbourhood of the Metal Bridge would fire on the first lorry as it stopped at the barricades. The men on the Ballinattin Road would fire on the succeeding lorries, with the men at the fork of the old and new Tramore roads closing the trap and attacking from the rear. Had this sequence of events happened, the British casualties would have been numerous. However, as we shall see, the plan did not materialise exactly as hoped for.

Lorries From Waterford:

The West Waterford men holding the high ground were the first to catch sight of the lorries dashing from Waterford city. No sound was heard except the drone of the Crossley tenders drawing closer and closer. An order was given that no shot be fired until the last lorry had gone under the Metal Bridge and had stopped at the barricade. In the tense excitement a shot rang out from an I.R.A. position and the lorries came to a sudden halt. Worse again, it was discovered that two lorries had come out the old Tramore road and these had halted as well. With the element of surprise gone for the I.R.A., British troops and police poured out from the lorries, taking up position in the ditches along the road.

Sixty Troops:
These troops numbered about sixty, and immediately poured rifle and machine gun fire at the I.R.A. position on the Metal Bridge. The Volunteers on the Ballinattin Road had been quiet up to this, but now the spurts of flame from the British military rifles revealed their positions to the I.R.A men who then opened on them with intense rifle and shotgun fire. After a short time however, the men on the Ballinattin Road came under such a barrage of gunfire that they had to take cover behind the hedge. Some of the volunteers however held their position and kept firing towards the Tramore Road.
The West Waterford men stationed behind the railway line on the Glen road were at this stage almost out of the fight as the enemy had not come into the ambush position in which they (the West Waterford men) were positioned. At this stage, about 12.30 a.m., under cover of fire from rifle and machine gun, the British military began deploying a wide circle towards the Ballinattin Road. Their objective was to drive the I.R.A. men down the road and into the main body of military, thus trapping them between two lines of fire.

Shots Rang Out:

At this stage, as some of the volunteers were behind the ditch and some on the roadway, a Waterford city man Michael Wyley raised himself off the ground in order to climb over the ditch. When he came face to face with a British officer two shots rang out and Michael Wyley was shot in the thigh. The British officer received such a fright in finding himself so close to his foe, fell backwards over the hedge. Mr Wyley managed to climb up on the ditch to tell his comrades that the military had gained the road. As he did so he received another wound in the right hip. A short distance down the road another Waterford man lay on the road having received bullet wounds to the neck and side, this man was Nicholas Whittle.

As the military advanced along the road they discovered Nicky Whittle who lay motionless on the ground. A soldier turned him over remarking that he looked dead. Standing back he fired a shot into the prone body. Kicking the body he walked away saying that they would return for it later.

Two Killed:

It was at this point in the ambush that Michael McGrath and Thomas O'Brien lost their lives. Two Men attempted to jump over a ditch to escape the oncoming enemy, one city man named Walsh failed to jump the ditch and landed in the bracken behind the hedge. This lack of agility saved his life. The other man was Michael McGrath from Poleberry, Waterford City. He unfortunately did manage to jump the hedge and found himself in the middle of a group of British soldiers. They ordered him to put his hands up, a request with which he complied, (he was out of ammunition in any case). As he raised his hands they fired into him killing him.
At this stage, as the British soldiers were combing the area on the Ballynattin road, they came upon Tom O’Brien of Ballycraddock, Dunhill, who was hiding in the ditch. He had been wounded in the earlier encounter. As the soldiers caught sight of him an officer shouted, “Take him alive”, but the soldiers, ignoring this order, fell upon him with rifle butts and bayonets, killing the wounded man. The remainder of the I.R.A. columns successfully retreated, taking with them the wounded Michael Wyley, who was bleeding profusely from his wounds.

Collecting The Bodies:

The British now turned their attention to collecting the bodies of the dead I.R.A. men from the road. They first took the bodies of Michael McGrath and Tom O’Brien and put then into the military lorries. When they returned for the third body it had disappeared from the road. This "missing body" was that of Nicholas Whittle, he had miraculously survived his many wounds and managed to drag himself over the ditch opposite the site of the present memorial. Rolling down the bank on the other side he slowly crawled in the direction of the sea until he reached a friendly house where he got refuge and shelter.

The Waterford City I.R.A. men made their way cautiously back into the city having dumped their weapons in the main dump in the grounds of the mental hospital. From there they went to their respective homes.

Over the coming days the search for the wounded men went on incessantly, the British military acting on information decided to search the area where the two wounded volunteers were been hidden. However, the I.R.A. believing that the search was on for the two wounded men, had moved them from the safe houses to the mental hospital in Waterford City.

After nightfall, as the military combed the countryside a pony and trap bearing the wounded I.R.A. men dashed through the open gates of the Mental Hospital where a doctor was standing by to treat their wounds. The game of cat and mouse continued between the I.R.A. and the military, in the latter's search for the missing body.

The I.R.A. contrived a plan to throw the British off the scent and in a bold move announced in the newspapers the name of the missing man was that of Nicholas Whittle, stating that he had died of his wounds. Prayers were said for the repose of his soul in the local churches. Meanwhile Nicky was recuperating in the Mental Hospital. The British eventually discovered the whereabouts of the two men and surrounded the grounds of the hospital. However their search was in vain. The birds had flown. They had been taken a few hours previously in a motor car to a safe house in Callaghane, five miles from Waterford City.

Inquest:

The inquest on Michael McGrath and Thomas O’Brien was held in the Cavalry Barrack (this was situated on the site of the present St. Carthages Ave., Barrack St.) on the Saturday. A medical officer swore that he had examined the body of Michael McGrath and found a large lacerated wound on the right side of the head which had caused a fracture of the skull and laceration of the brain. He said that the wounds could have been caused by gunshot. He added that death would have been instantaneous.

Thomas O’Brien he stated, had suffered in a similar fashion. The verdict on both men was, that they died of shotgun wounds to the head. The body of Michael McGrath was identified by his sister. The military had found on the body of Michael McGrath, his Union card, showing him to have been a member of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, Waterford Branch. The name of the other man was not known by the Military, the I.R.A. having asked his family not to come forward to identify his body in order that his associates in the Dunhill area would not come under suspicion. Having said that, the local newspapers published the following week, had correctly speculated that the unknown dead man was from the Dunhill area.

The Funerals:
The funerals of the dead volunteers brought thousands on to the streets. Impressive scenes were witnessed at the funeral of Michael McGrath. The mass was celebrated in St. Johns Church, Parnell St. About a half hour before the funeral service, the military arrived in lorries and took up positions in John St. and on the corner of Manor street. As the cortege bearing the coffin, which was draped in a tricolour and accompanied by the family of Michael McGrath, the Mayor and members of the corporation, turned into John’s St., it was forced to stop. The military, some carrying Lewis machine guns, insisted that only forty mourners could follow the cortege. This was complied with.
As the cortege passed St. Ursula’s Terrace, a military lorry drove in front of the hearse and stopped it again. By this time huge crowds had gathered on the footpaths to pay their respects to the fallen I.R.A. volunteer. A British officer told the mourners that if the crowds did not disperse, the military would take the coffin and that they would carry out the internment. The Mayor of Waterford, Dr. Vincent White, spoke to the assembled crowd and asked them to disperse. By this time the military had trained a Lewis machine gun and rifles on the crowd and at one point the situation seemed threatening. However, the crowds did disperse and the body of Michael McGrath was laid to rest in the Carbally cemetery.

A similar situation prevailed at the funeral of Tom O’Brien in St. John’s church, Parnell St. A large military force was again in evidence at the church and on surrounding streets. At the city boundary the military again ordered that only forty persons were allowed to accompany the cortege. Again this was complied with and the funeral continued without any further interference to the Ballygunner graveyard.

Coffin Inspection:

After the funeral service had been read, a British military officer stated that he had instructions from his superiors to inspect the coffin to see if the name of the deceased had been inscribed on it. Removing the Tricolour he found that the coffin bore no name. He then saluted the remains in a military fashion and withdrew. The body of Tom O' Brien was then respectfully laid to rest. The tombstone remained uninscribed until after the truce. He is buried in the Republican plot in St. Mary’s Church, Ballygunner.

Intense Searching:

On Tuesday, the 18th of January, there was intense military activity in Waterford city and county. Shortly after 1:00 a.m., a large force of military in battle dress drove into the grounds of the Mental Hospital at John’s Hill. A thorough search of the male wing of the building was made, after which the military arrested three of the courageous staff who had harboured the two wounded men. These were released on Wednesday morning. They also raided the De La Salle Collage and asked to see the roll-books. The superior was questioned after which all of the students were ordered into the yard and questioned individually. They then made a search of the lockers and personal effects. Three students were arrested, but were released later that evening.

Town Hall Searched:

On Wednesday, the 19th of January, a lorry filled with British military pulled up outside the Town Hall. Some with fixed bayonets took up positions outside the hall, the remainder entered the building where they conducted a thorough search. The Town clerk’s office was ransacked and a picture of Eamonn De Valera was torn into shreds.

The military then sent for the Borough Treasurer, Mr. Liam Raftis and after arresting him, they took him to Ballybricken Jail. The military again raided the Town Hall during the inaugural meeting of the Corporation on Monday, the 24th of January. With fixed bayonets the military entered the chamber and ordered the Corporation and spectators to put their hands up. There were about three hundred people in the hall at this time. During a search of the spectators two revolvers and a baton were found. One man was arrested. As the military were leaving, one soldier took the mayors robe.

In conclusion, the commanding officers of the Pickardstown Ambush were to take opposite sides during the Civil War, Paddy Paul was to take the Treaty side and Pax Whelan the Anti-Treaty side. Paddy Paul was later a Lieut. Col. at McKee Barracks, Dublin and Pax Whelan became a Brigadier General in the I.R.A.

So ends this account of the Pickardstown ambush and its aftermath.