Sack of Balbriggan facts for kids
The sack of Balbriggan happened on the night of September 20, 1920. This was during the Irish War of Independence. Members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), known as "Black and Tans", attacked the small town of Balbriggan in County Dublin. They burned over fifty homes and businesses. They also stole things and killed two local men. Many people lost their jobs and homes. The attack was said to be revenge. Earlier, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) had shot two police officers in Balbriggan. This event was the first big 'reprisal' attack against an Irish town during the war. The sack of Balbriggan got attention from around the world. It led to big debates in the British parliament. People also criticized the British government's actions in Ireland.
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Why the Attack Happened
In early 1920, the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) was the police force in Ireland. It was controlled by the British. The IRA started attacking the RIC more often. People also boycotted, or refused to support, the police. The RIC began hiring new police officers from Britain. Most of these new recruits were former soldiers who had fought in the First World War. They were unemployed. These new police officers were called "Black and Tans". They quickly became known for being very harsh. The Black and Tans trained at Gormanston Camp, which was near Balbriggan. Balbriggan is a small town north of Dublin.
On the evening of September 20, two police officers, Head Constable Peter Burke and his brother Sergeant Michael Burke, stopped in Balbriggan. They were on their way to Gormanston camp. They were at a public house with some Black and Tans. A fight started in the pub. Local police were called to stop the trouble. After more fighting, an IRA group arrived. Head Constable Burke was shot and killed by the IRA. His brother was badly hurt. The Head Constable had been training British RIC recruits. He was about to get a promotion. It seems this shooting was not planned.
The Attack on Balbriggan
Around 11 at night, trucks arrived in Balbriggan from Gormanston. They carried 100 to 150 Black and Tans. They started burning homes and businesses. They smashed windows and fired guns in the streets. People who saw it said the Black and Tans were cheering and laughing during the attack. In total, 49 homes were destroyed or damaged. Twenty of these were on Clonard Street. Many townspeople ran away to the fields. The Dublin Evening Mail newspaper reported that "men, women and children" were "fleeing to the country for refuge." Some were "only scantily attired," meaning they had little clothing on. The newspaper also wrote about "a poor woman" who had trouble getting her baby from its bed before her house was set on fire.
Four pubs were robbed and burned down. John Derham was a local town leader from Sinn Féin. He was arrested, and his pub was destroyed and burned. He was punched in the face and hit with a rifle. His son Michael was beaten until he passed out. He was left in the burning building. Other businesses were also attacked. A factory that made socks and stockings, called Deeds & Templar, was destroyed. This factory had employed 130 workers. Another 180 people did work for it from their homes.
Two local men, Seán Gibbons and Seamus Lawless, were taken to the police station for questioning. Seán Gibbons was a dairyman, and Seamus Lawless was a barber. They were beaten and killed with bayonets. Their bodies were left on Quay Street, near the police station. According to The Guardian newspaper, one man was the leader and the other was the acting secretary of the local IRA group. A special plaque on Quay Street in Balbriggan remembers these men. A ceremony is held there every year.
Historian Tim Pat Coogan believes that the burnings were probably not officially ordered.
What Happened Next
The attack became widely known as the 'Sack of Balbriggan'. It was close to Dublin, so many newspapers in Ireland, Britain, and other countries wrote about it. It was the first big reprisal of its kind. It made more people in Britain question their government's actions in Ireland. Two days after the attack, British forces did another reprisal. This was for the Rineen ambush in County Clare. They burned many houses in nearby villages and killed five people. The news coverage might also have made many British ex-soldiers want to join the RIC. In the weeks after the attack, many more British people joined the police force.
The attack led to a big debate in the British parliament about these reprisals. The Labour opposition party, led by Arthur Henderson, asked for an independent investigation into the sack of Balbriggan and other towns. He said British forces seemed to be using "military terrorism." He felt this went against British democratic ideas and traditions. The British government's Chief Secretary for Ireland, Hamar Greenwood, disagreed. He said Henderson had been tricked by IRA propaganda. He did not want an investigation. He said the police and military needed to feel that the British government and people supported them fully. The British parliament voted against holding an investigation. The Labour Party then decided to start its own investigation. An American Commission on Conditions in Ireland was also set up.
Many people asked for money to make up for their destroyed businesses and homes. For example, over £80,000 was claimed for the factory that was destroyed. An investigation heard that over 200 people lost their jobs because of it. It would take two and a half years to rebuild. The families of Gibbons and Lawless also received money.
According to Michael Rock, a local IRA leader, a former British soldier named William 'Jack' Straw helped the Black and Tans. He guided them around Balbriggan and showed them which homes to burn. Thomas Peppard, an intelligence officer for the IRA, said Straw was "court-martialled and shot" by the IRA for his part in the attack. His body was found a month later.
IRA volunteer Joseph Lawless said the IRA planned a big attack on the Black and Tans at Gormanston after the sacking. The plan was to lure many of them into a trap in Balbriggan. Another IRA group would then attack and burn the Gormanston camp, which would have fewer guards. This plan was stopped after the events of Bloody Sunday.
See also
Images for kids
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The American Committee for Relief in Ireland inspecting the one on the one side of the ruins of Balbriggan – September 1920
