Christmas week ambush
By Wayne Sugg
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Martin Savage, Volunteer officer who was killed in the ambush at
Ashtown, County Dublin, 19 December 1919
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The IRA's campaign against the British forces gathered momentum
gradually after the First Dáil initially met on 21 January 1919, the
same day that the Soloheadbeg ambush left two RIC dead. By the end of
the year, the IRA had demonstrated that it was capable of launching
large-scale operations and that it had the support of the population
in its actions.
The escalation of the armed campaign by the IRA was matched by an
intensification of the British authorities' attempts to quell the
rising tide of republicanism. The introduction of repressive measures
against the Irish people did no more then strengthen the people's
resolve, but it did hamper the IRA in some of its operations.
IRA Intelligence operatives were scouring the country for snippets of
information which would be useful to the active service units as they
planned against the British forces in Ireland. One such snippet
allowed IRA General Headquarters to authorise an attack, which, if
successful, would rock the British establishment and their forces in
Ireland to the core. The intended target was the British direct ruler
Lord French, who was also the British Army's supreme commander in
Ireland.
Despite misleading reports being circulated in the media that Lord
French had left the country to holiday aboard a cruise ship in the
North Sea, the IRA knew otherwise. Its sources in Dublin Castle had
informed them that Lord French was in fact hosting a private party at
his `country' residence in Frenchpark, County Roscommon. They also
knew that he would be travelling back to the Vice-regal Lodge in
Dublin on the midland train. They knew that he would disembark at the
isolated railway station at Ashtown, rather than travel to the
terminus at Broadstone in Dublin city. He was to be met here by an
armed escort consisting of three cars and an outrider.
A special IRA unit chosen for the operation reconnoitred the area for
several days prior to the intended day and selected the most
appropriate site for an ambush. On the morning of 19 December the IRA
unit gathered at Fleming's of Drumcondra and in small groups cycled
through Phibsboro' and up the Cabra Road, regrouping at Kelly's public
house (the Halfway House) in Ashtown.
The unit consisted of some very experienced Volunteers. They were: Tom
Kilcoyne, Mick McDonnell, Joe Leonard, Dan Breen, Sean Treacy, Vinnie
Byrne, Martin Savage, Seamus Robinson, Paddy Daly, Tom Kehoe and Sean
Hogan.
At 11.40am, as the train carrying the Lord Lieutenant pulled in, the
unit left the pub and took up their positions along the crossroads at
Ashtown. The plan was for three Volunteers, Tom Kehoe, Martin Savage
and Dan Breen, to push a hay-cart half-way across the road. They would
push it the rest of the way across the road when the out-rider and the
first car passed them. Lord French was to be in the second car and
this vehicle would be attacked with grenades and concentrated rifle
fire.
As the trio pushed the hay-cart across the road a policeman, a member
of the Dublin Metropolitan force, disturbed them, calling on them to
move on. Another Volunteer lobbed a grenade at him, it didn't explode,
but hit him on the head, rendering him unconscious. He was dragged
from the road and the plan proceeded.
When the convoy appeared minutes later, each Volunteer fulfilled their
role in the attack. As the second car careered off the road with its
driver, McEvoy, slumped over the wheel, it became obvious that Lord
French was not in fact one of the occupants. The occupants, part of
Lord French's guard, returned fire. As the firefight continued the
third car arrived on the other side of the cart and began firing with
rifle and machine-gun fire on the now exposed Volunteers. They were
caught between two lines of fire. Dan Breen was shot in the leg as he
broke cover and seconds later Martin Savage fell mortally wounded by a
bullet in the neck. Tom Kehoe and the wounded Dan Breen succeeded in
dragging Martin Savage's body from the road while the firefight
continued.
Luckily the British forces, including some wounded, began at this
stage to withdraw from the scene, leaving one dead and the unconscious
DMP member behind them. The IRA unit managed to disperse then to safe
houses in the Dublin area. Dan Breen was helped onto his bike by Paddy
Daly who helped him to a safehouse in Phibsboro' area, where he was
attended to by the captain of the Dublin hurling team, Dr J.M. Ryan.
The audacity of the ambush focused international attention once again
on Ireland and though it failed and had resulted in the death of young
Dublin Volunteer Martin Savage, it gave renewed impetus to the war
against the British occupation forces and its administration in
Ireland.
The ambush on the British Lord Lieutenant and military commander of
Ireland, Lord French, occurred on December 19 1919 at Ashtown, Dublin,
80 years ago this week.
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