Piltown Cross ambush

The Piltown Cross ambush, an action of the Irish War of Independence, took place near Kinsalebeg County Waterford on the night of 1 November 1920.

Involved was the IRA West Waterford Brigade, specifically the newly formed Deise Flying Column under O/C George Lennon of Dungarvan, as well as Volunteers from the local Ardmore battalion. Returned Great War veteran John Riordan planned the successful engagement involving a feint attack on the RIC barracks in Ardmore. The British garrison in Youghal subsequently despatched nearly twenty troops in a single lorry. They were ambushed at Kinsalebeg and suffered two dead and six wounded. The ambush resulted in the capture of several rifles and a large quantity of ammunition which were used to equip the flying column. Captured were R.I.C. constables O'Neill and Prendiville who gave their word that they would resign. Prendiville was subsequently killed, fired from a shot from the Waterford side of the Youghal Bridge.

References

Sources

• Gunfire and Civil War Sean and Sile Murphy Clonmel 2005
• Rebel Heart: George Lennon: Flying Column Commander Mercier 2009, ISBN 1-85635-649-3
• "The Struggle For Freedom In West Waterford" at Waterford County Museum