Parnell Bridge - January 4 1921

It was a cold dark Wednesday evening in January 1921 when the First Cork Brigade of the IRA launched a daring ambush in the city. The Union Quay Barracks was the city's HQ of the RIC. At 7:30pm a foot patrol left the barracks and headed in the direction of Parnell Bridge when a number of hand grenades were lobbed their way. 

Union Quay Barracks, the tall building on the right. 

The Union Quay Barracks today, now apartments. 

One sergeant and nine constables left the barracks on their usual nightly patrol which took them up the quay and across Parnell Bridge. A dozen or so IRA volunteers were waiting for them in the ruins of the city hall, burned a year previously. When their quarry came into sight they sent a number of grenades in their direction. 

The ruins of Cork City Hall. 

As the grenades exploded the ambushers then advanced with their guns. Meanwhile across the river, a car with a Lewis s gun attached, had parked up at Morrison's Island and fired across at the RIC who came out of their barracks after hearing the explosions. 

The car with the machine gun was parked at the green X. The red line indicates the patrol which came up the quay from the barracks and was hit with grenades as it turned onto Parnell bridge. 

The RIC men who escaped the grenades drew their guns and fired back at their ambushers. Unfortunately a number of civilians were hit in the crossfire. Two merchant sailors from Wales were hit on their ship in the river. Mary Mulcahy a young local girl was hit with shrapnel as she crossed the bridge. Kate Bourke was also hit and George Boucher was hit by a bullet in his knee but, they all survived and were later compensated. 

Parnell Bridge from South Mall with City hall in the background. 

The ambush at Parnell Bridge lasted approximately ten minutes. None of the IRA party were hit. When the engagement ended those on foot fled to various safe houses across the city while the car with the lewis gun sped off to a safe house in Ballincollig. 

An IRA volunteer with a Lewis machine gun, similar to the one used at the Parnell Bridge ambush. 

All of the RIC men were wounded and two were killed. Constable Francis Shortall from Tipperary was a captain in the Irish guards during WWI in which he served as an interpreter as he was fluent in French and German. He died from wounds he received three days after the ambush. 

  Constable Thomas Johnston was a Cavan man who worked as a hospital porter before joining the RIC and was posted to Cork. He died from shrapnel wounds 17 days later. 

Witness Statement of Commandant Michael Murphy. 

Cork Lord mayor Donal O'Callaghan receiving the key of Union Quay Barracks in 1922.