Just after 5pm, on a bright Saturday evening in May, seven RIC men from Shandon Street Barracks went on a foot patrol towards Blackpool. The five constables and two sergeants made their way up Great William O'Brien Street (then known as Great Britain Street) and turned onto O'Connell Street to head over to Watercourse Road.
The junction of Great William O'Brien Street and O'Connell Street, Blackpool.
Volunteers from the First Cork Brigade lay in wait for the RIC patrol on O'Connell Street. As their quarry came into sight a Volunteer hurled a bomb in their direction while others unleashed gunfire. In what became known as The Blackpool Ambush, four RIC men were injured and three were killed.
Constable Peter Coughlan was a 48year old Kerryman. His legs were blown off in the explosion and he died from severe blood loss. He was buried in his native Church town, outside Killarney where his headstone is inscribed in Irish.
Constable John Ryle was also a Kerry native and the 46 year old was injured in the bomb blast. He was taken to the North Infirmary where his leg had to be amputated but, he died the following day. He buried in his native town of Tralee.
Constable Patrick Hayes was a Corkman who had 25 years service with the Royal Irish Constabulary. The 49 year old was killed instantly by the bomb blast.
The IRA volunteers managed to get away but, the crown forces carried out brutal reprisals that night in Blackpool by burning two pubs near the scene of the ambush and a number of houses on O'Connell street.
The junction of O'Connell Street and Watercourse Road. On the right is the former workshop of famed sculptor Seamus Murphy. He set up his studio here in 1934 and one of his first commissions was the Clonmult IRA memorial in Midleton.
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