Ambush at Dripsey
There were 68 men in the IRA ambush party with at least another 7 as scouts and road blockers (24 with shotguns and most of the rest armed with rifles). The column was led by Frank Busteed (V/C 6th Battalion) and the Battalion O/C Jackie O'Leary was also present. (The column has been in a training camp for the previous two weeks at Kilcullen). The Auxiliary convoy was expected in mid-morning but the column was in place since early morning. The column had moved two families who lived near the ambush out of their houses. One of these families was headed by Jack Sweeney who worked for Tim Sheehan, Baker and Grocer in Coachford. Sweeney was allowed to go to work where he told his employer about the planned ambush.
Mrs Mary Lindsay from Lemount House, outside Coachford entered Sheehan's about 11.30am. She was on her way to Ballincollig for a newly introduced military inspection of her car. (This was a measure that the British introduced in an effort to cut down on the IRA commandeering of cars.) Mrs Lindsay, originally from Co. Mayo, held strong pro-British views. When she told Sheehan that she was going to Ballincollig, he advised her not to go through Dripsey and Inishcarra. She inquired as to why and he told her of the planned ambush. She informed the police and military about the ambush. On her way to inform the British, she met Father Ned Shinnick (an RC priest who held anti-IRA views) and told him about the ambush. He went to the I/O of the local IRA company and told him to tell the IRA ambushers that the British had been informed of their position.
On receiving this news, the IRA leaders of the ambush discussed it but decided that it was a ruse by Fr Shinnick to get them to abandon their ambush. Seventy men of 'C' Company of the the Manchester Regiment, led by Lt Col Gareth Evans (along with Lieutenants Sykes, Orgill, Todd and Vining) surrounded the ambushers and captured ten men as follows Jim Barrett, Patrick O'Mahony (O'Mahoney according to O'Callaghan), Timothy McCarthy, Thomas O'Brien, Denis Murphy, Jeremiah O'Callaghan, Daniel O'Callaghan, John Lyons, Eugene Langtry and Denis Sheehan. The last two had nothing to do with the ambush. The first six were wounded, with Barrett being badly wounded. Two other IRA men (Timothy O'Riordan and William Lucey) were also wounded but managed to escape. The prisoners are brought to Dripsey Cross then onto Ballincollig Barracks - they are not ill-treated after capture. (Townshend says that two IRA men were killed at the ambush site but this would seem to be incorrect.)
Five of the captured men were executed on the 28th February.