Siege of Tralee

The siege of Tralee was an event that took place between 1 and 9 November 1920 in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland.

Siege of Tralee
Part of the Irish War of Independence
Date 1 – 9 November 1920 Location Tralee, County Kerry Result Irish withdrawal Siege lifted
Belligerents
Irish Republican Army (Tralee Battalion)	British Army (Royal Irish Constabulary)
Commanders and leaders
Patrick Cahill	Constable Patrick Waters †

History

Patrick Cahill, the Officer Commanding Kerry No. 1 Brigade, Irish Republican Army instructed the Tralee Battalion to carry out reprisal attacks for the death (on hunger strike) of Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Cork Terence MacSwiney.^[1] On the night of 31 October 1920, RIC Constable Patrick Waters and RIC Constable Ernest Bright had been kidnapped, shot and killed by IRA volunteers in Tralee.^[2] In response to the seizure of two of their colleagues and in an attempt to recover the bodies,^[3] British Black and Tans imposed a curfew on the town, shot local people who appeared on the streets, insisted that the local businesses close and stopped all food and drink from entering the town.^[4] Tralee Town Hall and several shops were burned down and two civilians were shot dead (John Conway and Tommy Wall).^[5]

Hamar Greenwood, the Chief Secretary for Ireland, ordered that the siege be lifted on 9 November 1920.^[4]