ROINN COSANTA. BUREAU OF MILITARY HISTORY, 1013-21 ...

11.to surrenderby setting fire to the roof. Jim O'Gorman used aladder to reach the roof, but, try as he would, he failed toset it on fire. He made several attempts at it with oil andmud bombs, but without success. After a few hours, it becameapparent that the garrison would not surrender and it wasdecided to break off the attack. Dinny Lacey, Sean Stapletonand I remained there until daylight- some time around 4.30at intervals to the policemen's fire from the barracks.replyinga.m.We had one casualty that night- a Volunteer named Tadhg Hoganbeing wounded. Some of the Donohill Company who were on dutyon road blocks had a fight that morning with military fromTipperary who were going to the relief of the barracks.Shortly after that, I fell seriously ill with doublepneumonia and was nursed over my illness at Rafferty's ofAcroboy. It was my second time to have pneumonia and itaffected my health for many months to come. I was recuperatingat Rafferty's when Sean Treacy and Ned O'Reilly arrived thereto make it their H.Q. on the eve of the Oola ambush, so I movedto Quinn's of Ballycohey.That ambush at Oola took place on 30th July 1920. Itarose from a report by the Solohead Company that a lorry ofmilitary carrying mails and preceded by a motor cyclist passedregularly along the Tipperary-Limerick road, and Sean Treacydecided to ambush it. Jim O'Gorman and Michael Fitzgeraldcalled to Quinn's for me after the ambush and told me whathappened. The motor cyclist did not pass and the lorry, whenit came, was fired on by the main party. This lorry was closelyfollowed by a second lorry of military who dismounted and tookpart in the fight. After the first volley it was found thatthe ejectors of the Martini rifles which the main party wereusing failed to eject the empty cases from the breech, dueperhaps to incorrect ammunition being used. There was thenno option but to break off the engagement and Treacy, they said,