There was plenty of activity in Roscommon in October 1920 but an IRA attack on the RIC barracks in the village of Frenchpark ended in failure when the heavily outnumbered police force managed to stave off their attackers.

The raiders occupied the post office and two houses close to the barrack from which they launched their attack. Again, using a different time and in an effort to catch the RIC by surprise, the barracks was attacked just after 7am. Lasting over a half an hour, some thirty IRA men fired the building but the garrison consisting of two sergeants and twelve constables responded with bombs and rifles. Eventually the raiders were repulsed and the only damage done was to the windows. The roads in the vicinity had been cut in advance of the attack and several large trees felled which blocked the roads. The people of Frenchpark feared for their safety in the aftermath as they awaited the military and their wrath. That reprisal did come and several houses in the Frenchpark area were destroyed as a result. On the night of 3 October lorries filled with police and military steamed into Frenchpark and began to terorrise the local community. They then made their way to the village of Ballinagare where they burned a number of houses, raided others and fired shots indiscriminately at the people. Among the houses burned was that belonging to Daniel O’Rourke, a local national school teacher.

Source: Connacht Tribune 1909-current, 09.10.1920, page 5; See also Anglo-Celt 1846-current, Saturday, October 23, 1920; Page: 4