RIC barracks in Ballynahinch Attacked Failed 23 February 1920

An attempt to blow up the RIC barracks in Ballynahinch, county Down was widely condemned within in February 1920 when as the Belfast Newsletter wrote the ‘operations of Sinn Fein happily failed in its murderous intent’. Ballynahinch was a small garrison of only five policemen and was manned at the time by Sergeant Doherty and Constables Fennell, Barrett, Coyne and Elliot. Shortly after 3 am on 23 February one of the RIC men heard a noise outside the barracks and it was discovered that a ‘diabolical’ plan was in place to blow up the building. The IRA on this occasion had managed to make a hole in the wall into which a stick of gelignite had been placed. According to the RIC had it exploded the neighbouring house belonging to a man called Samuel Anderson would also have been destroyed. In advance of the attack, the IRA had managed to cut all of the telegraph wires preventing communication with Belfast and neighbouring towns. Trees were cut down and gates and large stones were used to block the roads. There had been a large number of visitors through the village during the day but nothing untoward was anticipated in what was perceived to have been ‘loyal county Down’. The plot to blow up the barracks was foiled and the IRA retreated.

Download Source: Belfast Newsletter, 24 Feb 1920, page 5.

Belfast Newsletter 1738-1938, Tuesday, February 24, 1920 page 5