Rathcoole ambush
The Rathcoole ambush () was an ambush carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) near the village of Rathcoole in County Cork on 16 June 1921 during the Irish War of Independence. Under the command of Paddy O'Brien, the IRA's 2nd Cork Brigade attacked an armed convoy of the Auxiliary Division returning to their barracks in Millstreet after collecting supplies. After 50 minutes of intense fighting, the IRA managed to inflict heavy casualties on the Auxiliaries before a shortage of ammunition forced them to withdraw. Background After the railway line leading to Millstreet had been cut by the IRA in several different places, the Auxiliary Division's L Company stationed in Mount Leader House were forced to travel in convoys to the railway station in Banteer to collect their supplies. Each convoy was escorted by armoured cars with the Crossley tenders each carrying a Lewis gun to provide further protection. As many roads and bridges in the area had been sabotaged by the IRA, the only route the Auxiliaries could take was the Millstreet–Banteer road. In May, following a meeting by the leaders of the 2nd Cork Brigade's Millstreet battalion, the republicans decided to ambush the convoy. After monitoring the