Ambush at Drumnakilly
Encyclopedia
Ambush at Drumnakilly is an Irish rebel song
about an event in County Tyrone
, Northern Ireland
which occurred on August 30, 1988: three volunteers
of the Provisional IRA
(IRA), brothers Martin and Gerard Harte and Brian Mullin (Bard), were ambushed and killed by the Special Air Service
(SAS).
The IRA members were attempting to murder a previously identified off-duty member of the Ulster Defence regiment who seemed to be fixing a tyre on a coal lorry. The IRA unit drove up, armed with two AK-47 rifles and a revolver, and were ambushed as they approached by a dozen undercover soldiers, with others manning a heavy machine gun in a nearby derelict building.
In total 236 shots were fired during the ambush, an inquest held failed to determine who had opened fire first in the ambush.
Author: Gerry O'Glachin, The Irish Brigade
Recorded by: The Irish Brigade
There is also another song that was written and performed by Gerry Cunningham to commemorate the deaths of these three Provisional Irish Republican Army members. This version of the song has been adopted by Ogra ShinnFein at their annual commemoration.
Irish rebel music
Irish rebel music is a subgenre of Irish folk music, with much the same instrumentation, but with lyrics predominantly concerned with Irish republicanism.-History:...
about an event in County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
which occurred on August 30, 1988: three volunteers
Volunteer (Irish republican)
Volunteer, often abbreviated Vol., is a term used by a number of Irish republican paramilitary organisations to describe their members. Among these have been the various forms of the Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army...
of the Provisional IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(IRA), brothers Martin and Gerard Harte and Brian Mullin (Bard), were ambushed and killed by the Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
(SAS).
The IRA members were attempting to murder a previously identified off-duty member of the Ulster Defence regiment who seemed to be fixing a tyre on a coal lorry. The IRA unit drove up, armed with two AK-47 rifles and a revolver, and were ambushed as they approached by a dozen undercover soldiers, with others manning a heavy machine gun in a nearby derelict building.
In total 236 shots were fired during the ambush, an inquest held failed to determine who had opened fire first in the ambush.
Author: Gerry O'Glachin, The Irish Brigade
Recorded by: The Irish Brigade
There is also another song that was written and performed by Gerry Cunningham to commemorate the deaths of these three Provisional Irish Republican Army members. This version of the song has been adopted by Ogra ShinnFein at their annual commemoration.