THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Rebels shot dead as republican gunmen ‘invade’ Fermanagh

On this day in 1922 the News Letter reported that large forces of Provisional Government troops who were reinforced by irregulars had made an attack on the Belleek-Pettigo sector of Co Fermanagh the previous day and had “driven” the Protestants of the area before them and had the advanced up to the Specials’ post at Magheramenagh Castle.

At this point an engagement took place in which 12 “IRA” men were reported to have been killed.

The News Letter’s correspondent from the beleaguered western county of the Province wrote: “The Specials being hopelessly outnumbered – they being twenty against hundreds – retreated, and they have now, taken up their quarters at Rough Island on Lough Erne. The Sinn Feiners have commandeered all the loyalists houses in the area and are reported to be digging trenches, erecting barricades and making their position secure.”

A force of military had left Enniskillen for Belleek the previous afternoon, they included two armoured cars, containing soldiers of the Lincolnshire Regiment.

But they came under attack by Sinn Feiners when they were about a mile from the border near Pettigo.

The correspondent wrote of the engagement: “The countryside had been exceedingly quiet when suddenly hundreds of armed men appeared from the hedges and fired on the soldiers.”

During the fighting a corporal was seriously wounded in the back and when he was being attended was wounded again in two places.

Another soldier was “slightly wounded”.

The cars were unable to turn and had to “back out” for a distance of two miles during which time the troops keeping firing upon the irregulars who had attacked them.

The wounded were then removed to Fermanagh County Hospital. It was also reported that Garrison was surrounded by rebels.

The correspondent wrote of the situation: “A contingent of rebels swarmed over the border from Co Leitrim and surrounded the town of Garrison on the border, between Belleek and Belcoo where a Specials’ platoon is stationed. On the news being received in Enniskillen about ten o’clock last night all the available men were rushed to the border. . . At an early hour this morning no news had been received as to the progress of events.”