IRISH REBELS

Evening Star, Issue 18173, 13 January 1923, Page 3

IRISH REBELS

OPERATIONS IN WEST. ATTACK ON SLIGO. RAILWAY STATIONS AND ENGINES DESTROYED. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, January 11._ Armed Irregulars ignited the tfligo tailway station, which was completely destroyed. Then engines wore nm towards tho deep-water berth. One Jell into the river and others wore wrecked at the dead end. 'ilho station master’s house was destroyed. Tho ‘Daily Chronicle's’ Belfast correspondent states : “ Eight magnificent locomotives, all driverloss, swept at full speed through Sligo station in the middle of tho night as prelude to a desperate rebel attack on the town. Tho first engine crashed into tho concrete buffers and toppled over, puffing .furiously. _ A few moments after second locomotive was heard, -and flames wore seen leaping irom tho smoke stacks. The engine passed through tiho station and reached the quay, where it iplunged into tho. sea 20ft below. The third engine left tho track before it reached the quay, and climbed the seawall, where it still (hangs, threatening to topple into tho sea. Five other engines were derailed near tho station. One hundred rebel raiders followed, including women, who sowed tho istation premises with powerful mines, soaked the buildings with ipetrol, and burnt two long passenger trains. When the mines detonated the platforms and warehouses were blown skywards. The yyholo town quaked Having destroyed the railway, the rebels attacked the courthouse, gaol, and other buildings/, using bombs and machine gnus freely.

Free State troops, using armored cars, endeavored to repel tho attack, but were hampered by the darkness. The fighting in the streets lasted (for hours. At dawn the rebels disappeared, having done damage to Sligo which is assessed at at least £IOO,OOO.—A, arid N.Z. Cable. FURTHER OUTRAGES. LONDON, January 12, Rebels blew up the Civic Guards’ barracks at Ratbfamham suburb (Dublin). Six aimed men held up a charabanc containing women wiho were reluming from am artillery dance at DtoTee Font (Donegal). They fired shots over the women's heads, and forced thorn to walk six miles in pouring rain to Bunorana. —A. and N.Z. Cable.