History of Clifden

Events that would lead up to the "Burning of Clifden" began on November 21, 1920, Bloody Sunday. On that day, IRA members in Dublin attacked British officers and civilians believed to work for intelligence, killing eleven and wounding four. Later that day, British paramilitary auxiliary forces opened fire at Croke Park, killing twelve and injuring sixty. Thomas Whelan, born in 1899 in Clifden, was arrested and charged with the November 21 murder of Captain G.T. Bagelly. Although he maintained his innocence, Whelan was found guilty and executed on March 14, 1921. Following its Two for one policy that required the killing of two RIC members for every Republican executed, on March 16, 1921 members of the IRA shot and killed Constable Charles Reynolds and Constable Thomas Sweeney at Eddie King's Corner in Clifden. The RIC requested assistance. In response, in the early hours of St Patrick's Day, March 17, 1921 a trainload of Black and Tans arrived in town from Galway. They then proceeded to "burn, plunder and murder". Terrorizing the town, they killed one civilian, seriously injured another, burned 14 houses and damaged several others.