Waiting for the 'Tans

Jim Collins is busy putting together his father's memoirs of his involvement in the fight for Irish freedom. Jim hand-wrote a lot of the stories as he was told them, and he's now typing them up.

One concerned Donal St Leger's father, Mick, and Jim has kindly given it for inclusion in the Diary.

During the Black and Tan War against the Irish Republicans in 1920, Mick St Leger from Kilcullen and a group of comrades found out that a 'Tan patrol in a Crossley Tender truck was due to come along a certain road at 11 o’clock.

The Irish Republicans decided to ambush them. They dug a trench across the road, just after a bend, then lay in wait in an over-looking ditch, with their rifles pointing towards the ambush spot.

Eleven o’clock came and went, as did 12 noon and then 1 o’clock.

At 2 o’clock, one of the Republican lads said to Mick: "What time is it, Mick?"

"Two o’clock," said Mick.

"There's no sign of the Black and Tans," said his friend.

"Why do you ask? You're not worried about them, are you?" asked Mick.

"Ah no," said Mick’s comrade, "but I just hope nothing has happened to them."