Lawrence Ryan

Lar [ *Lawrence* ] Ryan was an Apprentice in Hearne's Hardware in New Ross, SW County Wexford and at the July 1921 Truce, aged 24 [ or maybe 26 ], was [ with his Coy Capt and 2nd Lt ] 1 of 3 Officers - 1st Lt - of *A* [ New Ross Town ] Coy of 1 [ New Ross ] Bn, South Wexford Brigade of the Irish Vols. That Bn had 6 Coys, each with 3 Coy Officers, along with the usual 4 Bn Officer posts [ CO=Phil Lennon, XO/Vice=Cmdt, Adj, QM ] and 6 Bn Staff Officers [ Int Off, Despatch, Supplies, Training, Police, Armorer ]. Lar was thus 1 of the 28 key figures in the 1st [ New Ross ] Bn. The South Wexford Brigade CO/Cmdt was Dr Jim Ryan [ a future Fianna Fail Govt Minister ] until arrested when he was replaced by Tom Hanlon, Bde ASU-Flying Column CO.

County Wexford was, like most of the Island, relatively non-violent in 1919-1921. The vacated RIC Bcks at Ballywilliam in New Ross RIC District, 6 Miles NE of the town, manned in 1911 by 1 Sgt and 3 Cons [ all 4 RCs and also all - as was typical - 4 Farmer's sons ] was burnt on April 5, 1920. The RIC Bcks at Arthurstown, 12.6 miles South of New Ross, was also burnt in Aug 1920 - but only when it had first been vacated. The RIC Bcks 2 Miles East of it, at Duncannon, on which more isolated rural Station Parties had been concentrated, was attacked 6 times - but never captured or destroyed. Roads were often blocked by trees being cut down and Telegraph Pole also cut down.

Lar may well have been profoundly and permanently traumatized by the one major incident in South Wexford which was completely self-inflicted by the Vols when on Oct 12, 1920, 5-6 Vols were killed, 5 seriously injured and 4 more less seriously injured by a massive explosion 14.9 Miles SE of New Ross, at a vacant house on Cowman's out-farm in Saintkierans Townland, Saltmills, as they prepared a Mine to be used against Tintern RIC Bcks in New Ross RIC District, only 1.7 miles to their West. In later life, he never spoke of his experience in that era - as was then - and also remains - typical of almost all ever involved in any such severe trauma. Tintern RIC Bcks was 15.2 Miles SE from New Ross - both RIC Dist HQ and Lar's workplace. In 1911 the RIC Sgt there was, like Lar, both from County Kilkenny and RC. The Vols were working with Explosives seized from Hook Head Lighthouse, 22 mile South from New Ross, and moved 11.1 Miles NE to the empty house at Saintkierans which was totally demolished in the massive explosion.

Ironically, a distinguished WW I hero from New Ross, Coy-Sgt-Major Martin Doyle, 1891-1940, of 1 Bn, Royal Munster Fus, who won not only a MM [ Military Medal ] but also [ like many other Irish soldiers ] the rare VC [ Victoria Cross ] in 1918 , the highest UK award for exceptional Valor, nonetheless after WW I joined the Vols. He was then among the 50% of the new Free State Army in 1922-1923 who were ex-Tommies, and also battle-hardened WW I veterans [ its backbone and cutting-edge which enabled then to rout the Anti-Treaty IRA *Irregulars* ], and he served to 1937.