Overview
On 2 June 1921 the West Mayo IRA flying column killed seven of a seventeen-man RIC patrol here and walked away without a casualty of their own. That afternoon is the whole reason the name Carrowkennedy is known. The place itself is a quiet crossroads on the N59 in West County Mayo, about 10 km (6 miles) south of Westport, with no shops and no tourist infrastructure. Come for the history, not for a day out: there’s a roadside memorial, open bog on every side, and not much else.
The ambush
The column that did it numbered somewhere between 32 and 36 men, led by Michael Kilroy. They had reason to want a win. Two weeks earlier at Kilmeena they had come off worst and lost men, and Carrowkennedy was in part the answer to that.
When the RIC patrol came up the Westport to Leenane road, the column’s fire disabled the lead vehicles and broke the patrol. Seven of the police were killed and six wounded; among the dead was the patrol’s commander, District Inspector Edward Stevenson. The IRA suffered no losses and carried off the patrol’s rifles, revolvers and ammunition – a haul that turned the West Mayo Brigade from a lightly armed unit into one of the better-equipped flying columns in the country. The ambush is remembered as a model of the new approach: careful reconnaissance and concentrated fire, rather than the costly head-on fights of the earlier campaign.
A roadside memorial now marks the site. It is a modest thing, in keeping with the setting, but it is a deliberate marker of how much turned on this stretch of road.
The setting
The land around Carrowkennedy is rolling peat bog and dry-stone walls in the catchment of the Erriff and its neighbouring rivers – good country for a slow drive or a quiet walk, with brown trout in the rivers and few people about. Further along the same road towards Leenane, the Erriff drops over Aasleagh Falls, an easy roadside stop. For a longer hike, Ballycroy (Wild Nephin) National Park lies to the north, with a visitor centre and a network of trails through the peatlands.
Practical information
Getting there. Carrowkennedy is on the N59 about 10 km (6 miles) south of Westport. It’s a remote stretch with limited public transport, so a car is the practical option. The memorial is by the roadside; there’s no dedicated car park, so pull in considerately and watch the traffic.
Facilities and access. There are no toilets, cafés or visitor centre. The memorial and the surrounding lanes are free to reach year-round. The ground turns soft and boggy after rain, so wear sturdy footwear, and mobile signal is patchy across the Erriff valley – download anything you’ll need before you set out.
If you’re tracing the War of Independence through Mayo, pair Carrowkennedy with Kilmeena: two weeks apart and a few miles apart, the two actions are best understood together.