Extra
security was drawn in from all quarters, including the 10th Hussars
from the Curragh in County
Meath. Indeed there were three special trains
commissioned to ferry them. All went
well on the journey north. Not so, on
the return journey.
As
you know from reading this site, the railway traces the Gap of the North
through the south-east end of the Ring of Gullion. South-bound, the section of the line here is
a steep climb and goods trains rarely exceeded 15 mph even with a good head of
steam. An ideal spot to stage an ambush,
which is what happened.
Three
special trains had been laid on and it was the third that was attacked. On board there were 113 men, 4 officers and
104 horses. In all fifteen vehicles
belonging to the Great Northern Railway Company were destroyed. But more to the point, there was considerable
loss of life.
At
the scene, three soldiers, and the civilian Guard, one Frank Gallagher from
Donegal, died. Two further soldiers died
later of their injuries and two railway officials were seriously injured. The latter two were named as Andrew Berkeley
and Dan Madden.
Curiously
– or maybe not, considering the Englishman’s attachment to his animals – the
whole incident is best remembered for the equine loss of life. In all some forty horses died, some having to
be shot because of their serious injuries.
It
was said that soldiers wept for their dead horses, many of which had recently
been through the Great War with them. Local people were rounded up and made to dig a massive grave in which
the horses were buried.
For
many years after, there were reports of a ghost train that habitually travelled
south at this point. Gatemen saw the
approaching lights but on opening the level crossing gates to allow it through,
no train appeared.
The
‘ballad’ that appeared thereafter is possibly best forgotten!
‘The
miles men that morning were taken by surprise
By
masked men and guard men and men in disguise
They
were brought to an empty house
But
neither a frack nor a friend
Sure
the very hair stood on their heads
The
morning that the train went down’.
History 
