"The roar of the guns it was glorious The bullets flew round us like hail From rifles of cowards and traitors Mid the ranks of the sons of the Gael. And every rebel's a hero From Piltown, Old Parish, Ardmore, And down from the slopes of the Comeraghs, With Dungarvan's true sons to the fore".
This is a verse from the song "The Cross of Old Piltown", which was composed by Pat Keating of Killrossanty (and who was later killed in the Burgery Ambush) and it recalls for us the Ambush at Piltown Cross,an action of the Irish War of Independence on all Saints Night, near Kinsalebeg in County Waterford 1st November, 1920.
Involved was the IRA West Waterford Brigade, specifically the newly formed Deise Flying Column under O/C George Lennon of Dungarvan, as well as Volunteers from the local Ardmore battalion. Returned Great War veteran John Riordan planned and executed the successful engagement involving a feint attack on the RIC barracks in Ardmore. The British garrison in Youghal subsequently despatched nearly twenty troops in a single lorry. They were ambushed at Kinsalebeg and suffered two dead and six wounded. The ambush resulted in the capture of several rifles and a large quantity of ammunition which were used to equip the flying column. Captured were R.I.C. constables O'Neill and Prendiville who gave their word that they would resign. Prendiville was subsequently killed, fired from a shot from the Waterford side of the Youghal Bridge.