IRISH WARFARE.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1922, Page 5

IRISH WARFARE.

EEBELS LOSE DUNDALK. ' RETREAT TO MOUNTAINS. RISING COLLAPSING. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Aug. 18, 5.5 p.m. London, August 17. The Nationals have recaptured Dundalk. Many rebels were taken prisoner, but the majority retreated to the mouni tains, wrecking the post office and i mining the streets before leaving. The | rebels also evacuated Carlingford and [ Greenore. . Evidence of the changed Irish feeling in the Irish country districts is afforded by an incident which occurred during ' the irregulars flight from the Mallow district. Childers’ detachment wished to destroy a bridge on the road of .retreat I but the people of the district, headed I by the parish priest and the protestant I rector, watched day and night, and prevented injury. The National troops used aeroplanes | and an armoured train in the recapture of Dundalk. Aviators circled over the ; town, observed the disposition of the j rebels and dropped leaflets directing the j inhabitants to remain indoors. Three different forces took part in the attack. One came from Drogheda in an armoured train, and others from Carrickmacross and from Navan. They crept from cover and turned machineguns on to the rebel strongholds, and finally the town was taken at the bayonet point. About three hundred prisoners were taken. The townspeople wel- • corned the Free Staffers with the wildJ est enthusiasm. The rebels are retreating without offering to fight on the whole southern i front, and dre falling back on the bogs and hills. De Valera has fled to Kil- • pedder, where he is reported to be lying i ill in a farmhouse a broken man. His ! more moderate friends assert he never wanted the irregulars to fight, but Rory O’Connor forced his hand.

Lynch, who accompanies de Valera, is expected to make the last stand on a twenty-mile front along the river Blackwater, from Millstreet to Mallow. The rebels’ only alternative to fight to the end is to surrender. All roads are strongly held by Free Staters. Meanwhile. the chief indications of the downfall of the rebellion is the recruitment for the National army, to which many thousands are flocking. Miss Mary McSweeney is with the rebels holding Waterfall village, in County Cork. Free State troops have re-occupied the Qifden wireleft station.

DE VALERA LEADING REBELS. GUERILLA WARFARE PLANS. London. August 17. The Daily Mail states that de Valera now definitely been appointed com-mander-in-chief of the rebels. Realising the impossibility of success in a pitched battle, he is heading his men | for the Cork hills with the intention of waging intensified guerilla warfare on a large scale. They recently raided the : stables of farms for light horses, which they are employing as cavalry. The Drogheda district (north of Dublin) has been completely cleared of reb- • els, and it is expected Dundalk will be ; relieved in a few days. A Free State I aeroplane flew over Dundalk and scattered leaflets threatening severe penalties in the event of damage to public buildings. The Irregulars captured Carlingford, near Dundalk. Cardinal Logue was spending a holiday there and escaped in a motor-car. ' An official message says that the | Nationals are sweeping onwards in the I South. They have captured Mallow, I Miteheistown and Fermoy. The Nationals, with artillery, are advancing on Dundalk.