As was expected locally, the police barracks at Belcoo was surrendered without the firing of a shot or any attempt to save it, to the IRA, at 10pm on Tuesday evening, in spite of the fact that there were four guards on duty and 23 men in the barracks.

The IRA in Blacklion, which is in County Cavan, and is only separated by a bridge from Belcoo, in Fermanagh, lost their barracks by fire on Friday last, and in the conflagration all their stock of bombs and ammunition was lost.

To replenish this, the raid was planned and carried out successfully.

Demand

When the demand came to open the barrack door, it was opened and the IRA men rushed in and took possession, and captured all the rifles, ammunition and machine guns and also took prisoners 17 men in the barracks which included 13 Special Constables and four regular RIC men.

The authorities have information that treachery was the cause of the surrender.

A similar coup was planned before the handing over of Petttigo barracks, which is on the Fermanagh border in Donegal, the town being partly in both counties.

From information received, the Special Constabulary sent a force to Pettigo to bring the men from that station to Fermanagh for disbandment.

Refused

The RIC men refused to leave Pettigo, and the Specials promptly disarmed the lot and took away to Fermanagh all the arms and equipment and other government property and left the RIC behind.

Locally, there is no sympathy with the authorities of the RIC, which have been allowing things to drift.

Belcoo is the third barrack in Fermanagh to be captured by the IRA without any casualty.

Some time ago, the IRA walked into Kesh barracks, acting on instructions which could only have been given by a man living in the barracks.