The Headford Ambush was carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) on 21 March 1921, during the Irish War of Independence. The IRA's 2nd Kerry Brigade ambushed a train carrying British troops of the Royal Fusiliers at Headford Junction railway station near Killarney, County Kerry. This sparked a battle lasting almost an hour, in which at least 13 people were killed – eight British soldiers, two IRA volunteers and three civilians. The IRA withdrew after another train carrying British troops arrived. Background The Irish War of Independence, a guerrilla conflict by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) against British rule in Ireland, had been ongoing since 1919. Several IRA brigades were established in County Kerry, which targeting British forces stationed in the county (consisting of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and the British Army). The IRA established a police presence in the county and intimidated individuals suspected of having intentions to join either the Army or the RIC. In July 1920, the Black and Tans were deployed to the county, and "began to engage in wholesale intimidation and violence against civilians without any provocation." Between 1 and 9 November 1920, the Tans laid siege to Tralee, refusing to let any supplies come into the town. By early 1921, British forces "believed that they had the upper hand in the county", with a RIC inspector in the county maintaining "that the I.R.A. had lost much of their fighting capabilities, and that they would never 'regain the hold they had on the popular imagination' and the police were now capable of travelling wherever they wanted in the County." This was in their view due to the aggressive policy of reprisals they had undertaken in response to IRA attacks in County Kerry. However, as noted by historian Thomas Earls Fitzgerald, IRA activity consistently increased in spring of that year, being bolstered by the arrival of Andrew Cooney from Dublin on February 1921, who formed a flying column on 2 March and made plans to launch attacks against British forces. Three days later, IRA volunteers from the No. 2 Kerry Brigade launched a successful ambush on a British Army convoy, killing several soldiers including Brigadier-General Hanway Robert Cumming. Upon hearing of news of the ambush, Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army Richard Mulcahy, who was impressed with the IRA's performance in County Kerry, wrote to the officer commanding of the No. 2