FIVE members of the Royal Irish Constabulary were murdered by rebels during the weekend, one of the victims being killed in an ambush at Greencastle in the Omagh District.

Sergeant Peter McDonagh, Mountfield Police Barracks, Co. Tyrone, was shot dead in an ambush at Greencastle (about eight miles from Omagh) on Saturday night.

The deceased, accompanied by three constables, had gone on a cycling patrol to Greencastle and the little party were on the homeward journey when they were ambushed from behind a thick growth of furze and gorse.

Knocked from his bicycle

The sergeant received a full charge of buckshot, was knocked from his bicycle and expired immmediately.

His companions fired in the direction of the attackers and evenutally retreated towards Greencastle, where they took refuge.

A telephone message was sent to Omagh and a large force of police was dispatched to the scene.

In the meantime, the body of Sergeant McDonagh had been removed to the house of Patrick McCullagh.

The reinforcements searched the whole neighbourhood, but no arrests were made.

The deceased was a native of Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh.

Attacked

While returning from Longford on bicycles at seven o’clock on Friday night, Constables Stewart and Booth, of Ballinalee Station, were attacked four miles from Longford by a number of armed men.

Constable Stewart was killed instantly. Constable Booth was wounded in the shoulder and succeeded in making off from the scene of the attack, but he was overtaken by his assailants and shot through the heart.

Constable Stewart was a native of Shaneragh, Dromore, County Tyrone.