On Sunday the 5th of June 1920 members of the IRA undertook a raid for petrol on the railway stores in Enniscorthy. Two days earlier on a Friday up to 800 gallons of petrol was delivered there by Rail. Due to its flammable nature however it was left stored on the railway wagon and not in the goods store. The petrol was stored in Tins and in total the delivery weighed around 5 tons. This meant it would require a large party to move and it was reported that 90 to 100 men were involved in the operation which started at 11p.m. and lasted into the early hours of the morning. The petrol was transported in two lorries belonging to MJ Whelan Enniscorthy and taken to Ballingale Mill, the home of a Mary O Neill, where it was stored safely. The operation was a success that they were not detected considering the number of people involved and its location near the Town itself. The petrol would later be used in other operations such as the assassination of Inspector Lee Wilson in Gorey.
Sources
New Ross Standard, 11th June 1920, p8
Bureau of Military History Witness statement, Thomas Dwyer #1198
Bureau of Military History Witness statement, Sean Whelan #1294
Documenting and Recording Wexfords War of Independence 1919-1921 