Ballinlough constitutional crisis

The 1st Ballinlough constitutional crisis (Also known as the first battle of Ballinlough) was a conflict mainly in the Ballinlough region of Donegal which began on August 22nd 2022. It began after conflict within political leadership over the future of the nation and its constitution. The main belligerents were the Republican Volunteer Organisation (RVO, later known as PRVO and PROVO) the Irish Republican Army, rogue elements of the Tipperary Defence Forces, and armed civilians, against the Tipperary Defence Forces (reorganised into Celtic Union defence forces on day 2 of the crisis) and An Garda Síochána.

Day 1

Insurgent forces entered the town from the north at 5:30pm GMT on August 22nd, they were armed with rifles, pistols, and explosives. They took control of the town centre within minutes, the local Garda garrison attempted to launch a counter assault against the insurgents but this was pushed back until a platoon of Defence Forces reserves arrived at which point they assaulted the town from the south taking heavy casualties, they secured the 2 streets adjacent to the town centre, before finally pushing forward and taking control of the town by 6:30pm. Insurgent forces then began to launch guerrilla attacks from within the town, and on defence forces patrols.

By the end of the day a state of emergency was declared in county Donegal, all Defence Forces brigades were raised to high alert, and the Army Council convened to discuss course of action.

Garda officer in Ballinlough 22/08/2022

Day 2

Defence Forces counter-assault into the town on day 1

Garda ERU member during initial response to the crisis on day 1

In the early hours of the 23rd of August 2022, the Army Council of the Republic of Tipperary and the leadership of the Republic of Cork signed an agreement to unify the states into 1 Celtic Union. This further aggravated Irish Republicans living in Tipperary, and prompted a group of people within the Cork army to defect and declare Cork as independent, these Cork rebels arrived in Ballinlough in the morning to assist the insurgent forces there. Cork rebels entered the town and took a large portion of it under their control. The Defence forces of the new Celtic Union deployed a squad of MOWAG Piranha III APCs to the town to strengthen security operations and retake lost ground. Most combat was confined to the southern part of the town, with government forces being unable to take back control of the area.

Day 3

By day 3 the Defence Forces unit deployed to Ballinlough had been strengthened by the arrival of FV101 Scorpion light tanks, UH-1 and AH-1 helicopters, with the aid of the the close air support of the AH-1 helicopters, the Defence forces airmobile troops to the north of the town, and the platoon fighting in the south broke through insurgent defences, at the same time the northern units began an assault, by 8PM on the 24th most of the town was under government control.