One early victim of the action was Charlie Hurley, the IRA Commanding Officer of the Cork Number Three Brigade. Hurley, who was recovering from a serious wound sustained at the Upton ambush, was trapped in a house and killed at about 6:30am. Tom Barry, only becoming aware of the danger at the last minute, resolved that his men, 104 strong, would have to fight their way out of the encirclement.
Charlie Hurley, the IRA commander of the Cork Number Three Brigade, became an early casualty as a result of the operation. Meanwhile, he was still recovering from a severe injury sustained in the Upton ambush and found himself trapped in a house before being killed around 6:30am. Tom Barry, who only learned about the danger at the very end, made the tough decision that his men, consisting of 104 fighters, would have to fight their way out of the encirclement.