Destruction of Irish country houses (1919–1923) April 1921, north Cork IRA leader, Liam Lynch, enraged by the destruction of several houses in reprisal for an IRA ambush declared, 'six big houses and castles of their friends, the Imperialists will go up for this.'" At least 76 country mansions were destroyed in the War of Independence; 30 "Big Houses" were burned in 1920 and another 46 in the first half of 1921, mostly in the conflict's Munster heartland, i.e. counties Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Clare and Limerick. Historian James S. Donnelly stated in a study of the burning of over 50 country mansions in County Cork in 1919–21
Limerick Colbert railway station connected their Dublin–Cork line with the W&LR at Limerick Junction, near Tipperary. The work was carried out at the height of the Irish Potato Famine, resulting in extreme financial difficulties for the company. Originally named "Limerick", the station was given the name Colbert on 10 April 1966 in commemoration of Cornelius Colbert, one of the executed leaders of the Easter Rising of 1916. Other former routes from Limerick station included: The direct line to Cork between Patrickswell and Charleville and the North Kerry line between Ballingrane and Tralee were dismantled in the [late 1960s - to be confirmed] and in