Sniper shield, Bohola and Kiltimagh area, Co. Mayo, c. 1920-1921

Sniper shield, Bohola and Kiltimagh area, Co. Mayo, c. 1920-1921

This shield, cast of iron with a hole to enable a firearm to be fired through it while protecting the gunman, was found in farmland around Bohola and Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo. It is thought to be a sniper shield connected to the 3^rd Battalion, East Mayo Brigade, as its members were based in this region. 
Some of the most famous incidents in this rural area was the burning of Bohola Barracks in April 1920, when members of the Brigade were serious injured, and the capture of Ballyvary Barracks in August the same year.