Torr Head was evacuated on 23rd September and on 6th November the caretaker found the Coastguard building engulfed in flames. It was gutted, but the War Signal Station was not destroyed. The rebels were beaten off when they attacked the Wireless Telegraphy Station at corkbeg. The station was defended by the crew of four and a detachment of ten Cameron Highlanders. The defenders fired ninety rounds and estimated that the attackers fired two thousand rounds, but there were no casualties reported on either side.

The rebels also had a set-back after burning down the Bally-glass Coastguard Station two days after it had been evacuated. A strong police patrol was on the way to the station at the time and ran into the raiders. Four arrests were made including two notorious leaders of Sinn Fein.

Teelin 'guarded' Coastguard Station was attacked on I2th June 1921 and a coastguard was killed. The Sinn Feiners took up position on high ground overlooking the Station and concentrated fire on the windows of the building. The Coastguard returned the fire but because of the weather conditions - it was 3.20 a.m. when the action started - they were unable accurately to sight the enemy. About fifty men were in the attacking party which remained outside the bounds of the station and kept up sniping fire for over an hour. One of the shots killed Coastguard William Kennington. After leaving the Coastguard Station the raiders went to Carrick, about three miles away, and commandeered the only two cars in the place. Local rumour had it that there were five casualties to the raiders.

A week later the 'war' hotted up and on Saturday 18th June the Coastguard Stations were burned at Malahide, Portrayed, Rush, Lough Shinney, Rogertown and Skerries.

Three days later a conference of all Coastguard Divisional Officers in the Kingstown area was held in the office of the Captain of the Division. It was unanimously agreed that until arrangements could be completed for the evacuation of wives and families it was inadvisable to concentrate or make any show of defending certain stations as it was considered that any such movement would be a signal for the destruction of all undefended stations, and that the plight of the wives and families left without any men to help them would be worse than it was already.

The Divisional Officers of Donaghadee and Newcastle stated that the population round their Coastguard Stations were loyal, and that the stations ran practically no danger of being attacked, as this could only come from a flying column which would have to retreat through hostile country and run great danger of being cut off.

It was considered that the wives and families should be evacuated as soon as possible from all stations in Dundalk, Malahide, Kingstown, Wicklow and Wexford Divisions as, following the burning of the Stations in Malahide Division, similar action might be expected at any time in the other South-East divisions. The conference was told that six families from the burned stations had left for England and the families of twenty-three coastguards had temporary shelter in the homes of neighbouring gentry. Their removal to furnished quarters in England was urgent as most of their worldly possessions had been burnt.

Arrangements were in fact made with the Union Jack Club in Waterloo Road, London to accommodate several destitute families. The attacks on the Coastguard Stations continued until the 'troubles' ended with the setting up of the Irish Free State, and the last Coastguard Station was closed in 1922.
 

Source; Shipminder. The Story of Her Majesty’s Coastguard By Bernard Scarlett