The Battle of Clonmult
In 1921, the flying column of the 4th Battalion of the Cork No. 1 Brigade spent six weeks hiding out in an abandoned farmhouse in Clonmult, Dungourney, Co. Cork. On Sunday, February 20th, 1921, the commanding officers left the farmhouse at noon. They were to carry out a reconnaissance of Cobh Junction to plan an ambush for the following Tuesday. The men were to move out of the farmhouse that evening to another safe location.
A detachment from the Hampshire regiment was out looking for them at a nearby farmhouse. Around 3pm they moved on to the farmhouse where the men were staying. They saw two IRA men drawing water from a well. John Joe Joyce and Michael Desmond were shot dead.
With the house now surrounded, four men formed a sortie to escape by fighting their way out of the house. Jack O’Connell led the way and managed to get free. Mick Hallahan, Dick Hegarty and James Aherne were killed.
The Hampshires, joined by Auxiliaries for support, set fire to the thatch roof to burn the men out of the house. The men surrendered around 5.00pm and came out with their hands up. They were lined up outside the nearby outhouse. Christopher O’Sullivan, David Desmond, Jeremiah Aherne and his first-cousin Liam Aherne, Donal Dennehy, Joseph Morrissey, and James Galvin were then murdered by the Auxiliaries.
A British army officer stopped the Auxiliaries shooting. Twelve members of the column were dead and eight were taken as prisoners. A search was then made by military and ‘Black and Tans’, money, watches, Sacred Heart badges and pins, and any article of value was taken. They were marched through the fields, on to the road where the Army lorries were stopped. They were first taken to Midleton and questioned in the RIC barracks. They were then taken to Cork Military Barracks.
Patrick O’Sullivan and Maurice Moore were tried and hanged. The other six, four of whom were underage, were tried, sentenced, and jailed until the truce came later that year.
The Battle of Clonmult was the IRA’s greatest loss of life ever in a single engagement against Crown Forces.
LEARN MORE:
Clonmult Ambush Witness Statements and Related Military Records
Witness Statements:
Joseph Aherne: www.militaryar...
Paddy Whelan: www.militaryar...
Patrick Higgins: www.militaryar...
Jack O'Connell: www.militaryar...
From the Book "The Kindness of Strangers": year-of-disapp...
Related Military Records:
Military Archives: www.militaryar...
Military Archives: militarypensio...
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