Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 15 April 2021

Journeys to a Truce: The Washington Street Ambush

Patrick Murray was Officer in Command of C-Company of the 1st Battalion, Cork No.1 IRA Brigade. In his witness statement for the Bureau of Military History (WS1584), he describes the Spring activity of an active IRA service unit in the city centre.

Patrick outlines that when the active service unit began, it comprised six members from each of the two battalions in the city. The men on the unit were: Danny Healy, Stephen McSwiney, Jim Barrett, Liam O’Callaghan, Seán Twomey and Patrick Murray from the 1^st Battalion; and Florrie O’Donoghue, Jim Counihan, Ned Fitzgibbon, George Burke, Jim Fitzgerald, Peter Donovan and one other from the 2^nd Battalion. Seán Twomey was put in charge.

There was a special space/ office in the city dealing with the unit’s intelligence and communications. This office was under the control of George Buckley. Only two or three selected couriers were allowed to know where the office was, for fear of anyone being followed into it.

Of the first few weeks that the active service unit was in existence, Patrick notes: “We were actively engaged watching the movements of military and police. The members of the active service unit took turns in taking up positions along routes which were supposed to be taken by the police and military, but as they did not take any particular route with any regularity, it was often found that they would leave a street just when the military or police came into it”.

The unit’s first ambush occurred on 12 April 1921, just after 10am, when bombs were thrown into a lorry in Washington Street at the junction with Little Anne Street. The bombs failed to explode, and the military returned the fire wounding some civilians. The failure of bombs to explode became a serious problem in the city, as it was realised that, if a bomb did not go off, civilians and the Volunteers themselves would suffer heavy casualties through the retaliation of gunfire. Special men connected with the unit were allocated to the work of inspecting all bombs which were to be used in the city.

Michael O’Donoghue, engineer officer with the 2^nd Battalion in his witness statement (WS1741) notes that he was present at the Washington Street ambush describes in his witness statement: “My three companions and myself were armed with revolvers. Our instructions were simple – to cover the retreat of a bombing party who were waiting to attack a military patrolling tender, which passed that way fairly regularly in the morning”.

After the ambush, Michael recalls looking east towards Broad Lane church or the then St Francis Church. “I saw one of our bombers limping along slowly and heavily holding his right side and half supported, half dragged along by a companion. Then, as if from nowhere, a side-car appeared and from it jumped down another of the attacking party. The wounded man is then helped up to a seat on the car, his companion sitting beside him and holding him. The jarvey sat on the opposite side with the other Volunteer behind him. The driver whips up his horse and off they trot in the direction of the Mercy Hospital”.

An official and stark proclamation was published in the Cork Examiner announcing that the competent military authority (Major General Strickland) had ordered the destruction of two large resident business premises near the Courthouse because they had been places where as the announcement noted “rebels and other evilly-disposed persons had consorted to levy war against His Majesty, King George V”.

Michael describes that one of the premises was Macari’s Café, a great resort of College students, where ice cream, minerals, fish and chips, peas and various other choice delicacies in fruit, fish and flesh. Macari himself, his wife and teen-age family were Italians who had settled in Cork pre 1914. It was a popular place for Cork youths especially students of all types, and IRA men were in and out casually every day and at, all times. The British wanted to punish Macari for not reporting to them the “comings and goings” of his clientele.

The other house officially condemned to destruction was Murphy’s public house and provision store round the corner of Messrs Dwyer’s stores near Clarke’s Bridge. The Murphys were a prominent Republican family from the Kinsale area of West Cork.

Michael outlines that the British military cordoned off Washington Street between the Courthouse and Wood Street. Macari’s and Murphy’s were entered by armed soldiers who ordered the occupants outside. Macari’s was blown up first. A demolition squad in khaki entered and set some explosives apparently on top floor. They withdrew to the street where they took cover at a safe distance. There then was a series of explosions and the roof was blown out, sending showers of slates and pieces of wood and masonry flying into the air. When the shower of smoke and dust had subsided the demolition squad again entered this time to complete the job by laying explosive charges on the ground floor.

Michael continues his detail: “Out again with them and back to the safety of the cordon. This time three or four tremendous explosions rocked the interior, completely wrecking everything within. Then the military repeated this programme of destruction in like mariner at Murphy’s. Not a solitary item of furniture or goods were permitted to be taken from either house and both buildings were utterly and completely wrecked in this brutal official reprisal”.

Have a story of relative to tell involved with the War of Independence in Cork, get in touch with Kieran at mccarthy_kieran@yahoo.com

Captions:

1095a. Present day site of Washington Street ambush (12 April 1921) at the intersection with Little Anne Street, (picture: Kieran McCarthy).

1095a. Present day site of Washington Street ambush (12 April 1921) at the intersection with Little Anne Street, (picture: Kieran McCarthy).

Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 4 February 2021

Journeys to a Truce: The Dripsey Ambush

As the Irish War of Independence progressed in early 1921, the movements of British troops throughout the country were tabulated. Where it was noticed that convoys were maintained on a regular basis between any two points, suitable preparations were then made for an ambush on the route. In this way, it was calculated that a convoy of three lorries of soldiers would proceed from Macroom to Cork on 27 January 1921. It was decided by members of the sixth battalion of the Cork IRA Brigade No.1 to ambush British troops at a bend in the main road between Dripsey and Coachford.

It is almost fourteen years since this column visited the story of the Dripsey Ambush and at that time I referenced Historian P J Feeney’s fine book Glory O, Glory O, Ye Bold Fenian Men, A History of the Sixth Battalion, Cork’s First Brigade, 1913-1921. In it hehighlights the story of the Dripsey Ambush and that the sitehad high firing ground on the near side and its open stretch on the off side would expose the soldiers to the full fire of the attackers.

Positions were taken up on the 27January 1921, but the military did not depart on that day owing to some technical delay at Macroom. The ambushers, anticipating that the convoy would probably proceed within twenty-four hours, decided to remain over night at their posts. For that reason, by 28 January news of the impending attack soon became known amongst the local people, and in due course, information was brought to a local lady named Mrs Lindsay of Leemount House, Coachford whose sympathies were known to be with Crown authorities.

Mrs Lindsay decided to inform the Military at Ballincollig, and without further delay ordered her Chauffeur named Clark to drive her to the local barracks, a distance of about twelve miles. Not far from her house she came upon the local Roman Catholic curate, Rev. E. Shinnick, informed him of her purpose, and requested that he advise the ambushers to abandon their project. Passing through the ambush cordon without hindrance, she safely reached Ballincollig and accurately described the position to the Commanding Officer of the Manchesters who were then stationed there.

Meantime, Father Shinnick approached the attackers, and without stating the source of his information, informed them that the military were now aware of their plans. He suggested that they retire from the spot as quickly as possible. The ambushers, thinking that this was simply a move on the part of Fr Shinnick to have bloodshed avoided, decided to remain at their posts. At Ballincollig, full preparations were made for a surprise attack, and a strong military party arrived at Dripsey Bridge about 3pm. There they divided into two sections, one group advancing along the bye-road towards Peake, whilst the remainder proceeded along the main road to Coachford.

The Peake road party were able to approach the ambushers from the rear, and both sections opened fire simultaneously. The ambushers, now on the defence were armed but were outranged by the service rifles of the military, decided to retire under cover of a rear guard party of six men. In the early stages of the encounter, it was discovered that the military had made one tactical error by not also closing in from the west or Coachford side.

Taking full advantage of this oversight, the main body of the ambushers quickly slipped through the gap, in the attack, and with nightfall approaching, they were soon clear. Their comrades though remained at their posts. However, there came a point where there was no alternative but to surrender. Ten men were arrested. From Dripsey, they were conveyed to Victoria Barracks, Cork City. Crown troops confiscated sixteen shotguns with 101 rounds of ammo, four rifles with 33 rounds of ammo, three revolvers with 86 rounds of ammo and six bombs.

The man heading up the Dripsey ambush was Captain James Barrett. He was born at Killeen, Donoughmore on 29 June 1880. He was employed by the Cork and Muskerry Railway Company and was Station Master at Firmount for nearly two decades before his death. He was Captain of Aghabullogue Football team. He joined the Donoughmore Company of the Irish volunteer movement in 1914. He was Quartermaster within the C Company of the sixth battalion Cork no.1 IRA Brigade. He was wounded in the leg at Dripsey, taken prisoner and brought to Cork Military Barracks. His leg was amputated but died shortly after. He was buried in Donoughmore.

Subsequently Mrs Lindsay was kidnapped by members of the sixth battalion and was used as leverage to free the captives. However, that strategy did not work. On 28 February 1921, five IRA men were executed. They were all members of the Sixth Battalion, Cork no.1 IRA Brigade – Jack Lyons, Timothy McCarthy, Thomas O’Brien, Daniel O’Callaghan andPatrick O’Mahony.

On the captive’s execution,and arising of careful discussion with General Head Quarters in Dublin, and a Brigade meeting at Blarney, the decision was taken to execute Mrs. Lindsay and Clarke, her chauffeur. In early March 1921, they were shot by a firing squad consisting of six volunteers under the command of vice-commandant of the Sixth Battalion, Frank Busteed. In the past decade, Frank Busteed’s memorabilia was donated to the Cork Museum by his grandson, Brian O’Donoghue. It is currently on display with a written up history of Frank’s life and times.

The first Dripsey Ambush memorial was a simple wooden cross, which was erected by friends and relatives of those who died. Anne MacSwiney, a sister of Terence MacSwiney, unveiled it in 1924. A local committee of locals and members of Dripsey Pipe Band was formed to consider a larger memorial. Cork sculptor Seamus Murphy was chosen to create a slender limestone obelisk, at the ambush site, which was unveiled on Easter Sunday in April 1938.

Captions:

1085a. Dripsey Ambush Memorial, 2007 (picture: Kieran McCarthy)

1085b. Coachford-Dripsey Road adjacent Dripsey Ambush Memorial, 2007 (picture: Kieran McCarthy)