John Arnold: I wept as I recalled 14 men for whom the Clonmult bells tolled
John Arnold recalls the bravery and heroism of those who died at Clonmult, a century ago
Members of the commemoration committee Jim Ronayne, Sean Hennessy, Tom O Neill, PRO: Christy O Sullivan, chairman; Mick Hegarty, Jim O Callaghan, Fr Barry O Flynn, Dungourney; Mary Barron and Tim O Sullivan secretary at ceremony for the 100th anniversary of the Clonmult ambush in East Cork on Saturday February 20.
John Arnold
AT about 8pm last Sunday, the strains of Amhráin na bh Fiann rang out across the valley from the townland of Garrylaurence, near Clonmult in East Cork. Three of us stood in silence with, as the line from The Soldier’s Song says, the starry heavens o’er us.
The story of the 1921 Drishanebeg Train Ambush marking its centenary is available in print and on a new Information Board erected outlining details of the Ambush and key events during the War of Independence.
Owing to Covid restrictions, events marking 100 years of the Ambush on February 11, 1921 have been put on hold yet splendidly captured in the publication Worth the Wait and a colourful Display Board in place just in time for the Centenary.
President of the Drishanebeg Ambush Commemoration Ambush Project Committee Tom Meaney spoke of the event as one of the most successful engagements against the Crown Forces by the Millstreet Battalion Volunteers in a meticulous planned operation.
Over 25 Clare rebels held on Spike Island in 1921 clareherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from clareherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By early 1921 Britain’s war in Ireland was not just a moral issue, but a financial one. The sheer expense of solving The Irish Question , considering financial reparation for the loss of civilian life and destruction of private property, along with the price tag of the Crown Forces’ operations in Ireland, was staggering.
Why grenades and bombs from Ireland s war years still turn up
Updated / Friday, 12 Feb 2021
16:00
Bombs found by the British Auxiliaries in an IRA bomb factory at Heron and Lawless bicycle shop on Dublin s Parnell Street in December 1920. Photo: Joseph Cashman/RTÉ Cashman Collection/RTÉ Stills Library
The discovery of a grenade dating from the War of Independence in Dublin s Grand Canal close to Harold s Cross bridge made headlines last summer. However, as
Lar Joye, Port Heritage Director at Dublin Port, and former curator of the Military Collections at the National Museum, explained to Myles Dungan on RTÉ Radio 1 s History Show, there are probably plenty of other munitions from Ireland s revolutionary years still out there in a variety of places. Here are some lightly edited extracts from that discussion