Midleton GAA Club

24 January, 2021

The key messages for this week:

• New GAA COVID Guidelines
• Lotto Jackpot reaches €19,800
• Cork County Board Draw….Rebels’ Bounty tickets on sale
• Clonmult Ambush Centenary Commemoration…Portrait of Patriots Series
• Blast from the Past Photographs

Midleton GAA…at the ‘Heart of the Community’. Ní neart go cur le chéile. There is no strength without unity.

COVID Update

The GAA has issued advice to clubs and counties for activities that are permissible and not permissible in 2021 until further notice.

• Under Level 5 of the plan for living with Covid-19 and the current restrictions in the North, individual training only is permitted for GAA clubs.
• Neither adult or underage teams may train collectively, club games are not permitted, and GAA club grounds must remain closed.
• At inter-county level, it remains the case that collective training for senior inter-county panels may only recommence from January 15th. However, given the current growth rates in virus transmission, this date is under review.
• For the moment senior inter-county players may train on an individual basis only in club or county owned gyms and no training is currently permitted for any other panels such as U-20 or Minor.

For more detailed guidelines please click here.

Mega Lotto Results

• 4 Lucky Dip Prize Winners this week
• The re-launched Lotto is a critical component of our fundraising for Park South. The support to date has been good, especially with the number of annual subscriptions that have been submitted.
• In total Midleton GAA will give out local business vouchers to the value of €3,800 every year as part of our “Shop Local, Buy Local” campaign.
• How to play: Go to http://www.midletongaa.com click on Play Now in Mega Lotto section. You can buy an annual ticket by selecting “50” from the “Number of Draws” to Play dropdown.

Rebels’ Bounty Draw

The Cork County Board Draw has been re-name Rebels’ Bounty  2021. This is a fund-raiser not just for the Cork County Board but also for GAA clubs within the county. Midleton GAA are promoting Rebels’ Bounty Draw as a vehicle to raise funds for our new facilities at Park South.

All monies collected, YES, that's 100% of it goes directly to the Midleton GAA club without any admin costs, any risks or any prize costs. Many long term members are renewing now and many new members joining due to the new attractive prizes.

As you can see from the below image, there is now a total prize fund of €500k with a Whopping €100k for December 21 Draw. There are 360 cash prizes in total per year.

Purchase a ticket to support the GAA and especially Midleton GAA – Magpies Abú

To sign up for the draw simply click on the joining link:

https://rebelsbounty.ergogroup.ie/prod/rebelsbounty/join-draw

If you have any queries/questions or need help purchasing a ticket, you can contact the following people who will be delighted to assist you. Many thanks for all your support over the years which has enabled Midleton GAA to thrive and remain a forward-thinking and proactive club and strive to always be better for all our members and our community.

Pat O Brien - Coordinator Club Draw Coordinator 086 8118815

Liam Ryan, Steve Sheehan, Pearse Mc Carthy, John Fenton, Diarmuid Ó Dálaigh

Go raibh maith agaibh. Thank you.

 

Healthy Club Project

See below schedule of ‘sessions’ next week.

Blast from the Past

Pictured at Clonmult Memorial Park on 19^th May 1991, Paddy Fitzgerald, Ger Fitzgerald & Mícheál O’Hehir

 

Pictures from this week in the past. U21 East Cork Football Final & U12 Team from 1972 

Clonmult Ambush Centenary Commemoration

Ag druidim le comóradh chéad bliain Luíochán Clonmult an 20 Feabhra déanfaimid sraith ‘Portraits of Clonmult Patriots’ a athphostáil.

In the run up to the centenary of the Clonmult Ambush on 20 February we will re-post a ‘Portraits of Clonmult Patriots’ series.

This will include a picture and biography of the 15 column members who died during the the War of Independence (12 who died at Clonmult, 2 that were executed at Victoria Barracks and the Column Leader who died at Gurtacrue, Midleton) and those who survived Clonmult on that fateful day.

Many thanks to the Clonmult Centenary Commemoration Committee and their contributors for this fantastic content.

For those not familiar with the Clonmult Ambush and its local and national significance, then visit the Clonmult Ambush Site Facebook Page. There you will see some suggested reading such as the book written by Tom O’Neill titled ‘The IRA’s Worst Defeat’ and the readable and informative Commemorative Journal/Calendar published  to mark the centenary of the ambush.

Subject to COVID restrictions other commemoration events will be organised by Midleton GAA.

“Portraits of Clonmult Patriots Series”

Capt John (Jack) O’Connell, Cobh

Jack O’Connell from Cobh was born on the 26th of August 1898. He was one of eight children of Patrick and Mary O’Connell, James, John, Timothy, May, Ellen, Daniel, Patrick and William. He enlisted in the Irish National Volunteers (INV) in 1914 and in 1915 enlisted in the Irish Volunteers.

On Easter Saturday night, 1916, Jack was one of the Cobh Volunteers who went to Sheares Street Cork in preparation for the ‘’Easter Rising’’. In order for the Munster Volunteers to participate in the Easter Rising, they were totally reliant on a shipment of rifles and ammunition that was expected to be landed in Fenit, Co. Kerry, from the gun running ship ‘Aud’. Unknown to the Volunteers at the time, the ‘Aud’ had been captured by the Royal Navy and was scuttled with its cargo by the crew outside the entrance to Cork Harbour. After the events of Easter 1916, the Cobh Company was reorganised with Mick Leahy as Company Commander.

In April 1918, Jack O’Connell and about six members of the Cobh Company raided a gun shop in the town for weapons. They got some .22” rifles, shot-guns and an assortment of ammunition. His next action was in February 1919, again with the Cobh Company. He was involved in disarming three British soldiers at the Admiralty reservoir on the outskirts of the town. In October 1919 he was involved in disarming three British soldiers while they were travelling on a train to Cobh. By that time Cobh Company had been re-designated as ‘B’ Company, Fourth Battalion, IRA.

He was fully involved in the dramatic and successful attack, capture and destruction of Carrigtwohill, RIC Barracks. This was considered a major success by the IRA nationally, as it was the first RIC Barracks captured and destroyed anywhere in the country. Jack O’Connell was at that time, Company Quartermaster of the Cobh Company. As a result of the successful operation in Carrigtwohill, the Crown Forces began raiding houses in Cobh. Company Commander Daithi O’Brien was arrested and Jack replaced him as Cobh Company Commander in January, 1920.

As company commander, he mobilised members of his company to disarm four British soldiers in Cobh. During this engagement, one of the soldiers, Private William Newman, was shot dead by one of the IRA men. This was the first British soldier killed by a member of the Cobh Company.

Jack O’Connell was arrested by Crown Forces in March 1920. He was taken to Cork Male Gaol, transferred to Belfast Gaol, then to Wormwood Scrubs Prison in London. While there he went on hunger strike and after twelve days he was taken to hospital in London. He was released in June 1920 and returned to Cobh.

Capt Jack O’Connell joined the Fourth Battalion flying column at Clonmult, in early February, 1921. The column was tasked with attacking a train carrying military supplies, between Cobh and Cork City, it was decided to carry out the attack on the 22nd of February, at Cobh Junction. In preparation for the attack, the column had to relocate from Clonmult to Leamlara, this was to take place after dark on Sunday 20th of February.

The column commander Diarmuid O’Hurley, departed Clonmult on Sunday morning 20th February 1921, to carry out a reconnaissance of Cobh Junction. Against normal military procedure, he decided to take his two senior officers with him for the reconnaissance. Paddy Higgins was the next senior officer however, Capt Joseph Ahern, instead gave temporary command to Capt Jack O’Connell This decision caused friction between Jack and Paddy Higgins.

When Jack O’Connell assumed temporary command of the column he inherited all the responsibilities of the appointment. His first priority was the security of the column and secondly he was tasked with organising the departure of the column, that evening. During the afternoon the members of the column were busy preparing their meal and their departure. Two members of the column were doing the vital role of sentry duty out in the fields.

The two sentries decided to abandon their sentry duties and return to the farmhouse and pack their belongings for the march out. All this occurred at the worst possible time. The British Army were on their way and the sentries were the only early warning available for the column. As it happened the first Jack O’Connell knew of the presence of the British soldiers was when another officer, Diarmuid ‘Sonny’ O’Leary, spotted soldiers in front of the house. Within minutes, two of the column, John Joe Joyce and Michael Desmond were killed by the soldiers.

Almost immediately, Capt Jack O’Connell assessed the situation and decided on attempting a breakout. However, a command conflict became apparent between Jack and Capt Paddy Higgins, who was still annoyed at being passed over by Jack O’Connell and was not inclined to charge out of the house against the British rifles. This was when the absence of the real second–in-command was to cost the column dearly. It was time for quick decisions, clear orders and instant obedience. It was not the occasion for disagreement between the two senior officers present.

The result was that only four men agreed to make an attempted breakout with Capt O’Connell. They were Michael Hallahan, James Ahern, Dick Hegarty and Jeremiah (Diarmuid) O’Leary. Firing was now intensified from the house, in order to provide covering fire for the men who were about to attempt to break out. With only three windows and one door at the front of the building, the lack of firing ports and a restricted field of fire, greatly reduced the ability of the men remaining inside to give accurate and effective support to the five attempting the breakout.

Capt O’Connell, armed with a rifle and fixed bayonet, led the breakout through the door and seemingly caught the British troops by surprise. He ran across the farmyard to a gateway. As he turned up to the right, he was fired on by two British soldiers from the corner of a field bordering the western side of the yard. He returned fire, wounding CSM Corney. Lt Koe, the army officer in charge of the first patrol to reach the farmhouse, would later give evidence that the bullet that wounded the CSM was fired from the grove of trees. Jack ran further down the track and when he looked around to see his companions, to his amazement, he was alone. Lt Koe account is that he, the CSM and one soldier proceeded to the eastern side of the farmhouse where there was a small wood. As they approached the eastern side of the house, fire was opened on them from near the small wood, wounding the CSM. Lt Koe and the soldier returned fire and withdrew with the wounded CSM. Lt Koe and CSM Corney had been carrying out a preliminary reconnaissance of the farmhouse and yard when Capt O’Connell made his dash for freedom.

Very shortly after Jack O’Connell made his dash, he was quickly followed by the four volunteers. Unfortunately, the soldiers were on the alert with loaded rifles aimed at the door. Three of the volunteer were shot dead and only O’Leary managed to get back into the farmhouse. The break out was over and only Jack O’Connell managed to get through the British Army cordon. By the time the battle of Clonmult was over later that evening, twelve members of the column were dead and eight others were prisoners of the British Army.

When Capt Jack O’Connell made his escape from the farmhouse, he ran down a narrow road for approximately 200m. He was astonished to find that none of his comrades were with him. He returned to within sight of the farmhouse and considered attempting to get back inside. Instead he decided to make an attempt at locating some of the local volunteers and his intention was to attack the British troops from their rear with them and thus relieving the besieged column. He eventually met two local Volunteers, Willie Foley and another unnamed volunteer. One, he sent for arms, the other he wanted to take back to the farmhouse. The individual showed extreme reluctance and eventually decided to accompany the other volunteer to fetch weapons. Neither of these two individuals returned to Clonmult prior to Jack O’Connell’s departure later that evening.

When the reconnaissance party left Clonmult, they travelled directly to Killacloyne, which is situated approximately two miles west of Carrigtwohill, on the old main road to Cork. When they returned to their car Capt Michael Burke of the Cobh Company, was waiting for them. Michael Burke had met an unnamed volunteer while on his way to Killacloyne and had been informed that there had been a battle at Clonmult. Comdt O’Hurley concluded that if anyone had managed to escape from Clonmult, they would make their way to Knockraha. hThey decided to drive there and on entering the village they met Capt Jack O’Connell and he was with Capt Martin Corry, who was OC of the local ‘E’ Company.

Jack O’Connell gave them as much information as he had but at this stage he himself was not aware as to the extent of the defeat at Clonmult. The four men decided to drive back to Clonmult in case some of the Volunteers were still holding out. As O’Hurley remarked, “If we cannot save them we can die with them.” They, like the British, parked their car on the roadway some distance from the farmhouse and travelled across the fields. When they arrived at the site the only sound was the crackling of the still burning house. The twelve bodies had been collected and placed beside each other with their faces covered with canvas. After identifying each of the bodies there was nothing they could do but cover their faces again and take their sad departure to Leamlara’.

The four survivors spent that night in Fr Francis Flannery’s house in Midleton. The distraught Jack O’Connell was consoled by Paddy Whelan:

‘That night, Jacko (Jack O’Connell) and I shared a bed. I remember putting my arm around him, to give some comfort and consolation. I believe and told him so, that he had done all that was humanly possible to save the Column’.

Diarmuid O’Hurley, Joseph Ahern, Paddy Whelan and Jack O’Connell spent the Monday night in Midleton, in Fr Francis Flannery’s house and on the Thursday, attended the funerals. ‘When the internment had been completed, O’Hurley drew his gun, signalled to Paddy Whelan and O’Connell to do likewise, and we then gave our last salute by firing three volleys over the grave. We then made our way quickly out of the graveyard’.

Diarmuid O’Hurley, Joseph Ahern, Paddy Whelan and Jack O’Connell remained together after Clonmult. Because of the loss of weapons and equipment at Clonmult there was no possibility of arming a new flying column.

On the 10th of April the four men along with Michael Kearney, mounted an ambush on a Cameron Highlanders mobile patrol at Ballyedekin, on the Midleton to Youghal road. This was one of the first occasions that the local IRA used a roadside bomb against a Crown Forces patrol. The bomb was remotely detonated using a battery, cable and an electric detonator. There were no known British Army fatalities’.

This was the last action that Jack O’Connell was involved in. The Truce came into effect on the 11th of July 1921 and the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed in December. Jack O’Connell had survived the War of Independence.

For further reading, search the Bureau of Military History, Witness Statements (WS).

WS No. 1444, Lieut-Col John P O’Connell

Capt. Patrick Higgins, Aghada

Patrick Higgins was born in 1898 at Ardra More Inch, Co. Cork. He was the eldest of four children of Edmond and Mary Higgins, with three siblings Edmond, James and Mary. His mother was originally from the adjoining townland of Titeskin, Rostellan. When an Irish Volunteer Company was formed in Aghada in 1917, he became its first Company captain. The Aghada Company of the Irish Volunteers later became ‘L’ Company, Fourth Battalion, First Cork Brigade, IRA.

March 1918, he travelled to Waterford with a contingent of Cork Volunteers to assist in the parliamentary elections, on behalf of the Sinn Féin candidate Dr. Vincent White. Following the death of John Redmond in March of 1918, John’s son Captain William was successful in retaining the seat in the bye-election that followed.

Later in 1918 he was appointed the Battalion Quartermaster of the Fourth Battalion, Mick Leahy of Cobh was the Battalion commander. Paddy Higgins and his fellow members of the Aghada Company, combined with members of the Cobh and Midleton Companies, participated in the successful attack on Cloyne RIC Barracks in May, 1920.

Paddy Higgins joined the Fourth Battalion flying column in December 1920. His first action as a member of the flying column was in Midleton. The column commander, Diarmuid O’Hurley, had decided to attack a combined RIC and Black and Tan foot patrol on Main Street on the night of the 29th of December.

The eight-man foot patrol left the RIC Barracks at about 9.30 pm and proceeded down Main Street. They were ambushed on the return leg as the patrol was approaching the Town Hall, now the library. During the ambush, Special Constable Martin Mullen, stationed in Midleton and living with his family in Youghal, was mortally wounded. He died of his wounds that night in a house off Main Street. Two Black and Tans, Ernest Dray and Arthur Thorp were also killed. During this operation, Vice-Commandant Joseph Ahern was in charge of a squad of volunteers that included Paddy Higgins and he was not impressed with Paddy Higgins’s performance. Joseph Ahern stated that ‘O’Higgins on that occasion didn’t show any great aptitude for the work’. This observation was to have serious implications for the column in the lead up to the battle at Clonmult.

After the ambush, the column immediately returned to their billet at Kilmountain, east of Midleton. Early in the New Year, they moved to Griffins farmhouse at Cottstown, Dungourney. From there on or about the 6th of January 1921, they relocated to a disused farmhouse at Garrylaurence, the scene of the battle of Clonmult.

During the week prior to the battle of Clonmult, the column was tasked with attacking a train carrying military supplies, operating between Cobh and Cork City. It was decided to carry out the attack on the 22nd of February at Cobh Junction. In preparation for the attack the column had to relocate from Clonmult to Leamlara, thus being nearer to Cobh Junction. The column was to depart from Clonmult for Leamlara after dark on Sunday 20th of February. Secondly, the column commander had to carry out a reconnaissance of Cobh Junction in order to plan the attack.

Diarmuid O’Hurley departed Clonmult on Sunday morning to carry out his reconnaissance. Against normal military procedure, he decided to take his two senior officers, Joseph Ahern and Paddy Whelan, with him for the reconnaissance. Paddy Higgins was the next senior officer. However, Diarmuid O’Hurley decided that Paddy Higgins should not get temporary command of the column. His decision was influenced by Joseph Ahern’s observations during the ambush in Midleton on the 29th of December. So instead, Capt Jack O’Connell was given temporary command and this decision caused friction between the two officers.

When Capt Jack O’Connell and the column became trapped in the farmhouse by British soldiers during the battle, O’Connell decided that the best course of action was an aggressive breakout. However, a command conflict became apparent between him and Capt Paddy Higgins, who was still annoyed at being passed over by Jack O’Connell and he was not inclined to charge out of the house against the British rifles. This was when the absence of the real second–in-command was to cost the column dearly. It was time for quick decisions, clear orders and instant obedience. It was not the occasion for disagreement between the two senior officers.

Paddy Higgins preferred to remain inside in the hope of being relieved. So only four men agreed to attempt the breakout, the remainder opted to remain with Higgins. Following the failed breakout Paddy Higgins was the senior officer in the farmhouse.

When Lieut Hammond, the British officer, set fire to the roof of the farmhouse, Paddy Higgins was left with two options for his men, burn to death or surrender. The senior British officer guaranteed that their lives would be spared if they surrendered. After the men surrendered the Auxiliary Police opened fire and killed seven of the prisoners. Paddy Higgins was shot in the mouth and miraculously survived when the head of the bullet lodged between his teeth.

When the battle of Clonmult was over, the eight surviving prisoners, including Paddy Higgins, were taken to Victoria Barracks, Cork. Because of his head wound and later because he was suffering from pneumonia, Paddy Higgins was not tried by Military Court with the other seven prisoners. Instead, he was tried on his own by Military Court in Victoria Barracks on Tuesday, 21st of June 1921.

Paddy Higgins was charged with committing an offence:

‘In that he, at Clonmult, County Cork, on the 20th of February 1921, with Jeremiah O’ Leary and other persons, did levy war against his Majesty the King, by attacking a detachment of his Majesty’s troops’.

Because the truth would have led to his conviction and death sentence, he had no hesitation in falsifying his evidence to the court. He claimed that on Saturday, 19th of February, the day before the battle, he moved to a relative’s house near Conna. He further stated that he went to Midleton with his uncle where he met a school friend, Dick Hegarty, who took him to the farmhouse in Clonmult where he spent the night. He claimed not to have known any of the men he met in the farmhouse. He went to 8.30 am mass the following day. He had his Sunday dinner in his sister’s house and stated that the only reason he went back to the farmhouse was to retrieve some item he had left there. He was in the farmyard, pumping the tyre of his bicycle when the British troops arrived and that is how he came to be trapped in the house. He stated he had not seen arms in the house and had not taken any part in the attack. Cross examined by the prosecutor, Paddy Higgins further stated that he was not a member of the IRA. He had been a member of the old Volunteers but had resigned as he was too delicate.

Following the end of his trial on the 22nd of June, he was informed two nights later while in his cell that he had been found guilty of the charges against him. He was sentenced to death and the Court had made no recommendation for mercy and that the sentence was subject to confirmation. The following day his legal team immediately lodged an appeal with the Chancery Division in Dublin.

His appeal was heard in Dublin on Wednesday, 27th of June. His legal team, that included the future Taoiseach John A Costello, lodged a second appeal before the results of the first appeal were announced. This was questioning why Paddy Higgins was tried by a Military Court and not a Filed General Court Martial. Meanwhile, on the 11th of July the Truce was called in the War of Independence and as long as the Truce lasted there would be no more executions.

Eventually the British government intervened and issued instructions that Paddy Higgins was to be released. Paddy Higgins was the first of the six surviving Clonmult prisoners to be released. He was extremely lucky not to have been killed by a bullet at Clonmult, his legal team and the Truce saved him from being shot a second time.

After the Treaty he joined the National Army and retired as Commandant in 1926. He returned to Ardra and in 1927 he contested the Local Elections for Cumann na nGaedhal but was unsuccessful. He went to England in 1929, and returned to Dublin a number of years later where he setup a Landscape Gardening Centre. Today this is being run by his grandson Eugene. In 1964 he was one of four survivors to attend the unveiling of the memorial, to those who died at Clonmult, in St. Laurence’s Graveyard. He died in Dublin in 1975.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Capt. Richard Hegarty, Moanroe, Garryvoe

Richard was one of twelve children born to Patrick and Mary Hegarty Moanroe. He had six brothers and five sisters, Peter, Eliza, Mary, Kate, John, Anne, Helena, Patrick, Michael, James and Dave. He was twenty two on the 20th February 1921. He was an officer in ‘O’ (Ballymacoda) Company, Fourth Battalion, First Cork Brigade IRA. He volunteered to serve in the Fourth Battalion flying column.

During the weekend of the battle of Clonmult, 20th February 1921, he was at home on leave and had only re-joined the column minutes before the arrival of the British soldiers. He was brought from his home near Garryvoe, to Clonmult village, in a ginnet and trap driven by his uncle, Michael Kennefick and accompanied by his brother Jack.

Dick arrived in Clonmult village at about 2.00 pm. While the two men were on their way back to Garryvoe, they saw two truckloads of Auxiliary Police in Castlemartyr. There is a strong possibility that these were the same Auxiliaries that reinforced the British troops in Clonmult later that evening.

When Dick arrived in Clonmult village he saw three young lads near the school. They were John Harty, Robert Walsh and William Garde. The three were waiting for their friend Edmond Terry who was visiting his grandmother. Just like Dick Hegarty, the four young lads were on their way to the farmhouse where the flying column was based. Dick and the other three waited for Edmond Terry and after he emerged from his grandmother’s house, all five set off for the farmhouse, approximately two kilometres away.

When the five arrived at the farmhouse they met some of the column. Within minutes of their arrival, British soldiers were spotted by a member of the column, the alarm was raised and the column members and the four young lads ran into the house. This was shortly before John Joe Joyce and Michael Desmond were killed by British soldiers.

This was the opening phase of the battle of Clonmult, when the British soldiers in Lieut Koe’s patrol surrounded the farmhouse. There were fifteen members of the column trapped inside the farmhouse, including Dick Hegarty and the four young lads.

The acting column commander, Capt Jack O’Connell, also trapped inside, correctly concluded that their only option was an aggressive breakout. Only four of the trapped men agreed to break out with him. Jack O’Connell led the breakout and escaped, he was followed by Michael Hallahan who was killed beside the door. James Ahern covered approximately 300 metres before he was shot and mortally wounded. Dick Hegarty was the fourth man to attempt to escape and was almost immediately shot down. He fell, mortally wounded while attempting to reach the fence in front of the house.

The last man out was Capt Jeremiah O’Leary who stated afterwards:

“I got into the farmyard, but, seeing the other boys fall, decided there was no hope of escape and dashed back again into the house amidst a hail of bullets, none of which, fortunately hit me”.

The dying Capt Dick Hegarty was still managing to fire his rifle and this may have distracted the troops enough for Capt O’Leary to get back into the house. The attempted breakout was over, of the five, three were dead and only Jack O’Connell managed to break through the British Army cordon.

When the battle was over, Dick Hegarty’s body was placed beside his eleven dead comrades in the farmyard. The twelve bodies were left at the battle site on the Sunday night. The British soldiers returned to Clonmult at approximately 9 o’clock the following morning to collect the bodies and to conduct a more thorough search of the battle site. Later that day the twelve bodies were transported by the British Army, to the mortuary in Victoria Barracks, Cork.

When the bodies were brought into the mortuary, they were received and labelled for identification by the military doctor on duty, Capt J B Morrison, Royal Army Medical Corps, (RAMC). Capt Morrison carried out an examination on all of the bodies that day. The twelve unidentified bodies were labelled one to twelve. The evidence and identification of the bodies was carried out in that sequence.

The fourth body to be identified that day was Dick Hegarty. He was identified by his sister, Miss Mary Hegarty of Ladysbridge. She stated that he was her brother, that he resided in Ladysbridge, was unmarried and aged twenty-two. He was a farmer and was her brother.

On Wednesday, 23rd of February, the twelve bodies were released to their families and were removed from Victoria Barracks late that evening. The cortege carrying the twelve coffins travelled together as far as Cobh Cross and from there the coffins of James Ahern and James Glavin were taken to St. Colman’s Cathedral in Cobh.

The other ten coffins were taken to Holy Rosary Church, Midleton. Nine of the remains were buried in the Republican Plot in Holy Rosary graveyard the following morning. Capt Dick Hegarty was buried in the churchyard in Ballymacoda on Friday, 25th February.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Dick Hegarty’s older brother Peter was also an active member of the IRA. He was arrested by Crown Forces and imprisoned in Cork Male Gaol. He was transferred from there as an internee, to Spike Island internment compound on 30 April 1921. He was transferred from Spike, to Bere Island internment camp and escaped from there during 1921.

Condolences

Cumann Luthchleas Gael Mainistir na Corann would like to offer our condolences to the Ramsell family, Knockgriffin, on the passing of Billy Ramsell. Billy was a star minor player in the later 1940’s and was part of the Midleton minor team that won the County minor title in 1949. Billy captained the Midleton minor team from centre field when they retained the East Cork title in 1950. They subsequently lost the county final to Glen Rovers.  He was also captain of the Cork minors in 1950 who lost out in the first round, being defeated by Waterford. A big, strong and powerful player Billy went to play senior hurling with Midleton in the years after graduating from the minor ranks. His sons Liam and Gary also played underage hurling and football with the club.  

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.