Humphrey O'Donoghue - The Bureau of Military History 1913-1921

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3.Sinn Fein candidate - Paudeen O'Keeffe - was returned unopposedWhen Cork II Brigade was formed in January 1919, ourbattalion (Millstreet) became the 7th Battalion in the newbrigade. The companies in the battalion were:- Millstreet,Rathduane, Cullen, Drishane, Dooneen, Rathcoole, Derrynagree,Kilcorney, Mushera. The officers of the battalion were:-O/C. Con J. Meany; Vice O/C. Denis O'Brien; Adjutant- Jerh.Crowley; Q.M.- Denis Galvin.FermoyThe officers of the new brigade were:- O/C. Liam Lynch;Vice O/C. Dan Hegarty, Mallow; Adjutant- Tom Barry, Glanworth;Q.M. - George Power, Fermoy.There were seven battalions in cork II Brigade:- Fermoy,Castletownroche, Mallow, Kanturk, Charleville, Newmarket andMillstreet.The usual training went on at this time and there wasoccasionally a little target practice with .22 rifle whenammunition could be procured. About this time, the variouscompanies in the battalion occasionally assembled on Sundayevenings for combined exercises -moving across country inextended order, scouting. Units were often called out atnight and sent on cross country exercises.About Mid-November 1919, officials of the Munster andLeinster Bank in Millstreet were held up on their way toKnocknagree Fair and a large amount of money was taken fromthem. The R.I.C. when investigating the hold-up confined thequestioning to members of the I.R.A. and, as a result, everybodyoutside the I.R.A. began to suspect that they wereresponsible. When the attitude of the general public in thearea was brought to the notice of the Brigade O/C., he orderedan investigation into the whole affair. Arising out of theinvestigation by the brigade and battalion intelligence sections
4.the hold-up was traced to a number of individuals fromMillstreet area. Eventually, about eight men from theMillstreet battalion area - all non-members of the I.R.A. -were rounded up. They were tried by the brigade staff andsentenced to be deported from the country. They were, I think,deported in May 1920, but one of them returned later andconsiderable difficulty was experienced before he was againcaptured arid deported.At Easter 1920, an order was received to destroy theevacuated R.I.C. barracks at Cullen. This was in connectionwith a G.H.Q. order for a general action on these linesthroughout the country. When the order was received,arrangements were made to obtain a mine from Rathmore. I wentto Rathmore to prepare the mine with Fred Crowley. We madethe mine, using the metal box of a cart wheel as a container.We filled the box with gelignite, closed the ends with twoiron plates held in position by three bolts - one passingthrough the centre of the box. The charge of gelignite wasthen fitted with a detonator and fuse which was passed througha hole in one of the end plates. When I arrived in Cullenwith the mine I found the company O/C. (Dan T. O'Riordan),Liam Lynch (Brigade O/C.), Jerh. Crowley (battalion adjutant),and Con Murphy at the rear of Lislehane School. There wasalso a big muster of members of the local company. The Coy.O/C. was opposed to the destruction of the barracks becausethe building was owned by a supporter of the I.R.A. and SinnFéin. Eventually it was suggested that the owner -JerrySingleton, who lived in another house close by - would occupythe barracks and evacuate his own home. Singleton agreed tothe suggestion and the I.R.A. moved his household and chattelsto the evacuated barracks.
Page 1 and 2: ROINNCOSANTABUREAU OF MILITARY HIST
Page 3: 2.Brigade. All the other companies
Page 7 and 8: 6.five or six to go to the scene of
Page 9 and 10: 8.leave Cullen. When our party arri
Page 11: 10.and later to Cork -Spike Island

Humphrey O'Donoghue - The Bureau of Military History 1913-1921

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