~t:.lilt l=- '~li - Comhaltas Archive

Uilleann piper Eamon Walsh andSenator Labhrcls 6 Murchu receivingRobert Emmet proclamation fromFrank Connolly and John PriorA Son of TipperaryThe story of 'The Woodlands of Loughglynn'Seam us 6 DubhthaighThe sun blazed in an azure sky thatgorgeous Spring morning. The lark'stireless lay was punctuatedintermittently by the occasional callof the cuckoo as it drifted aimlesslyfrom tree to tree in the balmy air. Inthe fields around, delicately mantledin shades of green, the newbornlambs frisked and played mid thedaisies and dandelions and an eeriesilence, short-lived though it was tobe, enveloped the surrounds ofLoughglynn in West Roscommonextending westward till that terrainbecame fused with the verdant plainsof East Mayo on the horizon.It was the nineteenth of April innineteen twenty-one and the War ofIndependence raged nationwide. Thestruggle, which had abated somewhatsubsequent to the disastrous EasterRebell ion, had resurfaced and withnew resolve had been gainingmomentum. Battalions and brigades ofthe Irish Republican Armymushroomed overnight, a plethora ofvolunteers swelling the ranks withone problem only, a dearth of arsenalwithin the ranks, a problem that couldbe solved only by confiscation fromthe enemy.Early in nineteen nineteen a battalionof volunteers was organised inCastle rea and aligned to the SouthRoscommon Brigade. It comprisedsixteen members who drilled nightly.About this time also John Bergin ayoung man from Nenagh in Tipperaryarrived in the town. His father was atimber merchant and having acquiredan interest in Mount Druid woodnear Ballinagare some miles distantfrom Castlerea he decided to send hisson to Connolly's sawmill in Castlereawith the objective of gainingexperience in the timber business.Young John Bergin was twenty-two, afine specimen of manhood withdynamic personality and extremelyhandsome, yet beneath his sombregood looks was concealed a braveryand a great leadership quality. Whenhe joined the Castlerea Battalion ofthe IRA he was an automatic choicefor the captaincy of the unit. Beforelong, and as a result of his exploits, hebecame well known to the forces ofthe Crown.In January nineteen twenty JohnBergin because of his life-style ofsleeping in damp dug-outs contractedpleurisy and pneumonia. As aprominent republican he could not besent for medication to any localhospital and so it was decided that heshould be cared for by a nurse,Margaret Coli at the home of MichaelO'Callaghan, the Principal Teacher ofCloonboniffe National School.Michael, himself was a noted IRA manand very much under suspicion byCrown Forces, his home being undersurveillance of RIC and British military.After some time at O'Callaghan'shouse it seemed prudent to removethe patient to Nurse Coli's house asdue to its location it was a lessertarget for military raids and even thenon an occasion when a big militaryraid was imminent it necessitated theremoval of John Bergin to a heatedchamber beside Cloonboniffe Churchuntil the danger has passed. Soon afterhe was removed to Castlebar hospitalunder an assumed name, the movebeing facilitated by the Fourth EastMayo Battalion from Aghamore inCounty Mayo. Here he remained formany months and his recovery wasslow as antibiotics were unheard of inthem days.Frustrated with his plight hedischarged himself from Castlebar onApril seventeenth nineteen twentyoneand after a day and a halftravelling, he arrived at the house ofRoger McDermott which lay withinthe confines of Loughglynn Wood, forthis was 'a safe house' where manyvolunteers were entertained andharboured at the time. Not being fullyrecovered and exhausted from travelhe was advised by the household togo to bed. Also in McDermott's houseon that night were three othervolunteers, Joe Satchwell of Cloonreenear Castle rea, Stephen McDermottfrom Tully, Ballinagare and Toby Se allyfrom Cloonaugh.Next morning was the nineteenth ofApril. While Roger McDermott wentout to fodder his cattle at nine in themorning he observed military forcesengaged in a combat of the wood. Healerted the four volunteers whodressed hastily and grabbed whatarms they could muster and hastenedtowards the northern end of thewood. Scally held a shotgun andWebley revolver, Joe Satchwell a LeeEnfield rifle and shotgun, John Bergin aWebley revolver, and Stephen had a54