ROINN COSANTA. BUREAU OF MILITARY HISTORY, 1913-21 ...

10.Eventually, on the night of 17th November 1919, the operationwas carried out by about ten men of Bantry Company under MossDonegan, Michael O'Callaghan, Ralph Keyes and Sean Cotter4The boat was tied up at the pier beside the railway station.It was boarded by the four abovementioned who held up themembers of the crew and placed them under guard belowd ecks.The remainder of the party then came aboard and broke open thearmoury.six Ross Canadian rifles and three shortThey seizedWebley Revolvers with a supply of ammunition.Some time before Christmas 1919, I received writteninstructions from Michael Collins, G.H.Q., to ptoceed. toCastletownbere Battalion and to interview the Battalion officerre a large supply of guncotton which had been obtained by thebattalion from Bere Island. Collins became aware of thepresence of the guncotton in the area because the BattalionStaff had been trying for some time to negotiate with G.H.Q.regarding the disposal of the explosives. The Battalion Staffoffered to exchange the guncotton for a supply of rifles, butnothing definite had been settled. I was instructed to collectas much as possible of the guncotton and to arrange for itstransportation to Brigade H.Q. I failed to reach an agreementwith the battalion staff as to the disposal of the material.I then contacted Eugene O'Sullivan, Inchintaglen, and EugeneDunne, Ardrigole. They arranged to let me have a supply of guncottonfor Brigade H.Q. as they were anxious to see the guncottonused to advantage. I then returned to Battalion H.Q.to arrange transport. A motor-boat was made available by TomReidy (Battalion I.0.) at Bantry and, with Sean Lehane, Itravelled along the càast to Ardrigole Pier where the guncottonwas loaded by Eugene Dunne, Eugene O'Sullivan and their men.We then came along by sea to Ardnagashel where the explosiveswere unloaded arid transferred by horse and cart to Kealkil.