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

27.in the Skibbereen battalion area where I had lain in ambushon numerous oceasions in the vicinity of Leap without makingNcontact with the enemy. I continued to travel around thearea organising for the Arms Fund, inspecting companies andgiving 'pep' talks to the officers of all units.It was now moving on to Christmas and, as the column hadbeen over three weeks underarms, it was decided to disbandthem and allow them to go to their home areas for Christmas.In the meantime, the various battalions were advised to makeevery possible effort to keep the enemy 'on the move'. Therewas no exceptional activity by the enemy in the area at thistime, except in the region of Dunmanway where a strong unitof Auxiliaries had taken over the Workhouse. Their arrivalwas the prelude to a reign of terror in Dunmanway districtin the course of which the Rev. Canon Magner, P.P. and TadhgCrowley a member of the I.R.A. were shot dead. Conditionsin the area were so bad that most people in the area withnational sympathies were afraid to sleep in their homes atnight. In some cases the morale of some members of the armywas affected and it required constant attention to maintaina virile organisation in this district. This particular unitof the Auxiliaries were more aggressive than usual about thistime. It is possible that this attitude was due to the factthat they had some knowledge that the column had beendemobbed,and they felt that they had the I.R.A. on the run.However, the brigade 0/C. (Charlie Hurley) decided to hold aBrigade Council meeting in Dunnanway Battalion area atBallinacarriga on December 28th, 1920, to examine the positionThis meeting was attended by:- Brigade 0/C. (Charlie Hurley),Brigade V.0/C. (Ted O'Sullivan, witness), Brigade Adjutant(Liam Deasy), Brigade Q.M. TadhgO'Sullivan), Sean Hales(Bandon), Jim Hurley (Clonakilty), Sean Murphy (Dunmanwar),