ROINN COSANTA. - The Bureau of Military History 1913-1921

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19.men in the car knocked at the door after dark and when oldMcCracken came to the door, the men at the door shot him dead.This shooting took place about two days after the Dunamoreambush. Some days after this shooting, a party of Specials,under the command of Col. McClintock, raided Carrickmoredistrict. At Loughmacrory, near Carrickmore, a number ofVolunteers were billeted in a disused house. They saw ColonelMcClintock's party coming in lorries and six of the Volunteersgot into position and opened fire on the Specials. TheVolunteers had to retreat and a running fire took place acrossthe Copney mountains in the direction" of Greencastle. TheSpecials' lorries moved around two roads that circled themountain with the intention of cutting off the Volunteers whenSpecials on foot had forced them into a trap on the oppositeside of the mountain. During this retreat one of the Voluntesnamed Megan was wounded. His comrades carried him for a gooddistance and he was eventually left in a farmthouse, dressedin oldandclothes,they were able to make their own escape.Hagan was caught, savagely tortured and, under torture, hegave the names of the other men in the ambush. A week latertwo of the ambush party were arrested - P. McAleer and CharlieGillan - officers of the Aldrummond Company. Hagan sworeagainst them in their trial for the raid on Pomeroy Barracksand they got five years' penal servitude each. This manafterwards joined the Special Constabulary and some time laterdisappeared out of the country.inOn the night of the signing of the Collins-Craig FactIt wasLondon,decided to knock the bridge at Dunamoreso that raiding parties could not use it for motor transport.Patrick McKenna was in charge of this operation helped byother members of the Dunamore Company. Lieut. Frank Ward ofAldrummond Company, and a battalionofficer,was second incommand of the operation and was doing guard on the road somedistance from the bridge. He didn't go far down the road
20.when a police officer stepped out on the road and celled onhim to halt. Frank opened fire on the officer and shot himthrough the right lung. The Specials, who were in ambushbehind the fence, opened fire on Frank. He received twobullet wounds in the stomach.He was able to get back to themen who were working at the bridge and get them away. Hewalked two miles afterwards. He was taken to a house and apriest and doctor sent for. The next morning a round-up ofthe area started and Frank Ward was captured. He was removedto a Belfast hospital where he died a few days later. It waslater found out that this alerting of the Specials was the workof a spy named Quinn who was a Volunteer and lived in thedistrict and who knew of the plans to knock the bridge. Avolunteer officer found a letter of Quinn's which disclosedthe fact that he was giving the enemy information. We arrestedQuinn and, as we had no local facilities for keeping him, wesent him to Draperstown district to await courtmartial. Heescaped from Draperstown and went to live in the policebarracks in Cookstown.About the first week in April 1922, attacks were takingplace in Dungannon, Coalisland, Dromore and other parts ofCo. Tyrone. As a result of these activities, Volunteers cameinto our district as a safe resting place from the areas whereattacks took place. As our funds were running short, we hadno money to meet our liabilities. A brigade meeting was heldand it was decided to send a courier to Charlie Daly, wasthen in whoDonegal, for money. The split in the I.R.A. was atthis time coming to a head and our courier came back to informus that he could not get any money from Daly. A meeting wascalled, to consider the courier's report that no cash wasavailable. Wm. J. Kelly presided at this meeting. Thosepresent included Seen McDermott, John Ogle, Paddy McKenna,Seen Corr, Archie McDonnl1 and several other officers fromthe brigade. The majority at the meeting decided to recognise
Page 2 and 3: STATEMENT BY SEEAN CORR, 27 DINGLE
Page 4 and 5: 3.On the Sunday before the election
Page 6 and 7: 5.At the General Election in Decemb
Page 8 and 9: 7.police were reported to have been
Page 10 and 11: 9.he was and he said 'Catholic', so
Page 12 and 13: 11.in same shop there was a trunk o
Page 14 and 15: l3.officers and men on the run were
Page 16 and 17: 15.and another at Aldrummond. A div
Page 18 and 19: 17.time on the night of 18th March
Page 22 and 23: 21.the provisional government. Agai
Page 24: 23Before finishing these memoirs I

ROINN COSANTA. - The Bureau of Military History 1913-1921

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