ROINN COSANTA. BUREAU OFMILITARY HISTORY, 1919-21 ...

5.to assist in removing any arms that might be availableshould the raid be a success. Four men Ralph Keyes,Moss Donegan, Seán Cotter and Michael O'Callaghanstrolled slowly on to the pier in pairs. They kept aclose watch on the sentry on duty aboard the M.L. boat,and as they drew near they saw him go below decks to thecrew's quarters. The four I.R.A. men, with Moss Doneganleading, then crept aboard the boats and the leader(Mossy Donegan from the top of the companionwaycalled on the crew to put up their hands. While he hadthe crew under cover, his comrades (Ralph Keyes, SeánCotter and Michael O'Callaghan) dashed to the magazineand burst in the door with a sledge, which had beencarried along by the men who had been standing by near therailway station. The armoury contained six RossCanadian rifles, four revolvers, 2 Verey Light pistolsand a large quantity of ammunition. All stores wereremoved, and warning the crew not to move for at leastan hour, the raiding party withdrew round the northernand eastern side of the town to the spot selected fordumping the captured material the national school.However, they were unable to dump the arms in the schooland had to take them to the church nearby, where theywere dumped for the time being with the co-operationof Ralph Keyes's father, who was sexton there at the time.In December, 1919, I took part in a raid for armson Roycroft's Stores, Main St., Bantry, in which weobtained three hundred cartridges, a large supply ofblack powder and two cartridge filling machines. BantryCompany was a very active unit at this period. Themembers were continuously engaged on raids on enemy storespassing through to the enemy garri5on at Bere Island and