The 'Boys' Of The Millstreet Battalion Area - Aubane Historical Society

een detailed to place a red lamp on the line, to
show where the engine had to be halted, due
notice. As well as ordering the driver to blow the
whistle, we also ordered him to slow down
gradually and to stop the engine at the red light
when it came into view. When the train drew near
the selected spot, the red light was clearly to be
seen, and we again told the driver what to do. He
said it was a hard thing to do, but he would try his
best. Anyhow, the train was halted at the right
spot, and fire was immediately opened on the
carriage in which the enemy forces were. After
shooting had gone on for about twenty-five or
thirty minutes, the enemy were shouting that they
would surrender, and firing ceased. All this time,
Jack O'Keeffe and I were on the engine with the
driver and fireman. On the surrender of the
enemy, we left the engine and helped to collect all
enemy arms (fourteen rifles) and equipment, as
well as about six thousand rounds of .303
ammunition. When the engagement was over, I
went with Jack O'Keeffe to find billets for the
members of the Column at Jerry Hallahan's,
Cuarrague, about five miles from the site of the
ambush. The enemy lost one dead and several
wounded. The I.R.A. had no casualties.
Following the engagement, I joined the
column which was billeted at Lackadotia and
Kilcorney areas. Jack O'Keeffe also joined at the
same time. Between the date of the train ambush
and the first week in March, 1921, the Column
took up ambush positions on a number of
occasions, but failed to make contact with the
enemy.
On the night of March 5 th
1921, when we
were billeted in Mushera area, orders were
received to go to Clonbanin next morning. The
column left billets about midnight and travelled
by horse and trap to Keale bridge, from which
point we walked to Clonbanin, a distance of about
three miles across the country. We reached
Clonbanin Cross about 6 a. m., and here we met
the members of Charleville and Newmarket
battalion columns as well as a column from Kerry
II Brigade. The combined columns were in charge
of Sean Moylan, Paddy O'Brien and Tom
McEllistrim.
Our column - Neilus Healy, John Reid,
Jimmie Hickey, Jack O'Keeffe, Dan Coakley
(witness), Jerh. Philpott, Con J. Meaney, Jerh.
Crowley, Wm. O'Riordan, Mick O'Riordan, Miah
Galvin, Matt Kelleher, John Lehane, Sean Kelly
and two or three others - were first placed in
position in Shaughnessy's haggard, south of the
Killarney-Mallow road. Con "Sonny" Meaney was
in charge. All were armed with the rifles captured
in the train ambush. The Kerry column was south
of the road and to the west of our position. We
were behind a sod fence, about two hundred yards
from the road. There was also a machine gun and
crew posted in position to the east of our party in
the haggard. The Newmarket and Charleville
columns were north of the road. The parties at
both sides were extended on high ground over a
distance of about one thousand yards, with
flanking and outpost parties in addition. Two
mines - one at each end of the position - were laid
on the road. When all preparations had been
completed, all sections moved to their selected
positions to await the arrival of the enemy.
About 10 a. m. three lorries of military
moved into the position from the east (Mallow),
but they were allowed to pass through as the
signal to open fire was not given. This was, I think,
due to the failure of the mines to explode. There
was no further activity until about 2 p.m. when
the scouts to the west signalled the approach of an
enemy convoy. The convoy consisted of a lorry, a
private car and an armoured car, followed by two
lorries.
I should have mentioned that, while
awaiting the arrival of the enemy, about half of
our party moved to a new position to the east
where we took up positions behind the road-side
fence. Included in this party were Neilus Healy,
Sean Reid, Jack O'Keeffe, Dan Coakley (witness).
We were more or less a covering party whose duty
it was to ensure that any enemy forces could not
take the forces on the southern side of the road
from the rear.
We had only taken up our new position
when firing broke out, and our party, with all
other sections, opened fire on the enemy. The
mines did not explode - I'm not sure that they
were tried a second time. The leading lorry got
through under heavy fire, but the private touring
car was disabled at the first burst of fire. The
armoured car ran into the ditch, but the crew
continued to use their machine guns. The enemy
forces in the other lorries, who had not been
wounded by the opening volley, took cover behind
the roadside fences. From our position, we were