Liam Lynch’s dedication to the cause of an Irish Republic never wavered. One of his companions said that ‘when at times he would get a little ruffled, he somehow was capable of not allowing this to take precedence. At all times, he tried to be cool and calm and calculated so that nothing would cloud his judgement.’1
Liam did not allow the policy of terror (burnings, lootings, torture of prisoners, execution of innocent people) to adversely influence his own actions. He expressed his belief ‘that the service of freedom only stood below the service of God.’ He was, however, now finding it difficult to see a way forward, and he had the additional burden of being pressed to action by men who felt they had been cheated of an opportunity in 1916. With this in mind, Liam visited Dublin in April 1919 to put forward some proposals for the Cork No. 2 brigade and to try to get some arms. He got a few revolvers, but, to his disappointment, did not get any rifles. It became quite clear to him that the Cork brigades, if they wanted to get involved in any action, would have to arm themselves by capturing arms from the enemy.
All southern brigades now put pressure on GHQ to approve a policy of attacks on British garrison forces in order to acquire arms, as there seemed to be no other prospect of obtaining them. The destiny of the volunteer movement rested on the turn of such events, and it was officers like Liam Lynch who initiated such a move. It depressed him that GHQ would not take any great responsibility and were not forthcoming with any ideas for the securing of arms. He wanted a defined policy because he felt that without one, it would be difficult to maintain discipline. Raids had taken place in other parts of Cork, particularly in the Third West Cork brigade area where rifles had been captured, therefore he felt this policy should become more widespread.
Early in 1919 Con Leddy who was O/C of Araglin company came to Barry’s of Fermoy where Liam worked and requested a raid on Araglin barracks. Liam made the inspection and obtained sanction from GHQ. On Sunday morning 20 April 1919, when three of the four RIC men occupying the barracks were at mass, a party of seven volunteers approached the building from the rear. When the constable, who was the only occupant of the post, went out for a bucket of water the volunteers entered and, on his return, held him up. He reacted quickly, and threw the bucket of water at them. He then ran down the yard and shouted, he gave the impression he was armed and he would shoot all of them. However, Liam and the other volunteers cleared the barracks of its arms, ammunition, equipment and documents – everything of military value was removed. The unarmed constable afterwards expressed thanks to the volunteers for the way they had treated him and he never subsequently attempted to identify them.
On 13 May 1919 Seán Hogan of the Third Tipperary brigade was rescued from a police escort at Knocklong railway station. The two volunteers, Ned O’Brien and Jim Scanlon who were wounded during the rescue came into Ballyporeen in the Mitchelstown area where a doctor attended them and they were given accommodation. This brought intensive raiding by the British forces to Cork No. 2 area. Liam asked Tom Kavanagh to drive him at night to Ballyporeen where they picked up the two passengers and set out for a house near Tallow. They avoided Mitchelstown, but, as they passed by Moorepark Camp outside Fermoy, a sentry challenged them. Liam determined to get through, ordered Tom to drive on. The sentry fired, but the occupants of the car escaped injury and got to William Aherne, a chemist, who dressed the men’s wounds. Then Liam arranged for the men’s protection; because of continuous raiding, he had them moved several times while they were recuperating.
He had been to Dublin headquarters at the end of April 1919 to obtain sanction for activities in his brigade. Now he decided to contact Cork No. 1 brigade in order to co-ordinate activities. In July, HQ informed him that he could disarm any military party, provided there were no casualties. He could now organise an open attack on British military forces by striking at the core of the enemy’s most powerful stronghold in Fermoy, his brigade area. (British forces had 4,300 military and approximately 490 armed police within his brigade area).2
The police, who had an intimate knowledge of the population, had been keeping a close watch on activities. These opposing forces were housed in well-fortified and comfortable barracks. The ranks included officers who were experienced veterans of the European war and most of the troops had received adequate military training. They were armed with modern weapons and backed by administrative and supply services on a war footing. In contrast, Liam Lynch had under his command 3,800 partially-trained volunteers, none on whole-time active service. They were, nevertheless, excellently organised, efficient, disciplined and responsible, but they had no pay, no barracks with supply services; they had only their own clothing, and were under continuous pressure trying to meet and train in secret. They had no heavy weapons and their arms consisted of a dozen or so rifles, some of doubtful reliability and less than 100 revolvers and pistols. Their back-up services (engineers, signallers, transport, intelligence and medical) were mainly non-professionals. However, what they lacked in material needs they made up for by courage and determination, with the addition of one vital element which the enemy did not have – the backing of the people.
Liam meticulously planned his first trial of strength against the enemy. On Sundays an armed party of British soldiers attended service at the Wesleyan church about a half a mile from their barracks which was situated at the eastern end of Fermoy. Liam did not know whether or not the rifles they carried were loaded, consequently he decided they would carry out the raid under the assumption that they were loaded. On Sunday morning 7 September 1919, fourteen soldiers with a corporal in charge, left their barracks and marched through the town towards the Wesleyan church. In the vicinity of the church about twenty-five volunteers from Fermoy company with six serviceable revolvers between them assembled in groups of twos and threes. Larry Condon was in charge of the main attacking party, which included John Fanning, Michael Fitzgerald, Patrick Aherne and James Fitzgerald. Liam had detailed other groups to collect the rifles and rush them to the waiting car. The rest were to close in from the rear and prevent the British getting back to their barracks. The unarmed volunteers carried short clubs concealed in their coat sleeves. George Power was in charge of one car, which stood near the church, and with another man pretended to fix the car. Behind the British party another car moved up Patrick Street; this car, which carried Liam, was to increase its speed and arrive at the church at the same time as the British forces. So far, everything was going according to plan.
Liam had given much thought to the selection of officers and men for this raid. Because it was to take place in daylight it was inevitable that well-known local officers and men taking part would afterwards have to go ‘on the run’ to evade arrest. Local people, especially those with cars were needed in case of casualties. Because the men under Liam’s command were poorly armed at the time, speed was an integral part of the operation. Though the brunt of the action was borne by the Fermoy company, Liam sought help from other companies. Four men travelled with George Power from Mallow.3Jack Mulvey of Rathcormac gave his own Ford car and brought four men from the Ballynoe company.4Martin O’Keefe and Willie O’Mahony of Ballynoe travelled on bicycles. Pax Whelan, of the Waterford brigade, gave a third car, which also carried two volunteers – George Lenihan and Mick Mansfield. (The driver, not a volunteer, became suspicious shortly after their arrival in Fermoy and headed back for Dungarvan before the action took place.)
The military arrived at the church at the same time as Liam’s car. Liam blew a whistle and called on the party to surrender. They prepared to resist. The volunteers rushed them. Shots were fired and for a minute there was a confused struggle. Liam jumped for a rifle on the road, slipped and fell. A military man who rushed him swinging a rifle butt, was shot down. Liam picked up the rifle. In a short time, the struggle was over. Fifteen rifles were loaded into one car, which was then driven up the Tallow/ Lismore road, its occupants could hear the bugle call in the barracks. The volunteers on foot scattered quickly. One of the military had been killed and three wounded. The response to the barracks’ alarm was so immediate and within five minutes, two lorries carrying military were tearing out the Lismore road. This eventuality had been foreseen, therefore at Carrickbuick, a mile and a quarter from the town, two roadside trees had been partly sawn through and held in position by ropes. Under cover volunteers waited for the cars carrying the rifles to pass, immediately they knocked the trees across the road, forcing the pursuing military to detour and lose the trail.
It was only when Liam got into the car that he realised he had been wounded. He had received a bullet close to the shoulder: however, the injury did not appear to be serious. A Fermoy chemist’s assistant, William Aherne, had been recruited and as they drove he treated the wounded as best he could. Liam Lynch, six men and the rifles were taken by Leo O’Callaghan in the Buick and Mulvey took five volunteers with him in the Ford.5A short distance out Power and Hegarty left the second car and made their way back into the town through the fields. At Kilmagner, five miles from Fermoy, the rifles were taken to a pre-arranged dump.6The Buick went on to Youghal, leaving Liam at Furry Hill about two miles outside the town. William Aherne ‘walked into the town and called on Miss O’Keefe a member of Cumann na mBan. She informed the Youghal company officers, who brought Liam on foot to Thomas O’Connor’s where his wound was dressed by Dr Michael Twomey.’7Meanwhile, a large scale round up by the military took place in Youghal town, but the men for whom they were searching were in safe hiding.
Because of the Fermoy action, an intensive search by the police continued throughout the day. All neighbouring police and military posts were notified and parties of British lorries scoured the countryside. Numerous people were questioned and cars were held up, a local matchmaking party was raided and innocent people were brutalised and beaten with butts of rifles. This was a foretaste of the brutality that many citizens would experience later. The following night the East Kent regiment turned out in force and wrecked Fermoy town. Two days later the district was proclaimed a military area.
Following a message sent to Pax Whelan of Waterford, Liam was collected by car and taken a mile outside Dungarvan where Phil O’Donnell and Paddy Lynch met him; they took him to Brodericks and then to Cooneys at Carrigroe where he stayed for about two weeks; his wounds were dressed daily by Dr Moloney and he was nursed by the boxer and first aid man, Dan Cooney. From there he was taken in a pony and trap to James Kirwin’s on the slopes of the Comeragh Mountains.
Liam sent word to George Power to come and see him. After this meeting at Brodericks in Dungarvan Liam returned to Cooneys for another three weeks. By this time his wound was healing very well and he was moved again to Gerry Kirwin’s who had an excellent library, with several books on Irish history.
Liam, anxious that his family would know exactly where he was, sent Gerry Kirwin to Clonmel to ask his brother, Martin, to visit him, which he did the following Saturday. Liam, conscious of the approval of his family, wondered what his mother’s feelings were and also what the other members of his family were saying about his involvement in the movement. Martin reassured him of their approval and gave him full details.
A few months after the Fermoy raid, feeling fit again, he returned to his brigade. On 15 November 1919, in a letter to his brother Tom he expressed a note of triumph to be conveyed to Martin who was sympathetic to his cause. ‘Whatever happens now after years will justify our cause.’
1 Johnie Fanning, author interview, 12/6/1979.
2 In his brigade area British forces had approximately five battalions, two brigades of Royal Field Artillery; a machine gun battalion and two enemy brigade headquarters and staff. Total military garrison in his area not less than 4,300 all ranked; also approximately 490 armed police distributed in 54 posts mainly in the towns and villages throughout the brigade area.
3 Four men with George Power from Mallow Company – Owen Harold, Brian Kelly, Dan Hegarty and Ned Waters. They pretended they were on a Sunday trip to Mount Melleray.
4 Pat Leahy, John Joe Hogan, Peter O’Callaghan and Tom Griffin.
5 Driver of Buick – Leo O’Callaghan.
6 Larry Condon, Mick Fitzgerald, John Fanning, Ned Lane and William Lane took the rifles and transferred them to a dump in the Araglin area the following night.
7 Jim Keogh, Mick Kelleher and Michael Walshe.