Mystery of British soldier buried in old Cork church

IN the graveyard of a long-abandoned church in Macroom lies the body of a victim of the War of Independence a century ago - but not from the side in that conflict that you might think.

St Colman’s Church of Ireland church on Castle Street was built almost 200 years ago, in 1825, and closed in 1990.

At the back of the church lies the grave of one Clive Soady, an auxiliary soldier who died of his wounds delivered by the IRA at the Coolavokig ambush, on the road between Macroom and Ballyvourney, on February 25, 1921.

The IRA, under the command of Sean O’Hegarty of the 1st Cork Brigade, ambushed a 70-man convoy of the Auxiliary Division under Major James Seafield Grant, sparking a four-hour battle.

Ten Auxiliaries were killed, including Major Grant, and others wounded, and the IRA column left the area when British reinforcements arrived.

Among the British victims was Clive Soady. He was shot in the mouth while manning his post in a cottage at the eastern side of the battle ground and died in the military hospital in Cork of his wounds a few days later, on March 1, 1921.

His body was then escorted from the military hospital to Macroom and buried at St Colman’s church with full military honours. The service was conducted by Rev. A. J. Brady and the attended by a large number of auxiliaries, military and RIC.

But why was he buried here, and not in his native city of Portsmouth in England?

Clive Lindsey Soady was born in Hampshire in 1881 and educated in Portsmouth. He joined the military to follow in the footsteps of his father, Major Thomas Soady.

Like many in Portsmouth, he began his career in the Merchant Navy and also served in World War I before being deployed by the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary to Macroom while the War of Independence was raging.

Nominal compensation was awarded to relatives of British soldiers that received a wound in battle, with larger amounts of compensation, up to £5,000, awarded to the families of any soldier killed in battle. Soady died as a result of his wounds but somehow only a nominal payment was received by his mother in the UK.

One account says that a wife was located and she refused to show any interest in the mortal remains of her husband, but there is no record of any such wife in any census.

Whatever the story, rather than his body being taken to Portsmouth for burial, Clive Soady now lies below a headstone that spells his name incorrectly. It reads as ‘Cadet Cleve Soady, deeply mourned, thy will be done’.

It was erected by his comrades belonging to J Company Auxiliary Division, RIC. Below this, it reads that Soady served in the Great War of 1914-1918. He is one of only a few non-Irish Auxiliaries buried in Ireland.

Over the years, many visitors to Macroom, and indeed those queueing in traffic on the busy main street by the town’s bridge, must have glanced across at the beautiful old St Colman’s - not to be confused with the existing Roman Catholic church in the east of the town with the same name.

St Colman’s Church of Ireland is a gothic revival church, designed by George Richard Pain. It has a bell tower on the west side, a gable fronted porch on the front of the nave, a bowed three-bay chancel to the east which was added in 1869, and the interior was remodelled in 1898.

This small, beautiful church is set within a graveyard and is accessed by cast iron gates.

Funding of £1,000 was allocated by the Board of First Fruits for the original build, with Heaton, Butler and Bayne commissioned to create the beautiful stained glass.

St Colman’s closed in 1990 as Church of Ireland attendances dwindled. Two years later, the church was gifted to Macroom town.

Unfortunately, the condition of the building has deteriorated since then, but thankfully funding has been allocated to bring it back to life, with plans for an event centre well underway.

A sum of €215,000 was allocated towards emergency works, to be undertaken under the watchful eye of Brendan Devlin of Queenstown Restoration. This stage of the project is due for completion around now.

With the new N22 bypass set to open, breathing new life into the often traffic-choked Macroom, work ongoing on the Briery Gap theatre, and the new event centre in the old church, the townspeople have reason to be optimistic of a better future for their town.

Macroom will hopefully soon be a reimagined cultural hub and a draw for locals and tourists alike.