New book explores East Cork role in War of Independence

In the War of Independence, the province of Munster was the most violent region of Ireland, and the IRA men in East Cork made a huge contribution to the war effort.

A new book, The War Of Independence In East Cork, published by The History Press last month, revisits that time and place more than a century ago.

The cover depicts a photograph of the East Cork Flying Column, and the book was extensively researched and written by East Cork men Tom O’Neill, Eugene Power, and Paul Busteed.

It spans more than 400 pages and is richly illustrated with photographs, some of which have never been published before, as well as specially commissioned drawings and maps.

The book contains comprehensive lists of the IRA men and Crown Forces who were involved in the battles, ambushes, and attacks, that took place in the area between 1919 and 1921.

It provides details of all major and minor engagements between the IRA and the Crown Forces.

These actions have never been so extensively researched and published in such a balanced and comprehensive manner, claim the authors.

East Cork was the area of operations of the Fourth Battalion, First Cork Brigade, IRA, and the area was particularly violent, with many IRA ambushes and attacks on Crown Forces.

The battalion consisted of 17 companies, and the activities of each are featured in the book, including the formation of the companies, lists of the active IRA members, and the actions they carried out.

The details of the Company activities were compiled from accounts written by the IRA veterans involved in the actions.

The amount of information available on each company in the book is a reflection on how active each company was.

During the War of Independence, the IRA men were greatly assisted in their struggle for independence by the boys of Na Fianna and the local women of Cumann na mBan.

They stand for the honour of Ireland,

As their sisters in days that are gone,

And they’ll march with their brothers to freedom,

The soldiers of Cumann na mBan.

The Royal Irish Constabulary Barracks in Carrigtwohill was the first police barracks in Ireland to be attacked, captured and destroyed by the IRA during the War of Independence.

This action is covered in detail in the book, and the content includes the names of the IRA volunteers and the members of the RIC garrison that were involved.

The successful IRA attacks on the RIC barracks in Cloyne and Castlemartyr are also covered in the same detail.

The 4th Battalion flying column was formed at Knockraha, east of Cork city, in late September, 1920, under the command of Comdt Diarmuid Hurley.

Following the completion of their training, the members of the column moved through all parts of East Cork, to engage the Crown Forces.

The authors have managed to determine where the column set up their temporary bases and the engagements the men were involved in, from the time they left Knockraha, until the time the column was destroyed at Clonmult.

The column’s very narrow escape from Cloyne is well documented, as is the disaster at Clonmult.

The details of the Midleton ambush on December 29, 1920, which resulted in the deaths of an RIC Special Constable and two Black and Tans, are included, as are the resulting official reprisals carried out in the town.

The reprisals were the first to take place in Ireland during the War of Independence.

Several other actions have been researched in detail for The War Of Independence In East Cork, including the ambushes at Mile Bush, Ballyedekin, Churchtown North, Bunker Hill, the Cobh quarry attack, and Youghal Bridge, among others.

The killings in Aghada, Ballycotton, Ballymacoda, Castlemartyr, Cobh, and Midleton, and at the grenade and mine factory in Knockraha are all extensively covered.

The blowing up of the band of the Hampshire Regiment outside Youghal is fully detailed, and as a further indication of the historical balance of the book, the Crown Forces’ account of the bombing and extracts from the Military Court of Inquiry In Lieu of an Inquest are included.

The accounts of the actions in the book were taken from primary sources, contemporary newspapers, and documents.

The authors made extensive use of the Irish Military Archives in Dublin and the UK National Archives, Kew, London, and newspaper archives from Ireland and the UK.

There are complete lists and details in the book of those who lost their lives violently in the area, including members of the IRA, RIC, British Army and civilians.

There are 19 appendices, including organisation charts and nominal rolls of the opposing forces.

There is also a poem titled In Memory of Diarmuid Hurley, the slain commander of the East Cork Flying Column. The book is extensively footnoted throughout, and there is a bibliography.

It aims to present a balanced history of the exciting, dangerous, dramatic, and terrible times of the war between the IRA and the Crown Forces.

The authors hope it will be a valuable source of reference and an outstanding addition to our understanding of that time. It is available from most bookshops, and online.

An illustrated historical presentation on the book will be available for schools, libraries, societies, etc, from the middle of November.

The first presentation will be held in Cobh Library on November 22 at 2pm, it will be a free event, no booking required.