Chronology of Events - Mid Clare Brigade

1913 - 1923

1913

November.

25^th. Eoin MacNeill calls a meeting at the Rink meeting room, Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, forming the Irish Volunteers.

1914

March.

17^th. First branch of the Irish Volunteers organised in Ennis.

July.

28^th. First World War starts in Europe.

August.

4^th. Britain declares war on Germany.

September.

20^th. John Redmond, Leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party makes a speech in Woodenbridge, County Wicklow where he calls for members of the Irish Volunteers to enlist in Kitchener's New British Army and pledges his support to the Allied cause. 142,000 join Redmond in the National Volunteers, splitting the movement, with many enlisting voluntarily in Irish Regiments.

October.

18^th. Clare wins the All Ireland Hurling Final.

24^th-25^th. Clare Irish Volunteers inspected by HQ.

1915

April.

Ernest Blythe begins organising the O’Neillite Irish Volunteers in Clare.

1916

April.

c. 16^th. Irish Volunteers divided into Battalions in Clare in anticipation for Rising.

24^th. Easter Rising. No activity in Clare.

29^th. Patrick Pearse surrenders.

May.  

3^rd-12^th. Fourteen rising leaders executed in Kilmainham Gaol and one in Cork Detention Barracks.

August.

3^rd. Roger Casement hanged in Pentonville Prison, London.

1917

February.  

Clare Brigade established.

March.

First Clare branch of Cumman na mBan reported in Ennis.

June.

7^th. Major Willie Redmond. Irish Parliamentary Party MP for East Clare killed in action at the Battle of Messines Ridge at Ypres, Belgium.

July.

11^th. Éamon de Valera, Commandant of the 3^rd Battalion during the Easter Rising is elected MP for Sinn Féin in the East Clare by-election.

September.

25^th. Thomas Ashe, 5^th Battalion Commandant during the Easter Rising dies after being force fed while on hunger strike. (Nineteen of the thirty eight hunger strikers are from Clare).

October.

25^th. Éamon de Valera elected President of Sinn Féin.

26^th. Éamon de Valera elected President of the Irish Volunteers.

1918

April.

23^rd-24^th. General Strike against conscription in Ireland.

November.

11^th. First World War ends in Europe.

December.

14^th. General Election in Britain and Ireland.

28^th. Votes counted. Sinn Féin wins a landslide victory in Ireland. David Lloyd George re -elected Prime Minister.

Late 1918.

Clare divided into three Brigades, East, Mid and West.

1919

January.

21^st. First meeting of Dáil Éireann at the Mansion House, Dublin. On the same day in Co. Tipperary, the Soloheadbeg Ambush, Two R.I.C. Constables killed signalling the start of the War of Independence.

July. 

5^th. R.I.C. patrol ambushed at Cahermore Cross by the 5^th Battalion. Two Constables wounded.

21^st. Ambush party led By Martin Devitt, Brigade vice O/C, attack Connolly R.I.C. Barracks.

August.

4^th. Two R.I.C. Sergeant John Riordan and Constable Michael James Murphy killed at “81” Cross, Ennistymon.

October.  

1^st. Raid for arms at Moy and Lackamore by the 4^th Battalion.

19^th. Raid for arms at Lisdoonvarna Hotel and Ballyvaughan Coastguard by the 5^th Battalion.

November.

21^st. Moy Company, 4^th Battalion, Led by Commandants Séamus Hennessy and Steve Gallagher raid for arms at Colonel Tottenham Estate. Mount Callan House.

December.

2^nd. Raid for arms on shooting party at Sheshymore, (near Leamaneh Castle, Kilnaboy) by 5^th and 6^th Battalions.

7^th. Kilfenora R.I.C. Station attacked by the 5^th Battalion.

Raid for arms Curragh O’Dea.

1920

January.

3^rd. 6^th Battalion led by Comdt. Sean McNamara attack R.I.C. at Ballyaliban, Ballyvaughan.

April.

3^rd. Moy Company, 4^th Battalion, burn Lahinch R.I.C. Barracks. 5^th Battalion destroy barracks at Kilfenora, Liscannor, Carron, Ballydoura and Fanore.

14^th.Three men shot and killed at Canada Cross, Miltown Malbay. Celebrations were taking place to mark the release of hunger strikers from Kilmainham Gaol. At about 10.45pm, a bonfire was blazing at Canada Cross and a group of adults and children were gathered around it singing nationalist songs. The police and military arrived on the scene and without warning fired at the crowd. Three men were killed: Patrick Hennessy from Church St, married with two children; Thomas O’Leary, Ballard Road, married with ten children; and John O’Loughlin, a 25-year-old tailor from the Ennistymon Road. At the inquest in Ennis, a verdict was returned of “wilful murder without provocation”.

June

23^rd. Taking of rifles O’Connell Street, Ennis. by 1^st Battalion.

July

21^st. Capt. Michael Conway killed in action, Ennistymon.

September.

 22^nd. 4^th Battalion led by Commandant Ignatius O’Neill ambush R.I.C tender at Rineen, between Lahinch and Miltown Malbay. Five R.I.C. and one Black and Tan killed. Brutal reprisals by Crown Forces follow in Ennistymon, Lahinch and Miltown Malbay.

22^nd. Captain Lendrum, R.M. Kilrush, missing for a week. The body was found in a coffin on the railway line near Kilmurray on 1^st October.

October.

18^th. Ruan Barracks attacked and captured. R.I.C. Constable Longhead killed while two other Constables were wounded.

November.

27^th. Co. Council Rate Books seized by the 4^th Battalion in Miltown Malbay from the local rate collector, James McClancy.

December

19^th. Moy Company, 4^th Battalion, supply arms to 5^th Battalion, Mid Clare Brigade, prior to Monreal Ambush.

20^th. Monreal Ambush.

1921

January.

4^th. Martial Law declared in Clare.

March.

6^th. Moy Railway Bridge demolished by the 4^th Battalion.

31^st. 4^th Battalion led by Séamus Hennessy and Ignatius O’Neill attack R.I.C. and Black and Tans in Miltown Malbay. Constable Stanley Moore killed and Constable Hersey wounded.

Brigade v/o Peader O’Loughlen and 5^th Battalion Commandant Andrew O’Donohue seize the rates books in Kilfenora.

May.

5^th. Ascension Thursday. Cancelled attempt by 4^th Battalion ‘Flying Column’ to hold up West Clare Railway train to Miltown Malbay due to a false signal.

4^th Battalion abandon Moughna ambush on Crown Forces raiding party.

12^th. Ambush positions at Inagh abandoned by 4^th Battalion.

14^th. Joe Barrett Mid Clare Brigade Flying Column O/C and Officers visit West Clare Brigade area to inspect ambush positions.

19^th. Abortive Toonagh ambush by Mid Clare Brigade ‘Flying Column’.

6^th Battalion attack Marines at Ballyvaughan.

June.

3^rd.  Cancelled attack on train. Moy Black Hill.

6^th. 4^th Battalion ‘Flying Column’ holds up West Clare Railway. Mail and ‘Belfast Goods’ seized.

Battalion lay in ambush for R.I.C. at Vaughan’s Hill, Moughna, Lahinch. R.I.C. did not appear.

11^th. Private Chalmers tried by court- martial and executed at Moy National School by Moy Company, 4^th Battalion.

20^th-28^th. Miltown Malbay R.I.C. Barracks sniped.

July.

6^th. Ambush at Moananagh by 4^th Battalion. No causalities.

7^th. R.I.C. attacked in Doolin. Constable James R. Hewitt killed another Constable wounded.

10^th. Crown Forces lorries sniped by 4^th Battalion at Inagh.

11^th. Truce

August.

11^th-26^th. Mid Clare Brigade and Battalion Officers attend I.R.A. Divisional Officers training camp at Scarriff.

November.

30^th. 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd Battalions attend an I.R.A training camp at Kilnamona, while the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th Battalions hold a corresponding camp in Kilfenora. Volunteers inspected by President Eamon de Valera, Richard Mulcahy Chief of Staff I.R.A. and Cathal Brugha Minister for Defence.

December.

6^th. Treaty signed in London.

1922

January.

I.R.A. Divisional Officers Special training camp at Ordinance Survey, Ennis.

February.

1^st. Ennistymon and Miltown Malbay R.I.C. Barracks departed by British military.

3^rd. Two R.I.C. Constables, William Gourlay and Frank Kershaw shot dead in Lisdoonvarna.

June.

28^th. Civil war starts.

July.

1^st. Mid Clare Brigade evacuates Ennis I.R.A. Barracks. Taken over by Free State Army.

3^rd. Miltown Malbay I.R.A. Barracks demolished by 4^th Battalion.

24^th. Captured Free State Officers. Escorted to Divisional H.Q.

August.

6^th. Abandoned attack by 4^th Battalion on Miltown Malbay Free State Barracks.

19^th. Ambush positions taken on Free State officers in Ennistymon.

22^nd. Moy Ambush on Free State Army convoy.

October.

14^th. Bomb thrown at Free State officers Miltown Malbay.

December.

9^th. Abandoned ambush position at Ballyea, Inagh by 4^th Battalion.

1923

January.

Free State Barracks Miltown Malbay sniped.

February.

4^th Battalion armed demolition and burning of Lahinch and Miltown Malbay Railway Stations and signal cabins.

Inagh and Spanish Point Post Offices destroyed by 4^th Battalion.

March.

Free State Army raiding party sniped at Moy.

April.

30^th. I.R.A. ceasefire ordered by GHQ.

May.

24^th. I.R.A. ordered to dump arms by GHQ. Civil War over.

September.

20^th. Michael Hennessy (former R.I.C Constable) shot and seriously wounded in Lahinch.