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IRA guerrilla leader Tom Barry showed great military experience in planning the Kilmichael ambush in West Cork 100 years ago today, both in selecting the ambush site and in the way he deployed his men, according to a military historian.
Historian and ex-soldier Gerry White said Barry used good intelligence on exactly where a group of British auxiliaries from Macroom-based Company C would go to patrol and selected a site on Kilmichael between Macroom and Dunmanway that offered his men ” good ground to kill. ” ”.
“He deployed his men very well, he deployed them to secure overlapping fields of fire, the selected area would be well covered with rifle fire, but he also deployed them very close to the road because he was well aware that he did not have the army training they had. the auxiliaries, “said Mr. White
“Barry’s men didn’t get a chance to go to a shooting range and practice like the Auxiliaries had; his men had very little military training, so when possible, he deployed them very close to the road; his philosophy, as he said, later was’ There are no bad shots at ten or 15 yards.
White made his comments in a new documentary made by local historians Colum and Shane Cronin for the Coppeen Archaeological, Historical and Cultural Society titled Kilmichael – A History of a Century that makes extensive use of drone imagery, historical maps and interviews from archive.
Surveys and interviews
In the confrontation that took place around 4 p.m. on November 28, 1920, the Flying Column of the IRA’s West Cork Brigade No. 3 ambushed a group of Auxiliaries, killing 16 of them and suffering three casualties, Lt. Jim O’Sullivan (23), Michael McCarthy (23) and Patrick Deasy (16).
The narrator, Colum Cronin, said: “As a local historian, I have always had a keen interest in the history of the Kilmichael ambush; 100 years later it is more important than ever that we celebrate this event, an event that would send shockwaves across the world. from the Irish Sea to the British settlement. “
The documentary uses drone footage to survey the ambush site and a map drawn up the next day by an Auxiliary engineer, Lt E Fleming, where he mapped where the bodies of the 16 dead Auxiliaries were found and where he believed they were. the members of the Flying Column. were positioned.
The documentary also uses archival interviews conducted by the late Fr. John Chisholm with Kilmichael veterans Jack O’Sullivan and Ned Young about their memories of the ambush, while also addressing the controversies arising from Tom Barry’s account of the ambush at Guerrilla Days in Ireland.
The historian, Professor Eunan O’Halpin of Trinity College, Dublin, addresses the issue of the “false surrender” of the auxiliaries, first questioned by the Canadian historian Peter Hart in his book “The IRA and its Enemies: Violence and Community in Cork 1916-1923 ”first published in 1998.
Historian Dr. Eve Morrison discusses a 1974 dispute between Barry and fellow veteran Liam Deasy, whose brother, Patrick, was ambushed when Deasy published his book ‘Towards Ireland Free,’ prompting several veterans of the IRA will disassociate themselves from Barry’s version.
The documentary also features contributions from the author, Don Wood, who tells the story of the auxiliary, Lieutenant Frederick Henry Forde MC who survived the ambush, and local historian Joe Creedon who tells how Lieutenant Cecil Guthrie, who escaped the ambush only to be later killed by the local. GO TO.
The retaliation carried out by the assistants at Kilmichael in the following days is also examined, including the burning of several houses and the shooting death by the assistants at the Cronin’s Bar in Coolderrihy of the day laborer, Dinny O’Sullivan, who did not participate. in ambush.
Provincial council documentary
Meanwhile, Cork City Council has also produced a documentary to mark the centenary of the Kilmichael Ambush, where local historian Con O’Callaghan tells the story of the ambush and local men, Conor O’Driscoll and Mick O ‘ Brien remember their parents’ involvement in the engagement.
Cork County Mayor Cllr Mary Linehan Foley welcomed the Cork County Council’s new documentary on Kilmichael Ambush, as well as others also produced for Cork County Council on the Lord Mayors of Cork Martyrs, Tomas Mac Curtain and Terence MacSwiney.
“The wealth of cultural heritage in County Cork that we have today is due to generations of historians, archaeologists and ordinary people whose dedicated work over the years has enriched our understanding of our history,” said Mayor Linehan Foley.
“While these commemorations recognize the contributions of great people like MacCurtáin, MacSwiney and Tom Barry, it is important that we remember the important community and volunteer work that has allowed us, one hundred years later, to continue learning about our history.”
Kilmichael – A Story of a Century can be seen at the following link here: e
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