The Tan War and The Civil War
1918 – 1923.
Picture Pg. 106
Photograph taken of Beaufort members of the Old I.R.A.
The Tan War seemed to pass us by without any big outrages taking place and with few incursions of the Black & Tans into the Parish. The first house and perhaps the only one which was burnt down was Mason’s at McGillycuddy’s Lodge where Ollie Mason, Charles’s brother lived. Ollie was known as an organiser and as engineer to our local company.
The only other house burnt was the R.I.C. Barracks in Beaufort, which was destroyed by the I.R.A. in 1919 when it was evacuated by the R.I.C.
We had a very active company of the Volunteers since 1918 in the parish as nearly all the young men in the parish joined the number of well over 100.
The following were the officers of the company:
Company Captain Ned O’Sullivan, Beaufort.
1st Lieutenant Michael Coffey, Carnahone.
2nd Lieutenant Denis Cremin, Dunloe.
Training Officer Jim Coffey, Gortcullinane.
Engineer Ollie Mason, The Reeks, Whitefield.
Company Adj. Danny Coffey, Gortcullinane.
Asst. Engineer Jerh Barney Moriarty.
The company had a very busy time as the headquarters of the Kerry No. 2 Brigade was in the Gap of Dunloe in the house of P. O’Connor. Also for long periods the Brigade Flying Column held training sessions in the Gap.
During these times the local company were responsible for the safety and comfort of all those taking part in training.
Jim Coffey, Gortcullinane, fought at the Ambush at Headford Junction and was beside Dan Allman when he was killed. He escaped from the ambush and served with the Column until the truce. Ned O’Sullivan and some men from the Valley took part in an ambush at the Tunnel on the Kenmare Road and withdrew without any casualties.
Of course we had our own courts set up in the parish from 1918 onwards. They were called “Sinn Féin” courts and had regular sittings to which people came with their complaints and so English Law Courts were boycotted. This meant that we had to have a police force and judges. Jerry Doyle, Whitefield was Supreme Judge and Paddy Leane; Tullig was Chief Constable and saw to it that the decisions of the “Sinn Féin” Court were carried out.
The King’s Writ no longer ran in this parish like most parishes in Ireland.
Solicitors and Councils attended the Courts charging as they did under English Law.
Of course those courts had to be held in secret places and not too often in the same place. But justice was administered and all were ready to obey the decision of “Sinn Féin” Law Courts.
The I.R.A. was the army and helped to carry out the decisions of the courts. The people suffered a lot of inconvenience, as communications were terribly difficult, with bridges blown up and roads cut. Added to that was the terror which the Tans and Auxiliaries aroused as nobody knew when he or she would be arrested by those ruffians and if not shot, would at least suffer a bad beating up. People had to take great risks in going into town or villages to get supplies of food.
The Civil War
The Civil War 1922 – ’23 was a totally different affair from the Tan War. Most of the Company took the side of the Republic and who when defeated at Kilmallock retreated into Kerry and of course our mountains once again proved a place of refuge for those “on the run”.
Many who had not seen active service against the Tans found themselves with no option but to take up arms to defend themselves.
When a Company of the Free State Troops took up residence in Beaufort House our local men had to retreat further towards the mountains and times became more dangerous and during the days lay low and at night ventured to stay in house in Ballagh and Cappagh. And when times became worse no one could sleep in any house and had to sleep in dugouts.
One famous one was in Clydagh where Houlihan or as he was nick named “Parnell” lived. They called the spot “Avondale”, a hole made in a wide fence.
Besides those already mentioned others on the run were: John Coffey NT, Denis Galvin, Jackie Johnson, Vince Doyle (Killarney), John Kerins, Jerh Coffey, Pat Allman, Sonny Connor.
Many skirmishes took place with the troops; the most serious of which was the Battle of Gortbee in which Captain Dempsey of the Dublin Brigade was badly wounded.
Two members of the Company, John Kerins, Beaufort and Jerh Casey, Dunloe who campaigned in County Clare were tragically killed in a rather mysterious manner.
The headstones erected to their memory can be seen at The Gap Cross and the other at Beaufort 50 yards or so south of Beaufort Bar.
Ar Dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamanna.
In the Western part of the mountain area, namely in Lislibane, Coolroe and on into Glencarma strong forces of Republicans held out they were know as “Jack Flynn’s” men and included many from other parts of Kerry. They laid siege to Killorglin, held by Free State Troops but after a hard fight lasting nearly a week had to withdraw. That was in early 1923.
The only onward change that came at the signing of the Treaty was: Pillars originally red were painted green and the map of Ireland on postage stamps instead of the King’s Head.
Irish Language became very important in the schools, but was greatly hindered by the approval of the Inspectors to the subject. They expected far too much in a short time and so to a great extent turned many people away from the love of the language to a dislike of it.