Excavation reveals conditions of IRA cave hideout during Civil War in Sligo
A TEAM of three archaeologists have completed the excavation of a oncelost mountain cave in Sligo used as an IRA hideout during the Irish Civil War.
The project, funded by Atlantic Technological University (ATU), reveals a forgotten story in Sligo’s recent history, in what is the first research excavation of a Civil War site in Ireland.
The team of three archaeologists – Dr Marion Dowd (ATU), Robert Mulraney (Independent Researcher) and Dr James Bonsall (Fourth Dimension Prospection Ltd) – spent over a week excavating a small cave high in the Dartry Mountains overlooking Glencar Lake in north County Sligo.
The cave was used as a hideout during the War of Independence and was the principal hideout of the North Sligo anti-Treaty IRA during the Civil War.
In September 1922, the National Army closed in on the anti-treaty IRA headquarters at Rahelly House, north of Sligo town.
After an intense firefight, approximately 60 men evacuated the house, making for Benbulben, with the intention of crossing the mountains to reach the safety of Tormore Cave – better known as the ‘Glencar hideout’. Several IRA men were captured on the mountains and imprisoned by the National Army.
Six men were shot and killed at two different locations in the uplands. These men – Brigadier Seamus Devins, Divisional Adjutant Brian MacNeill, Lieutenant Patrick Carroll, Volunteer Joseph Banks, Captain Harry Benson and Volunteer Thomas Langan – became known as Sligo’s Noble Six.
A further 34 men successfully reached Tormore Cave and lived there for the following six weeks.
The men were never discovered, making this one of the most successful hideouts of the entire revolutionary period in Ireland.
Following the Civil War, the location of Tormore Cave was lost. In the mid-1930s, however, General Officer Commanding William Pilkington, one of the men who had hid there in 1922, returned to Sligo and revealed its location.
During his time in the cave, he had nursed an injury to his shoulder, which he had broken during recent fighting.
Anecdotal accounts recollect that while in the cave, Pilkington vowed to become a priest if he survived the war. This he did and went on to be ordained as a Redemptorist priest serving in Cape Town, South Africa and England.
The archaeological excavations sought to document the hideout and learn more about how it was utilised as part of guerrilla tactics.
The excavations revealed that the cave had been modified and prepared for usage, probably during the War of Independence.
A large boulder was strategically placed at the entrance. On either side of this, stones were piled against the cave walls and fixed with mortar.
This served to conceal the cave entrance making the hideout extremely difficult to find.
It is likely that a sentry was positioned inside the cave behind the boulder, from where he commanded expansive views over the surrounding landscape.
The team working in cramped conditions in the cave.
The exterior of the cave. RIGHT: Dr Marion Dowd, Robert Mulraney and Dr James Bonsall who carried out the excavation.
Inside, excavations through soil layers revealed a series of constructed steps leading from the entrance into the cave. With further excavation it was found that the men had also prepared a mortar-surfaced floor, layered over with flagstones, in a similar way to traditional Irish cottages of the 1920s.
A mortared wall was also built to enclose the space. This construction would have served to keep the living space clean and created a warmer and drier surface for men sleeping there. But it was far from luxurious as the 34 men endured harsh conditions in the cave. They could not light fires as the smoke would attract attention. They had to survive with little food, cramped into a small, damp and dark cave for many weeks.
The excavations produced almost 200 artefacts.
“This is the first archaeological excavation of a Civil War site in Ireland,” Dr Marion Dowd of Atlantic Technological University commented.
“Many people knew that a mountain cave had been used as a hideout for six weeks, but almost no one knew where it was located.
“Because so few people have visited the cave over the past 100 years, the site was essentially a Civil War time capsule.
“The structures and artefacts we discovered were as they had been left when the men abandoned the cave in October 1922.”
Shards of pottery and glass were recovered that were related to food brought by local families to feed the men.
“Much of the pottery probably came from Sarah Branley’s kitchen,” Dr James Bonsall explained.
“The Branleys lived a short walk from the cave and two of Sarah’s sons, Paddy, and Dominick, were hiding in the cave.
“One of the main problems the men encountered was Trench foot, caused by prolonged exposure in damp conditions.
“Apparently, Sarah tended to the men’s feet on at least one occasion when some of them left the cave during a bad storm and came to her house.”
“We also found several personal items that give us an insight into the men,” said caver and archaeologist Robert Mulraney.
“We found a boot lace, a belt buckle, and a clay pipe. As part of the project, we are trying to identify the men who sought refuge in the cave, who survived the ordeal and who then became largely forgotten.
Mulraney added: “So far, we have identified seven men and have been speaking with their relatives.”
The team hope that people who had relatives that stayed in the cave will contact them.
“This is not just a Sligo story. We have had contact from people in Boston (USA), London, and Counties Galway, Down and Dublin whose father, grandfather, uncle, or granduncle stayed in the cave during the Civil War. We hope to hear from others,” said Dr Dowd.
The public are reminded the cave is on private property. If you have any information about the cave, the team can be contacted at dowd.marion@ itsligo.ie.
Inside the Lough Gill Distillery which is reportedly close to being acquired by a us-based company.
A US-based company is reported to be close to acquiring Sligo based Lough Gill Distillery.
The Sunday Independent, under a headline ‘Paddy owner set to buy Sligo distillery’, reported that the deal is believed to be worth tens of millions of euro.
The distillery, located at Hazelwood Avenue on the shores of Lough Gill, is said to be the target for purchase by Paddy Irish Whiskey owner Sazerac.
In 2016 Sazerac purchased the Paddy Irish Whiskey brand from Irish Distillers, a subsidiary of the French drinks conglomerate Pernod Ricard, which also owns the Jameson and Powers brands. Sazerac is one of the largest distilled spirits producers in North America.
The Sunday Independent reports that the Sligo deal could be worth more than €40m. The report that the deal is at a “very advanced stage”. Sazerac and Lough Gill Distillery declined to comment on the deal when approached by the Sunday Independent.
Software developer David Raethorne’s company Hazelwood Demesne bought the Hazelwood House estate, where the distillery is located, in December 2014.
In 2016 they were granted planning permission to transform a former factory at Hazelwood House into a whiskey distillery and visitors’ centre.
The Sligo Weekender reported in April 2016 how the go-ahead was given for a factory building which in the past manufactured nylon yarn and video tapes to now produce whiskey.
That report stated: “Planning permission has been granted by Sligo County Council for the ambitious plans to restore the 18th century Hazelwood House and to turn the massive adjoining factory building into a distillery and visitor centre. “The present owners of the historic estate, Dublin-based couple David and Sue Raethorne, hope to turn Hazelwood House into a major national tourist attraction, which will attract thousands of visitors a year.
“The planning permission is for alterations and change of use of the former 20,000 sq metre Saehan Media factory, in which a South Korean company manufactured VHS video tapes from 1987 to 2005. “The factory, which covers five acres, was built in 1969 by Italian company Snia to manufacture nylon yarn but it closed in 1983.
“The building will undergo a major facelift to give it a more attractive appearance.
“Hazelwood House itself is to undergo an extensive restoration to become a visitor centre.
“It is proposed to have tours of the house and to have museum/exhibition areas, together with whiskey history information and tasting areas integrated in a distillery tour. “It is also planned to have a restaurant/tea room, two executive residential suites and to convert the stables to craft workshops/trade displays.
“The property was bought by David and Sue Raethorne in December 2014.
“Previously, the estate was bought in 2006 by Foresthaze Developments, a consortium of mostly local businessmen for €10m. In 2007 they applied for permission to build 158 detached houses and 54 apartments in four blocks, but their planning application was refused.
“The property was put up for sale in 2013, with a guide price of €2.5m, that was reduced to €550,000 and the estate was sold in December 2014 for an undisclosed sum.”
On their website, Lough Gill Distillery explains how they use “state of the art equipment and energy capture technology to produce the highest quality single malt whiskey with minimal impact on the environment”.
“The distillery is capable of producing over one million litres of alcohol per annum, equating to about three million bottles of the finest quality, triple distilled single malt whiskey.
“Using our three specially designed copper pot stills, we are dedicated to the production of triple distilled single malt whiskey in the Irish tradition.”
In May 2015 Lough Gill Distillery announced it had secured a €15 million debt financing facility from PNC Business Credit – the UK division of a top-five lender to retail and business customers in the United States. Their press release added: “This long-term debt financing will be used to fund the production of an additional 600,000 litres of pure alcohol each year at the Lough Gill Distillery in Co. Sligo.
“The facility has been specifically designed to support the cash flow profile of a scaling whiskey distillery and is not due to be repaid until after the liquid has fully matured into single malt whiskey.”
LEFT: The Lough Gill Distillery on the site of Hazelwood House.