War of Independence murders of volunteers to be recalled in Nadd
THE War of Independence will be recalled in Nadd during the next week where great men who helped give Ireland its freedom are acknowledged.
A monument at Inchamay remembers the local volunteers based in Lyre and Nadd who lost their lives on March 10 in 1921. That monument was unveiled during the Centenary of the 1916 Rising when current Cork County GAA Board officer Richard Murphy outlined the event that led to murder of four personnel.
“Commandant of the Cork No. 2 Brigade Liam Lynch had moved his group, comprising sections of the Mallow and Kanturk Columns, to the Nadd area. His columns were widely dispersed amongst the farmhouses in the district, including Dave Herlihy’s, a base to which columns or sections of them returned after successful actions”, Mr Murphy said.
However, British forces then retaliated and staged one of their most elaborate and well planned efforts in an attempt to annihilate the brigade staff and column.
On a sweep of the Nadd area, and helped by information, they came to Herlihy’s farmhouse at Inchamay. Here, Lieutenant Edward Waters of Mallow Company, Volunteers Timothy Kiely, Joseph Morgan and John Moloney were sleeping.
The raiding party took the occupants to the back of the house, where Morgan and Moloney made a dash for freedom. Both were wounded but managed to get away. Unfortunately, Waters, Kiely and Herlihy were shot dead where they stood.
Fire was exchanged between some detachments of British forces and groups of Volunteers. One Volunteer not on duty fell victim to British fire, Edward Twomey of Lacklown Company, a cow testing inspector, who was at the time engaged on his civil duties. He was shot dead while running across a field.
Rathcoole historian Dan Joe O’Keeffe delivered an oration in Nadd Village five years ago and saluted the courage of men and women involved in the fight for Irish freedom.
“Nadd was a hotbed of activity during the War of Independence, given the ambushes at Clonbanin, Drishane and Tureengariff. The efforts of the Volunteers changed the course of Irish history and led to the foundation of the state”, he said.
Plans to commemorate the Lyre and Nadd martyrs next week have been deferred owing to the current pandemic.