Clonbanin Centenary on this Friday

THE Centenary of the Clonbanin Ambush in the height of the War of Independence is remembered on this Friday. The years 1920/21 had been a fractious few months and the War had escalated in County Cork following the deaths of Lord Mayors McCurtain and McSwiney.

Events in the north west of the county, such as Tureengariffe and Drishanebeg, confirmed the strength of the Volunteer Movement. The Clonbanin Ambush took place on March 5, 1921 when Sean Moylan, Commandant of the

Newmarket Column, made the decision to ambush a British party of senior officers and their military guard returning from an inspection tour in Kerry. The position he selected was at Clonbanin, near Derrinagree, which was about five miles from Kanturk, where there was a strong military post and five miles north of Millstreet, then garrisoned by a force of Black and Tans and RIC.

Cork and Kerry Volunteers united for the successful staging, the Newmarket Column joined by a section of the Kerry No. 2 Brigade Column, under Commandant Tom McEllistrim, and a detachment from Charleville Battalion Column, under Commandant Paddy O’Brien with supporting battalions headed by Cornelius J Meaney and Captain Dan Vaughan.

In a two hour battle, the Crown Forces incurred losses including Brigadier General H. R. Cumming, one of the highest ranked British officers to die in the Irish War of Independence while the Volunteers suffered no casualties.

No surprise, events scheduled to mark the ambush on March 5 are scaled back due to Covid-19, yet the public can view a monument at Derinagree Church Car Park.

And its story is now in print ‘Clonbanin Ambush Centenary 1921-2021, A Cork and Kerry Victory’ is available at a number of outlets including Millstreet Post Office, Colemans Centra, Millstreet; Wordsworth, Millstreet; Guerins Shop, Ballydaly and Anglands, Dromagh.