Dreaded Tans crumbled at firm churchyard warning
THE controversial failed attempt by the Government seeking to commemorate the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) Police Force reminded me of a story told to me by my father, John Baldwin, in my youth...
My grandfather, Tom Baldwin, who I’m named after, was born in 1900. In his late teens, Tom had joined the East Waterford (Old) Irish Republican Army and took part in elements of the guerilla war against the hated Black and Tans and other forces of the crown, from 1919 to 1921.
However, the efforts of the lightly armed Waterford IRA members had been limited to simply ‘making a nuisance of themselves’.
On one occasion, the East Waterford IRA Brigade felled a tree across the Waterford City to Dunmore East road, which required the armed Tan patrol to detour and eventually return to their barracks in Waterford long after their due time. It was a Saturday night.
On Sunday morning – after
11am Mass in Crooke Church – the people leaving were faced with a force of Black and Tans in a truck and an armoured car. This force was accompanied by the local Passage East RIC sergeant and four of his officers (who were Irish-born recruits).
All the congregation gathered at the door of the church, and nobody moved up the avenue towards the gates. Eventually, my father’s grandfather – Johnny Baldwin – walked to the gates of the churchyard and asked the
RIC sergeant what was going on. The sergeant replied: ‘The auxiliaries are here to arrest some of the local blackguards for questioning about a tree that blocked their passage to
Dunmore last night and your son John is one of those suspected of being involved.’
My great-grandfather replied: ‘It’s like this, Sergeant, if you people arrest anyone leaving this holy place today, you and your men will be ostracised in the village of Passage, and you will not be served in any of the pubs or shops, and also you men and your families will be ignored by the people of the village. Even your children will suffer, as they will be barred from the local primary school. It’s up to yourself but I advise you to heed my warning.’
The sergeant thought for a while then turned and went to the auxiliary force commander and said something to him.
With that, the auxiliaries left the location and the RIC police officers marched away too.
Tom Baldwin, Midleton, Co. Cork.