Sean Hogan commemoration in Ballylooby on Sunday

In late 1920, the IRA in Tipperary decided to start a second Flying Column to open up another front in their guerrilla campaign against the might of the British Empire which were occupying the 32 counties of Ireland at that time. Sean Treacy had come to Walshe’s at Ballyboy Clogheen in May 1920 to organise and consult with company officers about a special training course. This course was then carried out at Ballyboy.

Sean Treacy’s death in Talbot Street, Dublin in October 1920 was a massive moral blow to the IRA. With midnight raids growing more numerous and many volunteers now on the run, it made logistical sense to form into groups of highly mobile, motivated armed men, roaming the countryside deciding to bring the fight to the British whenever and where ever they chose.

The first Column formed in late 1920 was under Dinny Lacey’s command and based around West Tipperary. Most of the operations carried out by the IRA in South Tipperary were in the west of the county. This left a vast area from the Galtees outside Cahir over to the Knockmealdowns and on to Clonmel and up to the Kilkenny border and Waterford border, with no IRA operations. It was decided to start a second Column in late 1920.

In January 1921, Prendergasts of Cruaghatoor just outside Ballylooby was chosen by Sean Hogan as his HQ following his appointment as commander of the second IRA Flying Column. Many local men were involved in this Column from its inception, including Tommy Ryan Tubrid, Sean Myles Graigue, Jack Nagle (New Inn), Mick Mahoney and his brother Tom of Burgess (a safehouse), Jack Butler, Millgrove and Maurice McGrath, Clogheen.

The first training camp took place at the Ban Doite. The Ban Doite was two fields adjacent to an old boreen which led in one direction down to the Thonogue river and the other direction over a boreen which led to the site of a 12th century church where can still be seen the oval-shaped field known as ‘ The Rath’.

The ‘ Ban’ was chosen for a number of reasons. Firstly although only 3 miles from a large British Military base, it was off the main road and half way down a boreen which was well hidden. The Ban itself was surrounded by big thick ditches. It was also in a natural valley which followed the course of the Thonogue, starting from Tubrid over to Rochestown near Ballybrado where the Thonogue meets the Suir.

It was easy for the IRA to post sentries on high ground while they trained and drilled. The other big advantage the Ban had was it was located in a Republican heartland. The locals were sympathetic to the cause of Irish freedom and many, like the Fitzgeralds, Hynes’, Clearys, McCarthys, Murphys, Keatings, Sheehans and Tobins, were involved in the local Active service company. This group of men were members of the IRA but also kept ‘normal life’ going as best they could.

The No 2 Column had between 30 and 40 full-time members at its height but the Column could not have survived if it was not for the local active service IRA Volunteers and their families, who offered ‘ safe houses’ and fed, clothed and guarded the men of the IRA Flying Column. When word came to an area that ‘the boys’ were on the way, these locals, small farmers, labourers - members of the Active Service Company- were on a war footing.

The safety of the wanted men of the Column was now their responsibility. Armed guards were placed at strategic locations on approach roads. Scouts and spotters watched movements on approach roads and fields. Often the houses of suspect informers were discreetly monitored while the IRA Flying Column members took a break and got some rest.

The first march of Sean Hogan’s Column openly under arms, took place in January 1921. The men set off from their HQ at Prendergasts where Dan Breen who had come to help organise the Column and get it going, had joined them. We don’t know for definite the exact route they took but a map recently found from the War of independence which I was involved in identifying, shows a blue line drawn in going from Graigue at the foot of the Knockmealdowns up along the fields and road and going in through the fields at the back of Fitzgeralds to the house the Column actually marched to on that famous day.

This was Sean Hogan’s Column’s first open armed march. We can only but picture the scene, 30 armed men walking along the boreens and fields of South Tipperary being led by two of the most wanted men in the British empire, Dan Breen and Sean Hogan. Both had made their names following the Soloheadbeg ambush but they had become almost mythical legends after the Knocklong rescue, when Hogan was rescued from certain death by Treacy, Breen and the IRA.

Sean Hogan had made local man Tom Ryan, chief scout that day of the march from Cruaghatoor to Killinure and Maurice McGrath from Clogheen was given the job of placing sentries around Fitzgeralds. The Column were welcomed by Catherine Fitzgerald, whose two sons Paddy and Bill, were members of the local IRA Active unit. They had scarcely sat down to supper when Maurice McGrath rushed in to warn the men that the Tans were coming across the fields from the Cahir direction. Thankfully the Column escaped led by Tom Ryan, down the boreen beside their training ground, the Ban Doite.

COMMEMORATION

On this Saturday, 19th March we are commemorating that first march, openly under arms. We will also be remembering the local men and women of the IRA Active service groups and their families who provided safehouses and fed the IRA Flying Columns. Cumann na mBan women like Bridget Gleeson, Marion Tobin, men like Thomas McCarthy; Patrick Tobin, Carrigataha; Jim Sheehan; Tommy Keating; William Burke, Roosca; Paddy Fitzgerald and his brother Bill Killinure; the Clearys, Crannavone; Michael Slattery, James Murphy, Michael Cronin, the Kenneally brothers, James and Patrick all of Graigue; Robert Carrigan, Bill Houlihan, Crough, Ardfinnan; Edmond O’Leary, Knockballinira; John Moloney, Dennis Looby, James O’Brien and James Sullivan - all of Castlegrace.

None of these men will be found in the history books or in the Flying Column lists, but these were the men of the Active Service Units, the men who dropped whatever they were doing when the Column came to their area and they were part of an armed IRA unit that went out in all weathers carrying despatches, trenching roads, scouting and providing armed guard for the Flying Column while they rested.

This is an non political event and all are welcome. John Connors and Dr Tim Horgan will be our speakers on the day. There will be parking available and we are encouraging people to dress in the theme of the Flying Columns and Cumann na mBan and come early. The march will commence at 2pm and will be led by a piper and a Flying Column re-enactment group. We hope to see you all there.

Tom Hennessy, Crannavone, Cahir.