James Ahern and the Glenacurrane Ambush
The last number of years has seen many commemorations held locally to mark the events of both the War of Independence as well as the Civil War. Of course, when lockdown restrictions came into force in March 2020, some of these commemorations had to be held behind closed doors, so to speak, one of these being of the Glenacurrane Ambush.
Glenacurrane lies midway between Anglesborough and Mitchelstown, and in 1920 had become a regular route for British troops carrying prisoners bound for Kilworth Camp. That December, Irish Republicans opted to attack one of these convoys and capture arms, as well as to disrupt the British lines of communication. Expecting a significant battle, men from the Cork No. 2 Brigade, the Castletownroche Battalion, joined forces with men from the flying column of the East Limerick Brigade.
On 17th December, 1920, two British lorries with 18 men were attacked just north of Ballaghderg Bridge by the Irish forces on the north side of Mitchelstown. In that battle, two were killed and three wounded on the British side. While the flying columns had no fatalities, there were injuries sustained, including that of Ballindangan man, James Ahern.
According to his son Cyril, Mr Ahern, who was a member of the East Limerick Brigade Flying Column, was shot and seriously wounded in the fracas. He was initially taken to be hidden in a number of local houses. Later, on his way to Cork city to have the bullet taken out of his wound, a fellow Ballindangan man, Michael Rouse of the Cork No. 2 Brigade, spotted a number of Black and Tans outside of Watergrasshill. James was ultimately taken back to Fermoy hospital where the bullet was removed by a Dr Magner.
Later in life, Mr Ahern was one of 33 men arrested in 1936 alongside other locals like Araglin’s Liam Leddy and Joseph Beary, Fermoy’s Thomas Wall, Denis O’Connor of Ballyclough in Mallow, and Michael Byrne from Ballynoe. Cyril says his father was “a Republican” when he was arrested; the men were removed to Arbour Hill after arrest, and an article in The Cork Examiner at the time stated that “The arrests have, it is believed, been made under the provisions of the Constitution (Amendment) Act” and “some of the arrested men are well-known supporters of the Republican movement”.
Some detail was given on specific men arrested at that time, including Mr Ahern.
“Mr James Ahern, of Ballylough, Ballindangan, an extensive farmer, was arrested at his home by Detectives and Guards on Wednesday night. Mr Ahern has been closely identified with the Republican movement and was seriously wounded at Glenacurrane during the Anglo-Irish War. Reference to the part played by the Aherne family during the AngloIrish War was made in the recent broadcast by the officers of the East Limerick Brigade of I.R.A.”
His release was later secured by members of the O’Mahoney's of Kilnadrew, according to Cyril, who also confirms that his father played “no part” in the Civil War.
Cyril also told The Avondhu how that, for this ‘sin’, he was excommunicated. Later on, he was ‘let back in’ to the church by way of a two-way stint in Mount Melleray so that he could get married!
Born in 1899, Mr Ahern passed away in 1976, and was survived by his wife and eight children.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Glenacurrane Ambush in 2020, a small wreath-laying ceremony took place to remember the events of that day.
Some information in this article has been taken from an article by Padraig Ó Maidin, previously included in TheAvondhu in December 2020.