Marking the 100th anniversary of one of the worst defeats for the IRA during the War of Independence.
Almost the entire flying column in East Cork was surrounded by troops and RIC Auxiliaries at a farmhouse near Midleton. By the end of the ensuing battle, twelve IRA men were dead and eight others arrested. Two of those captured were later executed.
If Kilmichael had been the IRA's most successful operation during the War of Independence, then what happened at Clonmult in rising, isolated pasture land near Midleton was surely its worst defeat.
A degree of carelessness, along with poor leadership, led crown security forces to an abandoned farmhouse which was a flying column headquarters. Over twenty young men were surrounded and two of them were killed immediately outside the house.
Dr Gabriel Doherty of University College Cork, describes the appalling dilemma faced by the young men trapped inside the farmhouse. If they attempted to escape, they may not get very far. If they stayed put, they were sitting ducks.
RIC reinforcements used petrol to force the IRA to surrender, the farmhouse had just one exit and a thatched roof.
Tom O'Neill, author of 'The Battle of Clonmult', describes how twelve men were lined up outside the house and were fired upon by the auxiliary police. Seven were killed. However, accounts of the episode on that day vary.
The event remains a reminder of a vicious period in Irish history, especially for the families left behind. Caitriona Hegarty the grand niece of Dick Hegarty, who was killed at the age of just 22 describe the impact on his family.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 19 February 2021. The reporter is Donal Byrne.
