The Civil War & Cloughaneely

An Cogadh Cathartha & Cloich Cheann Fhaola

The Treaty of 1921 declared Ireland as a Free State. This caused political havoc particularly when De Valera resigned as President of the Dail. He refused to accept the condition of the Treaty and dissociated himself entirely from it. Soon mayhem ruled with the outbreak of civil war between the old I.R.A. who had become part of the Free State Army and the Irregulars who refused to join them but remained armed and organised in some former British Barracks.
With the signing of the Treaty, the British demilitarisation of the twenty-six counties commenced. This was followed by the disablement of the R.I.C. after the ratification of the Treaty. By the end of February, 1922, all R.I.C. barracks had been evacuated.

Local volunteers take control of the R.I.C. barracks - History of An tSean Bheairic, The Old Barracks, Falcarragh, County Donegal, Ireland

In January, 1922, the last serving R.I.C. constables evacuated the Falcarragh barracks under the orders of Sergeant McKenna. Immediately, occupancy was filled by the Pro-Treaty Volunteers belonging to the Northern Division. It is believed that these volunteers, eight in all, came from the Rosses apart from their captain who came from Gortahork. They took charge of the barracks and held it until September 1922 when the civic guards arrived.

The Free State Army also took up residence on the Ballyconnell estate from early 1922 until late 1923. It was an ideal garrison where fifty men could be accommodated. It was also used as a detention centre for captured irregular volunteers. Captain Pat O’Donnell commanded the Ballyconnell outpost.

Donegal, Cloughaneely and the Treaty

The reaction of the local Volunteers to the signing of the Treaty was similar to what had happened at a national level, they split.

Those who refused to acknowledge the Free State included:
Dan Coyle, Killult; Paddy Duggan, Ardsbeg; John Sweeney, Baltony; Denis and Dan McGee, Paddy Curran, Joe McGinley, Joe Timi Sheain, Ardsbeg; Donal McGee, Ray; Joe and Cathal Kerr, Gortahork; Cathal Duggan, Denis Boyle, Niall Duffy and Francis and Joe Carr.
A small number of Cloughaneely women played an active part in the Civil War providing safe houses, distributing weapons, gathering intelligence, conveying dispatches and visiting prisoners. These women included Sile Doogan, Mairead Cannon, Mary McGee, Mary De Blacam, Maebh Rodgers, Sile Kelly, Maebh McLaughlin, Catriona Whoriskey and Eithne Coyle. Eithne Coyle’s activities resulted in her imprisonment.

General Duffy was successful in bringing the Irregulars in Donegal under control. The anti-treaty forces became smaller and smaller with Glenveagh Castle, commanded by Sean Lehane being their last stronghold. By July 1922, they were forced to evacuate the castle as they were hugely outnumbered by the Free State.

The Irregulars were formed into columns to carry out ambush work. One such column was commanded by Dan McGee. However, he was captured at Lough Veigh House. Subsequently, he was detained in Newbridge Barracks. Dan McGee played no further part in the Civil War in Donegal.

Image of document held in the Military Archives - History of An tSean Bheairic, The Old Barracks, Falcarragh, County Donegal, Ireland

Charlie Daly, Commandant General in the Irish Republican Army, along with seven other captured by the pro-treaty army. History of An tSean Bheairic, The Old Barracks, Falcarragh, County Donegal, Ireland

Despite the odds stacked against them, the 1st Southern Division of Volunteers led by Charlie Daly continued to resistance. Daly and his men were frequent visitors to Gortahork staying in various safe houses. The Duggan, O’Donnell, Cannon and McLaughlin homes were considered as safe houses. Once while at the Station House in Falcarragh, Mary McGee, Killult, was given a small hand revolver belonging to Joseph Donagh for safekeeping. On arriving home, she discovered that the house was being raided by the Free Staters. The gun was promptly thrown into the churn where it lay undiscovered.

On the 2nd November 1922, Charlie Daly and seven others were captured in Meen a bPoll, Dunlewy by the Pro-Treaty Army under the command of Lieutenant McBrearty. They were taken to Drumboe internment camp. On the 18th January 1923, Daly, Enright, O’Sullivan and Larkin were tried by the Military Court at Drumboe and sentenced to death. By the end of December 1922, Cloughaneely was no longer an area in which the Irregulars remained active.

Chomh luath géar agus síníodh Conradh na bliana 1921, fógraíodh Éire ina Saorstát. Chuir seo cúrsaí polaitíochta glan chun sioparnaí, go speisialta nuair a d’fhógair De Valera go raibh sé ag éirí as a bheith ina Uachtarán ar an Dáil. Dhiúltaigh sé glacadh le coinníollacha an Chonartha agus ní bheadh baint ná páirt aige de. Roimh i bhfad, bhris Cogadh Cathartha dearg amach idir an sean IRA, a chuaigh isteach i nArm an Saorstáit, agus na “Irregulars” (na Sealadaigh) a dhiúltaigh a bheith rannpháirteach leo. D’fhan siadsan faoi arm agus eagar agus lonnaigh siad iad féin i mbeairicí a bhí ag na Sasanaigh roimhe sin.
Nuair a síníodh an Conradh, cuireadh tús le dímhíleatú fhórsaí na Breataine sna Sé Contae is Fiche. Ansin, cuireadh deireadh leis an RIC agus faoi dheireadh mhí na bhFaoilleach 1922, bhí beairicí an RIC tréigthe.

I mí Eanáir na bliana 1922, d’imigh constáblaí deireanacha an RIC as beairic an Fhál Charraigh, faoi ordú an Sáirsint Mac Cionaoith. Chomh luath géar is a bhí siad amuigh ar an doras, bhí seilbh glactha ag na hÓglaigh, a bhí in éadan an Chonartha, ar an bheairic. Meastar gurbh as na Rosa a tháinig an ochtar óglach a bhí i mbeairic an Fhál Charraigh, ach ba de bhunadh Ghort an Choirce a gCaiftín. D’fhan siadsan sa bheairic go dtáinig na nGardaí Síochána i mí Mheán Fómhair 1922.

Ag an am céanna, bhí saighdiúirí ó arm an tSaorstáit lonnaithe i dTeach Bhaile Chonaill ó thús na bliana 1922 go dtí chóir a bheith deireadh 1923. Áit bhreá a bhí ann mar gharastún ina raibh lóistín do chaoga fear. Baineadh úsáid as Baile Chonaill fosta mar theach coinnéala d’Óglaigh a raibh sé de mhí-ádh orthu gur gabhadh iad. Ba é an Caiftin Pat Ó Domhnaill a bhí ina cheannasaí i mBaile Chonaill.

Dún na nGall, Cloich Cheann Fhaola agus An Conradh.

Nuair a síníodh an Conradh, tharlaigh an rud céanna i measc na nÓglach áitiúla is a tharla sa chuid eile den tír — scoilteadh iad.

I measc na nÓglach a dhiúltaigh glacadh le Saorstát na hÉireann, bhí siad seo a leanas: Dan Mac Giolla Chomhail, Cill Ulta; Páidí Ó Dúgáin, An Ardaí Bheag; Seán Mac Suibhne, An Bhealtaine; Donnchadh agus Dónall Mac Aoidh, Páidí Ó Curráin, Joe Mac Fhionnaile (Joe Tímí Shéain), An Ardai Bheag; Dónall Mac Aoidh, An Ráithe; Seosamh & Cathal Mac Giolla Chearra, Gort an Choirce; Cathal Ó Dubhchóin; Donnchadh Ó Baoighill; Niall Ó Dufaigh; Proinsias & Seosamh Mac Giolla Chearra.

Bhí páirt ghníomhach ag baicle ban as Cloich Cheann Fhaola sa Chogadh Cathartha. Chuir siad tithe sábháilte ar fáil, dháiligh siad armlón, chruinnigh siad eolas, thug siad teachtaireachtaí ó áit go háit agus thug siad cuairt ar phríosúnaigh. Ina measc, bhí Síle Ní Dhúgáin, Máiréad Ní Chanainn, Máire Nic Aoidh, Máire de Bláca, Méabh Nic Ruairí, O.S., Síle Ní Cheallaigh, Méabh Nic Lochlainn, Caitríona Ní Fhuaruisce agus Eithne Ní Ghiolla Chomhaill, a cuireadh chun príosúin de bharr a cuid gníomhaíochtaí.
D’éirigh leis an Ginearál Ó Dufaigh na hÓglaigh a chur faoi smacht i nDún na nGall. Bhí an dream a bhí in éadan an Chonartha ag éirí níos lú agus níos lú go dtí sa deireadh nach raibh de dhaingean fágtha acu ach Caisleán Ghleann Bheatha, faoi cheannas Sheáin Ó Liathláin. Faoi dheireadh mí Iúil na bliana 1922, b’éigean daofa an Caisleán a fhágáil nuair a rinne slua an-mhór d’arm an tSaorstáit fáinne thart ar an áit.

Bhí na hÓglaigh eagraithe ina gcolúin le ruathair ionsaithe a dhéanamh ar an namhaid. Bhí ceann de na colúin seo faoi cheannas Dan Mac Aoidh. Beireadh air ag Teach Loch Bheatha agus cuireadh i ngéibheann é i bPríosún An Droichid Nua. Ba sin deireadh le páirt Dan sa Chogadh Cathartha i nDún na nGall.

In ainneoin go raibh siad ag snámh in aghaidh an tsrutha, sheas An Dara Cathlán Tuaisceartach, faoi cheannas Chathail Uí Dhálaigh, an fód. Bhíodh Ó Dálaigh agus a chuid fear i nGort an Choirce go minic, áit a bhfanadh siad i dtithe sábháilte éagsúla. Bhí tithe Mhuintear Uí Dhúgáin, Uí Dhomhnaill, Uí Chanáin agus Mhic Lochlainn uilig ainmnithe mar thithe sábháilte. Uair amháin nuair a bhí sí ar cuairt chuig Teach an Stáisiúin ar an Fhál Charrach, tugadh gunna beag de chuid Sheosaimh Mhic Dhonncha do Mháire Nic Aoidh as Cill Ulta lena choinneáil slán. Nuair a tháinig sí chun an bhaile, bhí saighdiúirí ó Arm an tSaorstáit ag cuartú an tí. Ach sábháladh an gunna — cuireadh i bhfolach sa choinneog é.

Ar an 2ra lá de mhí na Samhna, 1922, bheir díorma ó Arm an tSaorstáit, faoi cheannas an Leifteanant Mac Briartaigh, ar Chathal Ó Dálaigh agus seachtar fear eile i Mín na bPoll i nDún Lúiche. Tugadh go campa géibhinn Dhroim Bhoth iad. Ar an 18ú lá de mhí Eanáir, 1923, tugadh Ó Dálaigh, Ó Suilleabháin agus Ó Lorcáin os comhair cúirt mhíleata i nDroim Bhoth agus daoradh chun báis iad. Faoi Nollaig na bliana 1922, ní raibh Óglaigh ar bith gníomhach i gceantar Chloich Cheann Fhaola.

An tSean Bheairic, An Fál Carrach - Falcarragh Irish language, cultural, educational and heritage centre and visitor centre, County Donegal, Ireland

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An tSráid Mhór
An Fál Carrach
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F92 YE2C

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