The War of Independence

Cogadh na Saoirse

Local Volunteers at Baltony. History of An tSean Bheairic, The Old Barracks, Falcarragh, County Donegal, Ireland

On the 21st January 1919, twenty seven elected members of Sinn Fein met in the Mansion House in Dublin and formed the First Dail adopting a provisional constitution and ratifying the Republic that had been proclaimed in 1916. Thereafter, the route to Irish autonomy was marked by a two-year conflict - The War of Independence. It was the policy of the Irish volunteers, renamed the Irish Republican Army (I.R.A.) to attack R.I.C. police and Military posts. By the end of 1919, the I.R.A. had killed eighteen R.I.C. policemen and had attacked over a hundred police stations. As reinforcement, ex-British soldiers, the Black and Tan, were assigned to Ireland to suppress Irish rebellion. They perceived the civilian population as hostile and a reign of terror ensued.

The I.R.A. was organised into Battalion areas. Donegal was divided into four brigades. Cloughaneely was the second Battalion of the Northern Brigade with Barney O’Donnell as its Officer in Command and Daniel Coyle from Killult as the Company Captain. Branches were established in Derryconnor, Baltony, Gortahork, and Killult. Cumann na mBán was the female organisation. The Cloughaneely Cumann was particularly active with Eithne Coyle as Captain of the movement. She was arrested for her involvement and on the 25th of February 1921 she was tried under the Field General Court Martial and sentenced to one year’s penal servitude.

The Volunteer Activities in Cloughaneely

On the 6th of July 1920, Magheraroarty Costguard station was burned down.
On the 6th of August 1920, at the Gortahork Fair day, three R.I.C. constables, Regan, Cooney and Lemon, from the Falcarragh Barracks were ambushed.
On the 17th of August 1920, the I.R.A. seized telegraph and radio equipment from the Falcarragh Post Office.
On the 28th of August 1920, the train from Letterkenny was held up at Cahelnagore to intercept mail.
The R.I.C. and Black’n Tans stepped up their offensive which culminated in the arrest of Barney O’Donnell and the destruction of the Irish College and Co-op store in Gortahork.
In 1921, several attacks were made on this barracks. The first raid took place on the 20th of January 1921.
On the 20th of March 1921, Constable James McKenna was shot dead in a building opposite the barracks where he was stationed.
The Cloughaneely I.R.A. disrupted military convoys by trenching roads and destroying bridges. They destroyed the bridges at Ray, the Bawane, Bedlam, Fanaboy and Muckish.
On the 30th of June 1921, an attempt was made to ambush a military lorry that was halted on the Kildrum road due to mechanical trouble.
On the 6th of July 1921, General Mulcahy, chief of staff of the I.R.A. volunteers issued an order to all officers commanding units to suspend hostilities.

The war was over.

Ar an 21ú lá d’Eanáir, 1919, tháinig seachtar is fiche de bhaill tofa Shinn Fein le chéile i dTeach an Ard-Mhéara i mBaile Átha Cliath gur bhunaigh siad an Chéad Dáil. Ghlac siad le bunreacht sealadach agus dhaingnigh siad an Phoblacht a fógraíodh sa bhliain 1916. Ar feadh dhá bhliain ina dhiaidh sin, bhí coimhlint achrannach ar siúl ar mhaithe le neamhspleáchas na hÉireann a bhaint amach. Bhí sé mar pholasaí ag na hÓglaigh, nó an I.R.A., ionsaíthe a dhéanamh ar phéas an R.I.C. agus ar bheairicí míleata. Faoi dheireadh na bliana 1919, bhí corradh le céad bearicic de chuid an R.I.C. ionsaithe ag an I.R.A. agus ocht bpéas dhéag marbh acu. Le cuidiú leis an R.I.C. na hÉireannaigh a bhrú faoi chois, chuir Sasain anall scaoi de shaighdiúirí gan oiliúint - oibrithe dífhostaithe agus iarphríosúnaigh - agus chuir seo tús leis an cogadh a ba bhrúidiúla agus a ba tíoránta i stair na tíre seo - Cogadh na Saoirse nó Cogadh na nDubhchrónach.

Bhí an I.R.A. eagraithe i gCathláin agus bhí ceithre Chathlán i gContae Dhún na nGall. Ba i gceantar Cloich Cheann Fhaola a bhí an Dara Cathlán de Bhriogáid an Tuaiscirt lonnaithe. Bhí Bearnaí Ó Domhnaill ina Oifigeach Ceannais agus bhí Dónall Mac Giolla Chomhaill as Cill Ulta mar Chaiftín ar an Chomplacht. Bunaíodh cumainn i nDoire Chonaire, ar An Bhealtaine, i nGort an Choirce agus i gCill Ulta. Bhí cumann dá gcuid féin ag na mná, Cumann na mBan, agus ba í Eithne Ní Ghiolla Chomhaill a bhí ina Caiftín ar an ghluaiseacht ghníomhach sin i gCloich Cheann Fhaola. De bharr a cuid gníomhaíochtaí, beireadh uirthi ar an 25ú lá de mhí na bhFaoilleach, 1921, tugadh os comhair cúirt mhíleata í agus cuireadh i bpríosún í ar feadh bliana.

Gníomhaíochtaí na nÓglach i gCloich Cheann Fhaola

Rinneadh ionsaí ar thríur péas de chuid an R.I.C., Ó Riagáin, Ó Cuana agus Mac Laghmainn, ó bheairic an Fhál Charraigh, lá aonáigh i nGort an Choirce ar an 6ú Lúnasa, 1920.
Ar an 17ú Lúnasa, 1920, thug an I.R.A. leo gléasra teileagraif agus trealamh raidió ó oifig an phoist ar an Fhál Charrach.
Ar an 28ú Lúnasa, 1920, rinneadh ionsaí ar an traein ó Leitir Ceanainn ag Caiseal na gCorr ar mhaithe le litreacha a cheapadh.
D’éirigh an R.I.C. agus na Dubhchrónach níos fiéchmhaire in éadan na nÓglach. Beireadh ar Bhearnaí Ó Domhnaill. Scrios na Dubhchrónach Coláiste Uladh agus siopa Chomharchumann Chloich Cheann Fhaola oíche an 17ú lá de Shamhain 1920.
Rinneadh ionsaí ar an bheairic seo dornán iarrachtaí. Tharla an chéad cheann ar an 20ú Eanáir 1921.
Rinneadh ionsaí ar bheairic an Fhál Charraigh ar an 20ú lá de Mhárta 1921 agus maraíodh an Constábla Séamus Mac Cionaoith.
Cuireadh bac mór le gluaiseachtaí míleata na nDubhchrónaigh sa cheantar nuair a ghearr an I.R.A. i gCloich Cheann Fhaola trinsí sna bealtaí móra agus nuair a scrios siad na droichid. Scriosadh droichid ag An Ráithe, An Babhdhún, ag Bedlam, Fána Bhuí agus ag An Mhucais.
Ar an 30ú lá de Mheithimh, rinneadh iarracht ionsaí a dhéanamh ar leoraí mhíleata a bhí briste anuas ar feadh tamaill ar bhealach Chaoldroim.
Ar an 6ú lá de mhí Iúil 1921, chuir an Ginearál Ó Maolchathaigh, Ardcheannfort an I.R.A., fógra chuig iomlán oifigigí ceannais na nÓglach ag ordú daofa stad den troid.

Bhí an cogadh thart.

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

Polasaí Gaeilge

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An tSean Bheairic
An tSráid Mhór
An Fál Carrach
Co. Dhún na nGall
F92 YE2C

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+353 (0)74 9180655

eolas@antseanbheairic.ie