The Lead Up to Joining the Flying Column

The Flying Column

Today I would like to talk a little about five of the Cobh Flying Column members. The four who lost their lives to the Clonmult tragedy, and their commander on the day.

The story of these men is one of courage, sacrifice, and the ultimate price paid for Ireland's freedom. They were ordinary men from Cobh and the surrounding areas who answered the call to arms.

The Road to Clonmult

The East Cork Flying Column had been active throughout the War of Independence, carrying out ambushes and raids on Crown forces. By early 1921, the pressure on the column was intense. British intelligence was closing in, and safe houses were becoming increasingly difficult to find.

The decision to billet at Clonmult farmhouse would prove fatal. On February 20th, 1921, British forces surrounded the house. What followed was one of the bloodiest engagements of the entire War of Independence.

Remembering the Fallen

We remember these men not as statistics in a history book, but as sons, brothers, and friends who gave everything for the cause of Irish freedom. Their sacrifice is honoured today at the 1916 Garden of Remembrance at Westview.