Cath an Spidéil 1921
100 Bliain ó Shin: Cath an Spidéil
le Donncha Ó hÉallaithe
Micheál Ó Droighneáin ar chlé. Bhí sé ina Cheannfort ar Bhriogáid Oirthear Chonamara agus i gceannas ar an IRA le linn Cath an Spidéil 1921. Dódh teach a mhuintire mar dhíoltas. Níl heol cé hiad an bheirt eile.
[Buíochas le Maidhcín Dan Ó Droighneáin, a chuir an pictiúr ar fáil.]
Le breacadh an lae ar an 14 Bealtaine, 100 bliain ó shin, tharla an eachtra ba mhó i gCois Fharraige le linn Cogadh na Saoirse. Scaoil buíon den IRA ar bhaill den RIC. Níor maraíodh aon duine. Thart ar meán lae an lá céanna, tháinig buíon de na Black an’ Tans ó Ghaillimh agus las siad dhá theach taobh thiar den Spidéal: teach mhuintir Uí Droighneáin ar an Tuar Beag agus teach Bhaba Bháin i Saile Thúna. Bhí beirt de mhuintir Uí Dhroighneáin páirteach sa luíochán – Máirtín agus Micheál. Ba é Micheál Ó Droighneáin a bhí i gceannas agus bhí Pádraig Rua Ó Cúláin, mac le Baba Bháin páirteach chomh maith.
Do réir tuairiscí sna nuachtáin ag an am, d’fhill na Tans ar an Spidéal ar an Máirt, 17 Bealtaine, agus las siad dhá theach eile: teach Ned Breathnach ar an Sídheán agus teach Phait Uí Choistealbha i mBaile Domhnalláin.
Bhí beairic RIC sa Spidéal suite ar Bhóthar na Seanchéibhe, trasna ón tseanreilig. Bhí boycott i bhfeidhm ar an RIC sa gceantar agus ní fhéadfaidís earraí a cheannach ó na siopaí áitiúla ná ó mhuintir na háite. Le ábhar tine a fháil bhí nós acu maidin Shathairn, iachall a chur ar dhaoine a bhíodh ag tabhairt móna go Gaillimh le díol, an mhóin a thabhairt ag an mBeairic.
Blianta ina dhiaidh, 1957, thug Micheál Droighneánach tuairisc chuimsitheach don Bureau of Military History (BMH) ar a dtarla:
“They [RIC An Spidéil] used to be up very early on Saturday mornings in the village, to commandeer cart-loads of turf, on their way to Galway. They forced the owners to bring their loads to the barracks. We formed a plan to attack them in the village on Saturday morning, May 14th 1921. We had nine rifles (.303), a dozen shotguns, and three or four revolvers. I had twenty four men in all in the village, and around it…..
We took up positions very early in the morning. I put four men in the old graveyard, by the shore covering the barracks main door and front windows. These were Morgan Davoren (Vice O/C in charge), Martin Lynskey, Brian Folan and Michael Costello. There was fine cover there and a good retreat. I had Eamonn Breathnach and two others in Kelly’s yard, opposite the church and about 60 yards away from Folan’s corner, where the RIC would first stand. I had five men under Tim Kyne’s command, situated near the Post Office, which is on the road leading from Spiddal to Moycullen, and about a hundred yards from Folan’s corner, and in view of the corner. I had six men in Lydon’s house in the middle of the village, the present Garda Barracks, having been given every facility by one of the Lydons – Mattie – who was a Volunteer himself. This group included Tom Conneely, Tom O’Connor, Páidín Faherty, Padraic Concannon and two others. Their duty would be, if any policemen fell, to collect their arms and take them away. I had two or three others placed west of the river by the shore, in case there would be any move from the barracks westwards. And lastly, I myself and Pádraic Folan, then Captain of the Spiddal Company, took up a position inside the wall of the Old Girl’s School on the north side of the road, and about one hundred and twenty yards from Folan’s corner. Instructions were given to each group to fire no shot until they heard my shot first.”
Pádraic Rua Ó Cúláin, Saile Thúna, An Spidéal, a bhí lárnach sa troid a tharla 100 bliain ó shin ag Cath an Spidéil. D’imigh sé go Meiriceá i lár na 1920idí, áit ar phós sé Margaret, deirfiúr le Micheál Ó Droighneáin. Sa bpictiúr a tógadh blianta ina dhiaidh sin i Meiriceá, tá sé in éindí lena mhac.
[Buíochas le Mike Ó Cúláin, a chuir an pictiúr ar fáil.]
Thart ar 4.00 ar maidin, agus an solas lag go maith, tháinig seisear den RIC chun seasamh ag an gcoirnéal, Folan’s corner mar a tugadh air ag an am. Seo mar a chuir an Droighneánach síos ar a dtarla ina dhiaidh sin:
“I heard the rumbling noise of a cart coming the road, a short distance west of the village. I told Folan to get ready, to aim low and fire immediately after my shot. I took deliberate aim, as I thought, plumb centre, and fired. Folan fired immediately after, and then firing broke out from all the groups. The moment we fired the police threw themselves on the ground, and rolled away down the road from the corner where they were under cover from the high walls. The four men in the old graveyard peppered the door and the windows. Nobody left the barracks, and no shot was fired by the six men in the patrol. Verey lights were sent up at intervals from the barracks, and if they attempted to ‘phone Galway or any other station for help, it was useless, as we had the telephone wires cut all around. I saw three of the group at Lydon’s come out in the middle of the road, but unfortunately there was no disarming to be done. The firing continued for about five minutes, and then I gave the signal to fall back. We all met, a mile north of the village, and then went to our several dug-outs. The net result of our attempt was two wounded RIC men who had to be treated in hospital.
The mark of the my first bullet was to be seen for a few years after in the wall of Folan’s corner, scarcely one inch about a man’s head, and then word went around during the days that followed, we learned that the man standing there was Constable Hannon, the most harmless man in the barracks. I would have been sorry to have shot him.”
Ar chlé Taimín Dan agus a dheartháir Maidhcín Dan ina seasamh ag an teach ar an Tuar Beag a las na Black an’ Tans. Tá cónaí ar Taimín sa teach i gcónaí. Bhí beirt uncail le Taimín agus Maidhcín páirteach i gCath An Spidéil, an Micheál Ó Droighneáin a a bhí i gceannas ar an IRA sa gceantar agus a dheartháir Máirtín.
[Buíochas le Dónal Ó Droighneáin, a chuir an pictiúr ar fáil.]
Theip ar an ionsaí. Níor maraíodh aon duine den RIC agus níor éirigh leo aon arm a bhailiú. Leag an Droighneánach an locht air féin, mar gur scaoil sé an urchar ró-luath, ag am nach raibh a dhóthain solais.
Seo mar a tuairiscíodh an eachtra sa gConnacht Tribune faoin ceannteideal ‘AMBUSH – AND AFTER, Early Morning Attack on Police Patrol at Spiddal. No Casualties’.
“When Sargent Rodgers and a patrol of six policemen were leaving Spiddal police barracks at 4.00 o’ clock on Saturday morning fire was opened upon them by a party of men estimated at between thirty and sixty concealed in the old chapel yard and in adjacent buildings. The patrol took cover and replied, retreating along the wall…. When the engagement, which lasted ten minutes, had concluded it was found that none of the police had been injured.”
Díoltas
Triúr de chlann Johnny Bán Ó Coistealbha, Baile an Domhnalláin, ina seasamh ag doras an tí a dhó na Black an’ Tans 100 bliain ó shin, mar go raibh uncail leo, Pat Ó Coistealbha ina cheannaire ar Cathlán Spidéil den IRA nuair a tharla Cath an Spidéil.
Ó chlé: Hughie, Lorcán agus Éamonn Johnny Bán Ó Coistealbha.
Tá cónaí ar Hughie agus Éamonn sa teach i gcónaí.
[Pictiúr: Donncha Ó hÉallaithe].
Tar éis an eachtra, ar an lá céanna thart ar mheán lae tháinig na Black an’ Tans chomh fada leis an Spidéal. Seo mar a chuir an Droighneánach síos ar a tharla:
“When night came they [Black an’ Tans] went on an orgy of burning. They burned four houses – Eamonn Breathnach’s in Sheeaun; Pádraic Costello’s in Ballydonnellan; Pádraic Folan’s in Salahoona, and my father’s house, in which nobody had slept for some weeks.”
Níl fianaise an Droighneánaigh ag teacht leis an tuairisc sa gConnacht Tribune (21/05/1921) a dúirt gur dódh an dá theach taobh thiar den Spidéal ar an Satharn, agus gur fhill na Tans ar an Máirt dar gcionn leis an dá theach taobh thoir den Spidéal a lasadh: teach Ned Breathnach ar an Sídheán agus teach na gCoistealbhaigh i mBaile an Domhnalláin.
Cúiteamh
Tá fianaise ann go ndearna dhá theaghlach iarratas ar chúiteamh. Seo cuid den tuairisc a tugadh ag an éisteacht chúirte sa gConnacht Tribune (02/07/1921) faoin teideal SPIDDAL BURNINGS:
“John Thornton, Spiddal claimed £2,000 for the burning of a two-storey dwelling-house at Spiddal ón May 14 last.
Margt. Thornton, daughter of applicant [John Thornton], in reply to Mr. Blake, said that as a result of certain happenings in Spiddal on May 14 the family left their home. They had left only about 10 minutes when they heard a number of explosions. The house was completely destroyed.”
“Barbara Folan [Baba Bhán], Spiddal, claimed £700 for the burning of her dwelling-house on the same occasion. Margaret Folan, daughter of applicant, siad that her mother’s house was burned down on the same night as that of Mr. Thornton’s.” (Connacht Tribune, 2 Iúil 1921).
Socraíodh cúiteamh de £745 a íoc le John Thornton, as a theach a bheith scriosta agus socraíodh cúiteamh de £180 a íoc le Baba Bháin, ar dódh an teach orthu an oíche chéanna. Seans maith gur íocadh damáistí as an dá theach eile a lasadh chomh maith.
Conclúid
Tá cónaí i bpéire den cheithre theach a dódh i gcónaí. Tá Taimín Dan Ó Droighneáin, mac deartháir le Micheál Ó Droighneáin, ina chónaí ar an teach a dódh ar an Tuar Beag agus rian dóite fós ar chuid den adhmad sa teach.
I mBaile an Domhnalláin tá cónaí ar Éamonn Johnny Bán Ó Coistealbha agus a dheartháir Hughie. Ba uncail leo Pat Ó Coistealbha a bhí ina Ceannfort ar Chathlán an Spidéil ag an am.
Nóta Buíochais
Tá mé buíoch do na daoine seo a leanas a thug cúnamh leis an eolas a bhailiú le haghaidh an ailt seo: Seán Ó Neachtain; Éamonn, Hughie agus Lorcán Ó Coistealbha, Baile an Domhnalláin; Mikey Ó Cúláin, Saile Thúna; Dónal Ó Droighneáin agus a bheirt uncail, Taimín agus Maidhcín Dan Ó Droighneáin ar an Tuar Beag. Ba cúnamh dom chomh maith an cuntas cuimsitheach atá ag an staraí Cormac Ó Comhraí sa leabhar a scríobh sé faoi Chogadh na Saoirse i nGaillimh, Sa Bhearna Bhaoil (Cló Iar-Chonnacht, 2015)
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