Family tree - Mangan - Moran |
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Joseph Moran,
Moss then age 21, and in the Volunteers, "as every young fella was".Fr.John Guiney says it was "John Creegan" who was shot, a friend of his uncle Denis Mangan.
My grandfather Dick Humphreys age 24, staying in Gourbane, recovering from hunger strike Apr 1920, apparently recovering from pleurisy.The Black and Tans were stationed in Foynes, a few miles to the N.
2 of them were caught unarmed in Shanagolden village, surrounded, arrested by the Volunteers. They were marched down to the Square, stripped, their uniforms burnt, and they were sent away in only trousers.Later that day, 2 lads, Joseph Hartney and Jack Power, both in the Volunteers, were out building a parochial house for the parish priest. They saw 6 armed 'Tans coming up the short back way from Foynes. "They saw they were going to Shanagolden, and would shoot all the lads above". Hartney said "I'll go up and tell 'em, I'll warn 'em", Power - "You won't be up in time", Hartney - "I will". Hartney ran all the 3 miles down the road the long way, unseen by the 'Tans. The 'Tans had only 2½ miles to go. The 6 'Tans were coming over the hill into the village when Hartney was crossing the Square below. The creamery was warned, cleared out. They ran all round the back of the houses, got all the young fellas out, they escaped up the fields. Moss escaped out the back, but they got his father.
The 'Tans got no one, only old people. They burnt the creamery in revenge (think the following night). The Volunteers put the fire out. There was some confusion - people thought they started it. The 'Tans burnt a house in Main St (now Madigan's funeral home, next to Garda Station).
The old people were taken out into the Square. One farmer Creegan had just come back from a fair selling wool, had £64 in his pocket, would be the bulk of his year's earnings, knew it would be taken if he was searched. Moss's father was not much consolation, he said don't bother, we will all be shot. But Moss's sister went over, slipped the money under her arm, walked back into the house. The 'Tans searched Creegan but found nothing.
Earlier in the day, as the Volunteers were marching the 'Tans up the street, a clerical student, in town on a message in a pub at one end of the village, had said as they passed: "That's the stuff to give 'em". The 'Tans returned furious, and searched every inch of the place where he was, throwing open all the presses and cupboards, but he was gone. He had taken no more notice of the incident, and had gone away immediately after. He went 3 miles out into the country. He was just in on a message.
1 man was killed - Jack Hines, an old man, crossing back of house, going home for dinner. The 'Tans saw him in the distance, shot him. Dick Humphreys was out in Gourbane when the 'Tans came down. He went to the inquest. The man who shot Hines got off.
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