This article is from page 32 of the 2008-03-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 32 JPG
The book, by Jim Corbett, tells the story of the ferocious battle by Re- publican volunteers to hold the bar- racks at Clancy Strand during five days of the Civil War in July 1922.
The officer commanding Clancy
Strand barracks against this bom- bardment was Captain Cornelius McNamara of ‘A’ Company, 2nd Battalion, Mid Limerick Brigade, but known to his men as Connie Mackey.
Between July 15 and 20, 1922 the Republican held barracks was re- peatedly bombarded by sniper, ma- chine gun and mortar fire by Free State troops located at Arthur’s Quay, and lead by Commandant General Michael Brennan, a native
of Meelick.
He led a fierce onslaught against the men led by Connie Mackey. When that failed to dislodge them, the Free State unit turned an 18 pounder Ar- tillery Gun on the barracks. This was the only time a siege gun was used in Limerick since the siege of 1691. Mackey was told to surrender the barracks or be responsible for the loss of life. His response was he would not surrender “while he still had ammunition”.
Even when the four foot front walls had been breached by the nineteen Shells fired…he remained resolute. But they were eventually surrounded after Free State troops also began an assault from behind the barracks.
Only when he realised that further resistance would lead to the loss of the lives of his men did Connie Mackey surrender. But when he did, an ever gracious Commandant Gen- eral Brennan complimented him on the magnificent defence he put up.