TO MARK the 100th anniversary of the Glenwood Ambush the local memorial committee have produced a Centenary Book, which is now on sale in the run up to Christmas.
The publication contains a number of versions of what actually happened on ambush day January 20, 1921, and the later reprisals by the Black and Tans. There are some details also of a number of the participating volunteers, in as much as was possible to get the information. These include Martin ‘Neighbour’ McNamara, Joe Clancy, Tom McGrath, Mattie McGrath, James Hogan, Paddy McCarthy, Jackie Ryan, Jimmy McInerney, Miko Neville, Dinny Minogue, Mick Moloney, Mick Shaughnessy, Tom McInerney, Michael Cleary, Peter St Ledger, Dan Lenihan, Joseph McNamara, Tadhg McGrath, Mick O’Dea, Paddy Quinn, Jack O’Grady. Jack Egan, Jack Curley, Tom McMahon, John Joe McNamara, Jack Quinn and Michael Quinn.
The publication also includes a number of very informative and readable articles, including ‘The Combatants in the War of Independence’ by Michael McNamara; ‘Cumann na mBan’ by Ann Quinn; ‘The Enduring Flames of Glenwood’ by Tomás Mac Conmara; ‘The Glenwood Ambush in Context’ by Ciarán Ó Gríofa; and the full version of the Military Witness Statement made by Joe Clancy, from Kilkishen, to the Bureau of Military History in 1956.
Joe joined the British Army at the tender age of 16 years, and within six weeks of his enlistment, was serving in the trenches in Francenin the First World War. After being wounded on three occasions he was declared medically unfit in July 2018, and within a few weeks of his return to Kilkishen got involved in training local volunteers. A total of 23 pages relate to Joe’s participation in the War of Independence in Clare in the position of Training Officer.
The publication would not be complete without the images of volunteers; the ambush song by Denis Donnellan and poem by Seán Crowe; images of items from the War of Independence; images from previous commemoration events such as the 90th anniversary of the ambush and the 1916 Centenary Commemorative event; and images of local RIC Barracks. The book runs to 170 pages and is on sale in Ennis Book Shop; O’Mahony’s, Ennis; Eason’s Shannon Town Centre, Sixmilebridge Post Office; Supervalu in Tulla; The Country Store, Broadford; Bane’s Gift Shop in Scariff; Crowe’s and Nonies shops in Kilkishen.