War of Independence commemoration

NINETY years on, the deaths of three people in War of Independence violence will be commemorated with an ecumenical service in Doonbeg on October 30.
Resident magistrate Alan Lendrum died at Caherfeenick, near Doonbeg, on September 22, 1920 and this led to the subsequent killing of two IRA volunteers, Willie Shanahan and Michael McNamara.
When Lendrum’s grandnephew, Geoff Simmons and Mr Shanahan’s nephew, Eoin Shanahan, began carrying out research into the affair, they began to collaborate and their efforts form the backdrop to the commemoration on October 30.
Eoin Shanahan said that the two have worked closely together to gain an understanding of the period in history and the October 30 event will be resolutely non-political. “We decided to have the event to commemorate all involved. At 3.45pm there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the Republican plot in Doonbeg and at 4pm there will be an ecumenical service. After that we will go to the hall and there will be an information presentation. It’s open to everyone and we’re deliberately not sending out invites because we don’t want it to be seen as political.”
Lendrum’s death in September led to a pursuit of the two volunteers and their death, just days before Christmas. “On the same day as the Rineen ambush, the resident magistrate, who was from Tyrone, was ambushed and killed at Caherfeenick, near Doonbeg. I’m pretty sure they didn’t intend to kill him but he was shot twice and he died. After that his body was secreted away for a while,” Mr Shanahan added.
As he was the only volunteer who could drive a car, Willie Shanahan was called on to dispose of the car. Following on from this himself and Michael McNamara (captain of the Doonbeg company) were pursued, in the belief that they could provide information on who had killed Lendrum.
“They were hunted and caught after three months. Then they were questioned and they were killed on the same day, December 22 1920. Michael McNamara was killed while being brought from Kilrush to Ennis. At first it was said that McNamara was shot while trying to escape and later they said he was shot by accident. It was later in the day in Ennis when Willie Shanahan was shot and they said he had been attempting to escape. But it’s generally believed they were both killed in reprisal,” he added.
Mr Shanahan said that it seems the authorities had been frustrated at not being able to get information from the prisoners.
“They believed they would have information and it seems the boys refused to give it.
“The proof of that came the day after when 11 lorry loads of Black and Tans came to Doonbeg and they rounded up all the able-bodied men in Doonbeg and threatened to shoot them. It seems that was an act of frustration because they were angry about the shooting of Lendrum and they were frustrated that they didn’t get any information from the two boys. Or they might have been hoping to scare people in the hope that they’d get information then.”
Mr Shanahan says that neither himself nor Mr Simmons could adequately research the incident alone. “Neither of us could do it on our own. I wouldn’t have had his side and he wouldn’t have had a link with West Clare.”
The two have been collaborating on a book for close to a year and a half and have expanded the range of their research. “We’ve widened it a little bit into a broader history of West Clare at the time,” he concluded.