1916 and the subsequent War of Independence involved thousands of Irish men and women. The deeds of some are recounted in song and story while the names of a great many others appear in no history books.
Thanks to excellent research by amateur historian, Mick Lillis, we now know more about Rathcormac native, Batt O’Mahony, whose final resting place is Castlelyons cemetery. A member of the Irish Volunteers, who later became the Irish Republican Army, Batt’s nationalistic tendencies meant he was an enthusiastic and committed operative during this troubled period in Ireland.
Batt’s first foray into active service involved a raid for arms on a property owned by local gentry, Colonel Cooke-Collis.
Coverage in this week’s Print Edition
