Civil War Songs
The following song about an ambush at Ohermong during the Civil War was composed by Michael ‘Dan’ O’Shea
‘The September sun was setting,
Is still, save the stream’s onward rush;
Near Ohermong Bridge we’re waiting
Captain Foley three Fords to ambush
When the sound from the engines roared loudly,
The time for the battle was near;
Our orders to man our posts proudly
And the foe, bravely face, without fear.’
Cuireann an t-amhrán seo síos ar chath mór a tharla an nGarrán ar an 4ú lá de Mhárta 1923, le linn an Chogadh Cathardha. Maraíodh poblachtánach amháin agus seisear saighdiúr de chuid Arm an tSaorstáit sa chaismirt. Ina measc bhí Dan Clifford (Poblachtánach), Timothy O’Shea ó Chathair Saidhbhín (Arm an tSaorstáit) agus William Healy ó Dhairbhre (Arm an tSaorstáit). Tugtar eachtraí an lae úd chun cuimhne chomh maith in ‘The Heathery Slopes of Gurrane’ - amhrán eile a cloistear sa cheantar go fóill. Bailíodh an t-amhrán áirithe seo sa scoil náisiúnta i gCaisleach sa bhliain 1936 mar chuid de Bhailiúchan na Scol. Seán Ó Dálaigh ó hOileán Buí a bhailigh é ó Mhícheál Ó Móráin, Caol an Fraocháin. Deirtear i nóta beag a ghabhann leis an amhrán gurb é Mícheál Ó Móráin féin a chum an t-amhrán.
This Civil War song commemorates the ‘Battle of Gurrane’ which was fought on the 4th of March 1923. One Republican and six Free State soldiers were killed in the engagement. They included Dan Clifford (Republican), Timothy O’Shea from Cahersiveen (Army) and William Healy from Valentia (Army). The events of that day are also remembered in another well-known ballad ‘The Heathery Slopes of Gurrane’. This Irish language song was collected in Caisleach national school in 1936 as part of the Schools’ Folklore initiative. It was collected by Seán Ó Dálaigh, Oileán Buí, from Mícheál Ó Móráin, Caol an Fraocháin. In an accompanying note it is stated that the song had been recently composed by Mícheál Ó Moráin himself.
This song, like refers to the killing of five anti-Treaty men by Free-State soldiers on a bleak spring morning on March 12th’ 1923. The song comes from a collection of songs that was written down circa 1923 by Denis/Jack Griffin the uncle of Michael Courtney of the Kerry III Brigade who was blown up on a mine by Free-State troops at Bahaghs on the 12th March 1923. The song deals with the killing of five men - Mike Courtney, Spunkane, Dan O‘ Shea, Islandboy, John Sugrue, Ballinskelligs, Eugene Dwyer, Reenieragh and Willie Riordan, an eighteen year old who also had two other brothers interred as a result of Republican activities. The men were first shot and then strapped to a mine at Bahaghs near Cahirciveen. The men had been arrested at a wake at Curravoola, following a day of intense searching by the Free-State army in the hills around Waterville. The prisoners were taken to the Bahaghs workhouse.
The composer recalls in this song battles fought with the Tans in Tooreensigh; the fight by the Republicans to re-take Killorglin from the Free State Army; the battle of Gurrane between Republicans and Free Staters and the atrocities of the Civil War including the killing of five prisoners at Bahaghs and of Seán Clifford killed by firing squad in Tralee Gaol.
This song refers to the killing of five anti-Treaty men by Free State soldiers on ‘a bleak spring morning on March 12th’ 1923. The men were first shot and then strapped to a mine at Bahagh’s near Cahirsiveen. Mike Courtney, Spunkane, Dan O‘ Shea, Islandboy, John Sugrue, Ballinskelligs, Eugene Dwyer, Reenieragh and Willie Riordan, an eighteen year old who also had two other brothers, interred as a result of Republican activities. The men were arrested at a wake at Correvoola, following a day of intense searching by the Free State army in the hills around Waterville. The prisoners were taken to the Bahaghs workhouse. ‘The five men taken at the wake were called to some kind of court-martial on the 9th, yet no sentence was pronounced.’ The official line on the deaths of the five men was that it was through an attempted ambush on Free State soldiers that the Irregulars had lost their lives. The official report signed by the O/C of the Kerry No.3 Brigade contradicted this stating that there was no ambush in the vicinity as all troops had been removed from the vicinity of Cahirsiveen and the workhouse. ‘There was no barricade, no mine laid there by us.’