101 years later, The Banteer Ambush is Remembered

For a Few Dollars More

By TADHG CURTIN

Sunday, April 24th saw the unveiling of a monument at Father Murphy’s Bridge, Banteer, Co. Cork. It commemorates the Banteer Ambush that occurred on March 8th, 1921. It is a little known event, obscured by the later, more well known Nadd Ambush (featured in this magazine in Issue 37).

The Banteer Ambush saw a group of Irish volunteers from the surrounding area ambush a mixed patrol of RIC officers and ‘Black and Tans’ at the bridge from the upper surrounding fields. The one fatality of the ambush was an RIC Constable Nicholas Somers; a Catholic farmer from Wexford who came from a relatively prosperous background. After the others in the patrol surrendered, the volunteers emerged from their cover and rounded them up.

Dr. Padraig Óg Ó Ruairc, in his oration, talked about the attempts of many to rewrite history. This is a surprisingly prevalent thing that we can see happening but it must be resisted. It is important that the War of Independence is told without apology. The suggestion some time ago that the “enemy” of that time could be honoured also was unacceptable to the majority of Irish people.

It is over a century later but the wounds are still there. Our country is still not fully ours but this decade is a time we honour the brave men and women who died fighting for our freedom. Many thanks to everyone involved in donating and setting up the event and erecting such a beautiful monument.

Photo of Tadhg Curtin by John Tarrant. All other photos by Tadhg Curtin