Sergeant Edmund Prendiville
Captain and Miss Davis and
They, along with his brother
IYidleton RIC. At the request of his relatives there was no military display at his funeral.
in
Clonmel and Constable James Prendiville in Cork City.
Thomas Prendiville from Rathea and his two oldest children, lohn IY (born 1906) and Edmond Joseph (1907), accompanied the body from Youghal.
The couple's other
children
were Maurice Francis (1909), Thomas P (1915), Hanora M (1917) and two months old Garrett F. Back in Kerry lYaurice Prendeville's body lay in the Mortuary Chapel of St l'.4a ry's Church in Listowel overnight and next morning High I\4ass was celebrated by Rev. O'Connor PP, assisted by Rev. C O'Sullivan and Rev. J O'Connor. According to the Kerryman newspaper report of lanuary 1, 1921 "At 12.30 the fitneral left for the ancient burial ground of Kilsinon and was both large and representative of all classes... as well as members of his own fafiily who are amonq the most respected in the district".
A long list of the
mourners
was given in the report and showed attendance from all the local townlands such as Gortacloha ne, Behins, Toor-
nageeha Rathea
and and
Ballyduhig. Messages wires were received From
Prendeville
MA
J
Madeira, Sister Mary Redeemer, Shella
(sisters), and from Garrett (brother). Wreaths were sent from, among others, Lady Browne and Lady Blake, from
from the Youghal
and
lvlaurice Prendiville's other sib ings were Honora, Thomas I4argaret, Bridget, IYary, lohn, Julia, Ellen and Gerard (perha ps known as Garrett).
IYaurice Prendiville's
wife from Newcastle West. Her maiden name was Mathews. In the 1911 Census she is down as l.4argaret [.4ary, living with her children in Carriqtohilll, outside Cork city. Her mother, Honora Mathews, was also in the house with her on Census night and marked as being able to speak both Irish and Eng lish.
Margaret hailed
Immediately following her husband's death [4argaret, then aged about 38, qualified for an Annual Pension of !39 and an Annua! Allowance of t2. 10s for each child under
18 - of which there
were Pension records four. On the
address is given as Church Street, Listowel in
her
November 1921.
th
is stage.
The ambush near Piltown
recalled in the
is
witness statement given by a lames Prendergast, Vice O/C, West Waterford Flying Column of 2, t4yrtle H Terrace, Tivoli, Cork to the Bureau of Military H story (Doc. No. WS 1655). On the niqht of 1st November 1920, we took up ambush positions at Piltown Cross, In all, we had about 18 men
under the command George Lennon.
AII
of
were armed with either shotguns or revolvers....
At about 11.30, aur
scouts
reported that a military lorry was on its way from Youghal and was approaching our position.... We 'opened uP' on
burst of shotgun fire,.. Our first burst of fire
A month before his death, on November 1, 1920, Constable Prendiville was captured but released by the IRA, having promised them that he would RIC.
This ncident happened near Piltown. Iqaurice Prendiville and a colleague called O'Neill were captured by the IRA and re eased on the prom se ol' 22
Youghal at
it with a
Warned by IRA
resign from the
leaving the Royal lrish Constabulary. When O'Neill returned to Youghal, he took off his uniform, said he was finished with the R.I.C. and walked out but Prendiville did not. It is not clear why he risked staying on but the fact that he had a family of five to care for may have been a consideration. He had been stationed for two years in
killed the driver and the lorry stopped. The order was then qiven to us to "cease fire"... Pat Keating of Comeragh next came out to the road and the two of us otdered any soldiers
who were wounded to "fall out". About a dozen did so. I began to look for the military officer in charge and after some time he came out on to the road. It appears that he
