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SIXTY YEARS AFTER CLIFDEN AMBUSH
LONE SURVIVOR TALKS OF LIFE ON THE RUN
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(From the files of the “Western
Journal” in 1982, by Anthony Hickey)
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HE last survivor of the famous Clifden ambush, in
which two young men from Knockmore, Ballina, were killed, spoke for the first
time this week about that fateful day and the events leading up to it in an
exclusive interview, with the “Western Journal.”
Mr.
Patrick Lacken, Toneybane, Knockmore,
is the only remaining member of the Rehins Old I.R.A. Battalion who were
ambushed by Free State troops as they lay siege to the old Marconi wireless
station in Clifden sixty years ago at the height of the civil war.
Killed in that attack were his two neighbours
and comrades, Thomas James who was in his twenties, and Patrick Morrison, still
in his teens. Both men were honoured last week with special commemoration
ceremonies at Clifden, when families and friends travelled to the Connemara
capital. They are buried in Ballinahaglish cemetery near Ballina.
Eighty seven
years old Mr. Lacken also travelled to honour his fallen comrades and his
journey through Newport and Leenane—the route they took on their march to
Clifden in the Autumn of 1922—rekindled memories of the fateful ambush.
Like many
other young men from Knockmore and all over North Mayo, Mr. Lacken joined the
newly-formed Irish Volunteers in 1913 at the age of 17. He gained experience in
guerrilla warfare during the War of Independence and fighting the Black and
Tans. Their tactics of cutting up roads and knocking down trees created havoc
with British communications and the men from Rehins and Knockmore were often
hunted. Experience gained during these campaigns prepared the young Mr. Lacken
well for a life on the run during the Civil War.
When the Civil
War broke out after the signing of the Anglo Irish treaty in 1922, the Rehins
I.R.A. battalion sided with those objecting to the terms of the treaty.
Mr. Lacken
takes up the story from there: “I remember we took over Ballina on the 12th
September that year. We took up positions around the railway station and P. J. Ruttledge came in an armoured car
from the Bonniconlon direction. He pulled up beside me because he knew me. I
had a single-barrel shotgun, but I didn’t know how to use it. He gave me a
rifle and said it would be better for me. He had taken it from the Free Staters,
who were camped at the Spike (the Hospital). They had surrendered to us and we
had taken their guns and ammunition.
“That night w
came out home, but we didn’t go to our own houses. We came to Cloghans and
stayed in Terry McShane’s hayshed
for the night. After that we started going from village to village, sleeping by
day and moving by night. I remember we also stayed in Molloy’s hayshed in Carrowkerbila.
“Then we went
over as far as Nephin for a week, staying in the Massbrook. The only time I can
recall that we were shot at was when we were around Westport. When they started
shooting, we ran away towards houses we were staying in.
“When we came
home after that, six of our men were arrested by Free Staters in Paddy McHale’s house in Carrentrila,
where they were hiding. However, our captain, John Gallagher from Lakefield, and Paddy McHale escaped and they
ran towards the river and up the bogs. They collected all of us and we went off
on the run again, because we were afraid we would all be arrested if we stayed
around.
“We went on to
Newport where we met up with General Michael Kilroy. In our battalion I
remember there were Paddy McHale, Capt.
John Gallagher, John Foody, Thomas James, Patrick Morrison, Michael Hopkins,
Patrick and Jack Walsh
(brothers), who had deserted from the Free State army.”
The I.R.A. were
at this stage assembling for their secret attack on the Marconi Station at Clifden which they believed was being used by
the Free State army to communicate with the British. General Kilroy had only one truck at his disposal so many of his
men had to cycle the long scenic journey from Mayo to Clifden.
THE BIG BATTLE
Mr. Lacken
continues; “I had to cycle all the way from Newport to Clifden because only
some of our men could fit in the lorry. All we knew at the time was that we
were heading to Clifden for a big battle with the Free State army, who were
garrisoned there at the Marconi station.
“The army was
protecting the station because they knew we were coming. Two guides met us near
Clifden and we split up into two groups. The shooting started at about five in
the morning and went on sporadically throughout the day. We had binoculars and
when we spotted a Free Stater coming we’d shoot at him. At about 4 p.m., with
dusk falling, one of Michael Bourke’s
men came and told us one of their group had been shot. Of course that
frightened us. It was a while before we found out it was Thomas James, who was only in his twenties. Shortly after that
Capt. Gallagher said it was better to be retreating.
“When we
started to retreat the Free State army started shooting at us. As I was going
from one hiding place to another, a big scraw rose up in front of me from a
bullet. I threw myself down for a second and then ran to a hiding place. We
then started for Clifden. We had to go miles out of our way and it was about
half eight when we got into town. The main group had already arrived long
before us. We got tea in a country house but hardly had time to take it when we
were hurried off to a castle. It would have been Kylemore Abbey. We had head that Patrick Morrison had been shot then. The net morning they brought
Thomas James’ corpse to Leenane and later Patrick Morrison’s body was brought
there. Both were taken to Knockmore by car. Michael Bourke accompanied
James’ corpse and Johnny Foody and Michael Foody came with Morrison’s
body.
“We then
headed back to Connemara and hid in different houses. After a few weeks, we
returned home in two groups. We were still being hunted so a neighbour of ours,
Mr. O’Hara, built a hideout for us,
concealed in a stack of turf. Anytime we heard the Free Staters were coming, we
used to go into the hideout and wait there. Five or six of us fitted into it. I
never had to go back to the hills again after that.”
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