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From: Pádraig Mór Ó Gealagáin <>
Subject: Re: Cemetery in Knocklong / Sean Treacy, IRA Hero
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 14:48:21 -0500


----- Original Message -----
From: "Daniel Hennessy" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 2:35 AM
Subject: Re: [LMK] Re: Cemetery in Knocklong

> About Knocklong......my father on occasion when he was
very old ,would
> sing a song some thing about..."The rescue of Sean Treacy
at the station
> of Knocklong" would anyone out there know the words? He
made a point of
> taking me to Sean Treacy's grave though I can't recall
where it was but
> very strangely a PINK (yes pink!),church was up the road
.T he grave was
> inscribed in Gaelic,my father held him in very high
regard.I know he was
> an old IRA man ,but what is his place in Irish history
today?
> Thanks ,
> D Hennessy

Hi Dan,

"The Knocklong Rescue":

"Sean Hogan was arrested at Meagher's of Annefield, near
Thurles, on 12 May, 1919. He was one of a group known as
'The Big Four' for whom the British had offered a reward of
10,000 pounds stg. - the other three men were Dan Breen,
Seamus Robinson and Sean Tracy."

"When Tracy heard of the arrest of Hogan, he realised that
the Brits., would likely send their prisoner to Cork city
by rail, and he decided to mount a rescue operation. An
R.I,C., escort of three constables and one sergeant
accompanied Hogan on the Cork-bound train. When the train
stopped at Knocklong station the other three of the 'Big
Four' swung into action. Hogan was rescued. Sergeant
Wallace and Constable Enright were shot dead, and Tracy was
wounded in the throat."

"Hogan later served in Dublin and Co. Tipperary; he was a
part of the platoon that ambushed Sir John French, The Lord
Lieutenant, on the 19 December, 1919; he also took part on
the 3 June, 1920 in a raid on Drangan RIC barracks, Co.
Tipperary, he was vice- commandant the Flying Column of the
3rd. Tipperary Brigade."

"Patrick and David Clancy of Ballylanders sheltered Sean
Tracy in their home on the night of June 4, 1919, where Dr.
Maurice Fitzgerald of Mortalstown, treated Tracy for the
wounds received at Knocklong station. He is quoted as
saying: " The coolest man there, far cooler than I - was
Sean Tracy!"

"Patrick Clancy was vice-commandant of the 3rd. Tipperary
Brigade. He was killed three months later at Kanturk, Co.
Cork on 17 August, 20, 1919 [ Limerick, The Rich Land" -
Sean Spellissy.] "

The account is also told in greater detail by Dan Breen,
Commandant, 3rd. Tipperary Brigade in "My Fight For Irish
Freedom" Anvil Books Ltd. ISBN 0 947962 33 6.

Sorry, I can find no record of the local song about the
Tipperary man, Sean Treacy, but it is clear from this
account that although it was Hogan who was rescued, Sean
Treacy who spearheaded and led the rescue and became the
hero of the day. Sean Treacy, was ambushed and shot dead
in Talbot Street, Dublin, later is buried in the graveyard
at Kilfeacle, Co. Tipperary, about five miles from
Solohead - the location of the first 'accidental' shooting
that started the War of Independence.

In his memoirs, "Winter's Tale", General Sir Ormond Winter,
Chief of Dublin Castle Secret Service, paid a grudging
tribute to both Breen and Treacy: " ... the brave and
fearless gunmen from Tipperary".

Treacy's place in History - he and others who fought for a
free Ireland will forever be enshrined in the history of
the struggle by those who read and care
about such events.

Is Mise Phádraig
[ An t'Sean-Gabhar ;-) ]

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