Caherguillamore

On December 26th 2023, the information memorial board dedicated to the men and women of those in attendance at the Caherguillamore house dance in 1920 was unveiled. A small group connected to Bruff Heritage Group that included Tom Toomey, a well known historian whose works focus on many events of the period, Pat Hayes, Biddy Hayes, Ciara Hogan, Stephen Kelly and Pat Kinnane. A work that will hopefully continue to add to the knowledge of the event many people assisted in our research and in particular our thanks go to Damien Brady and Mike Maguire in Limerick City and County Library and the Limerick City and County Council for their assistance in funding this project.

Caherguillamore House was the setting for one of the most important events in the War of Independence in County Limerick. The holding of a dance to raise funds for the nationalist cause was to become a scene of violence, mass arrest and death. In the early hours of 27th December 1920, it is believed up to 250 young people from and working in this area found themselves surrounded y Crown Forces who were attempting to arrest I.R.A volunteers who were attending the dance. Many present were beaten, some of whom never fully recovered from their experience.

Six people died that night, five I.R.A. men: Daniel Sheehan, Harry Wade, John Quinlan, Martin Conway, Ned Moloney with Alfred Hogsden of the Crown Forces being killed. Many were arrested and taken to Limerick City. The women present were detained upstairs in the house while the men endured physical punishment for their attendance at the dance. Large numbers of the men captured that night were later imprisoned on Bere Island, Spike Island and in Portland and Dartmoor prisons in England.

Caherguillamore House, once the home of the Viscounts O’Grady, had been vacated during the War of Independence for security purposes. The decision to hold the dance there had been an open secret, knowledge of which had fallen into the hands of the British Forces. The arrival of the security forces from all sides formed a pincer movement from which very few escaped. The dramatic events in Caherguillamore display how active the independence movement was at the time as the East Limerick Brigade fought for the independence that most people in the locality supported.

With this project we will aim to continue to add further to the knowledge of this event and the people who were affected and bring recognition to the many local men and women’s sacrifices during this period.