Today, Sunday, July 10 marks the 95th anniversary of the deaths of Jack Flynn, Jack Prendiville and Richard Shanahan in a War of Independence engagement with British forces.
A fierce gun battle raged along the streets and lanes of the town on that fateful Sunday night in 1921
It culminated in the deaths of the three men at Rice’s Height – where a monument now stands to the ultimate sacrifices they made.
Excellent Account
There were six of the British forces killed in the action on that occasion. Denis ‘Den’ Prendiville, whose brother Jack was killed that night, gave an excellent account of the events and many others which led up to the night.
The account was collected by the Bureau of Military History 1913 – 1921 and signed by Den Prendiville on March 1st 1955.
The local Bonn / Doherty Sinn Fein Cumann has plans to commemorate the centenary of 1916 and the 95th anniversary of the deaths of Jack Flynn, Jack Prendiville and Richard Shanahan.
Assemble at Hartnett’s
Kate McSweeney is the Cumann spokesperson and she sent the following details of their plans.
“We will assemble at Hartnett’s Bar on Limerick Road corner at 7.30pm on Friday, July 22nd.
We will proceed to the monument at Castleview where a wreath will be laid and a guest speaker will address the gathering.
Refreshments will be served at the River Island Hotel immediately afterwards, this will be followed at 9.30pm by one of Irelands leading ballad groups, The Druids,” said Kate.
A reminder that you can read Den Prendiville’s participant’s account of the events of that Sunday night in 1921 and more by clicking on the link here. www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie/reels/bmh/BMH.WS1106.pdf
