“Supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 initiative.”
In this podcast, author and historian Eoin Swithin Walsh recounts how Anti-Teary forces struck back in Kilkenny in late 1922
'December 1922 was a pivotal month in the Civil War. It looked like the Free State Army were fully in the driving seat. However, in the middle of December, the anti-Treaty IRA hit-back. It was in direct response to the executions of four anti-Treaty leaders in Dublin on 8 December. Free State HQ in Kilkenny, led by Commandant Prout, was hit by the capture of four barracks in the division; Carrick on Suir, Callan, Mullinavat and Thomastown; along with the capture of the Coon outpost barracks. The anti-Treaty forces were led by well-known names of the independence era; Tom Barry, Dinny Lacey, Bill Quirke and Ned Aylward. However, the captures were masterminded by Callan man, Ned Somers. He was in the Free State Army but defected to the anti-Treaty side. The three Kilkenny barracks, including all the weapons, were captured without a single shot being fired, which was a real embarrassment to the Free States authorities. Find out what happened during this dramatic month in this podcast.'
December-1922---Anti-Treaty-IRA-fight-back.mp3 (size 28.2 MB)
Ned Aylward Ned Somers
Ned Somers Memorial, Callan Tom Barry
