Many years ago, I enjoyed reading the late A.F. McEntee’s history articles for The Anglo-Celt. So, it was with enthusiasm and a little awe that I accepted the task of delving into Cavan’s rich history on a weekly basis. Our first account takes a look at a happening in Crossdoney during the War of Independence.
In 1920, Crossdoney barracks was shut and therfore two R.I.C. men were sent out daily from Ballinagh to patrol the Crossdoney area. The Drumbrade Company of the Irish Volunteers had planned to carry out a daily hold up of the police patrol at Crossdoney. The Drumbrade unit intended to take the R.I.C. mens weapons and uniforms to dress-up as officers and gain access to Ballinagh Police Barracks. The following account comes from the memoirs of Seán Sheridan, Crossdoney, a member of the Drumbrade Company and a brother of the Commanding Officer, Tom Sheridan.
On 27th May 1920, a Fair was taking place in Crossdoney and the Volunteers got into position at 9.30am. Tom Sheridan, O.C. of the Drumbrade Volunteers, was under strict instructions to disarm the R.I.C. ‘without loss of life.’ Sean Sheridan recalled that, ‘strict orders were received from the battalion O.C., that no lives were to be taken in this attempt. My brother Tom and six or eight men took up a position behind the hedges on the roadway between Crossdoney and Ballinagh. Only three or four of this party were armed with revolvers of different calibre and these included my two brothers Tom and Pat. The remainder of the party were unarmed, and it was their duty to disarm the police when they were held up and then to tie them up so that they could not get back to the barracks and raise the alarm until our men were clear away. One man was positioned on some high ground and his duty was to warn the main party of the approach of the R.I.C. The men taking part in the affair were Tom Sheridan, my brother, who was in charge; Pat Sheridan, another brother; Peter Reilly, who manned the lookout position; John Delaney, Harry. Masterson, William Brady, John Finnegan, Edward Smith, Joseph Caffrey and John Corr.’
That morning, R.I.C. Sergeant Johnston and Constable Somerset set-out for Crossdoney. Around 10.00am, the lookout man signalled to his unit that the police were approaching. Tom and Pat Sheridan, Delaney and Masterson, ‘jumped into the middle of the road’ and called on the police ‘to put their hands up.’ Sergeant Johnston appearing surprised, stepped backwards and drew a German automatic pistol. Johnston wounded both Sheridan brothers before being wounded himself. Constable Somerset surrendered.
A man named Connolly, who was passing by with a horse and cart agreed to bring the seriously wounded Tom Sheridan to safety. Later, Sheridan was admitted to the Mater hospital, Dublin, where he died on the following Saturday.
