Community notes June 27th

Fr. Hickey Celebrates Golden Jubilee

A small group gathered to marked Fr Hickey's Golden Jubilee in the car park of the Parochial House in Timoleague, after the recording of last week end’s Mass. Unfortunately, Covid-19 restrictions limited a proper celebration of the event at this time. A commitment was made to organise an appropriate event at a future date when the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. This will afford all of Fr. Hickey's relatives, friends, and parishioners an opportunity of having a fitting celebration of his golden jubilee. Fr. Hickey is a native of Skeaghanore, Ballydehob and was ordained to the priesthood in June 1970.

Church Re-Opening

Covid 19 restrictions which were in place in all churches are beginning to be relaxed. All churches will re-open for mass from Monday next June 29^th. There will be morning mass celebrated in Timoleague Parish Church on Tuesday, June 30^th at 9.30am.

100 Years Ago

The verdict that the jury brought in following the inquest to the ambush of three RIC members at Ahawadda of “wilful murder by some person or persons unknown” did not go down very well with the local members of the volunteers. Each jury member received a notice informing them that they had been tried and found guilty of treason by the Sinn Fein court. They were told to publish an apology in the press and express sorrow to the Irish Republic and if they failed to do so “they would have to bear the consequences”.

To further emphasise the seriousness of the situation, one of the jurors along with his wife were kidnapped by the IRA and held hostage until the jury’s verdict was withdrawn and replaced by a verdict of “killed by persons unknown”. The jury member in question and his wife lived some miles outside the village and were arrested by five members of the volunteers as it was believed that they were giving information to the British Military at Timoleague Castle. They were taken to Tinkers Cross where they were held for some days. As can be deduced pressure was being exerted on the jury to change its verdict.

The situation became more serious when known members of the local volunteers wrote a letter to the Cork Examiner stating that they had received a typed-written threatening document stating “your threats to the jurors of Timoleague are known. Take warning that if any of these men are touched, you will suffer a fate worthy of the assassin you are”. It was signed: The English Anti-Sinn Fein League.

As an immediate response, the jurors wrote a letter to the Cork Examiner disclaiming all connection to the above- mentioned document. They added that they didn’t want any protection from any such society and that they placed their personal security in the hands of the self-determined government of the Irish Nation.

Timoleague was no place for the fainthearted at this time as tensions mounted.