Community notes Dec 19th

Christmas Masses at Timoleague

Due to the present restrictions on church worship, a pod system is in operation at The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Timoleague. The church is divided into two pods to facilitate safety in relation to social distancing. The combined total capacity at the church is limited to 100 worshipers at any one time.

Now with the approach to Christmas and the anticipated extra demand on capacity, a number of extra masses are being said on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. On Christmas Eve there will be masses at Timoleague at 6pm and 8pm. On Christmas morning there will be two masses also, one at 9.30am and another at 11.30am.

At Clogagh there will be mass on Christmas Eve at 7pm and on Christmas morning at 10am. There will be six masses in total in the two churches over the two days which will allow a total capacity for worship of 600 people. In order to have an even spread of people over the six masses, parishioners are asked to fill in their mass time preference. Forms are available at both churches and parishioners are asked to fill in the relevant details and return same to either church by 6pm on Sunday next, December 20^th. This will ensure that there will not be overcapacity at any one mass. Your cooperation with these arrangements will be greatly appreciated in these unprecedented times. 

100 Years Ago

The month of December 1920 was one of much activity and no little heartbreak in the Timoleague area. The body of a young man was found on the roadside at Clashfliuch Cross the day after the ambush at Clonakilty Junction (Gaggin). He was identified as Denis Regan who was employed as a farm labourer by Denis Flynn of Gaggin. Denis Flynn was the father of Paddy O’Flynn of Cregane, husband of Eily and father of Catherine and the late DJ. It seems that they were rounded up after the ambush and taken to Clonakilty for questioning. They may have been later transferred to Bandon. Denis O’Flynn was released but Denis Regan was tortured and his body was later dumped at Clashfliuch. His death was remembered last week when a cross was unveiled and prayers said by Fr. Hickey at the spot where his body was found. This ceremony was organised by Timothy Crowley of The Michael Collins Centre.

The home of Robert A Travers was burned to the ground later that week. The castle, though in ruins was also partly demolished. This attack was a joint engagement by the Barryroe and Timoleague Companies comprising of some 68 men. The Essex Regiment was billeted in the grounds of Timoleague House, the Travers residence for some six months prior to this. They then relocated to the Coastguard Station at Courtmacsherry. The Colonel was not too pleased with this arrangement as can be seen from subsequent events.

The following night the Foley home at Mill Street was burned down. They had a licensed premises and grocery business there and also had a mill on the outskirts of the village. This attack was seen as a reprisal for the earlier one on the Travers home. A fortnight before Michael O’Driscoll of Clonakilty was shot and wounded at Foley’s Mill by a party of the Essex Regiment, now stationed at Courtmacsherry, in what was thought to be a case of mistaken identity. Willie Foley was a leading member of the Timoleague Company and had great expertise in munitions but was not in Timoleague at the time. He was ordered to Dublin where he was involved in a bomb factory in Parnell Street. He had a narrow escape during a stay at Vaughan’s Hotel in the company of Gearoid O’Sullivan, Adjutant General, a Skibbereen native and brother of Tadhg, creamery manager in Timoleague and also very active in the Timoleague Company. The factory was discovered by the British a few days before Christmas. Willie returned safely to Timoleague after that to find the family home in ruins. His brother Mark was imprisoned during this time also. A number of other homes in the area were also burned during this time when tensions were understandably high.