Community Notes April 17th
April 15, 2021
Popularity of Timoleague
The recent change of time coupled with the advent of some badly needed fine weather has seen a major increase of traffic and foot flow in the greater Timoleague area. The country roads are proving very popular with walkers who can enjoy the beauty of the local landscape without encountering many others thus making it safer in these unprecedented times. The many loop walks are also being discovered and enjoyed by many. The walkway to Courtmacsherry along the old railway line linking both villages is ever popular with walkers and joggers. How lovely it must have been to have the locally named steam engines, “The Argadeen” and “The St. Molaga”, billowing out large plumes of white smoke as they chugged their way slowly along the track between the road and the sea. The romance of nostalgia and history.
100 Years Ago
On the 30th. of March, the RIC barracks at Rosscarbery was attacked and burned by a group of volunteers under the command of Tom Barry. Seven members of the Timoleague Company took part in this successful attack, 1st. Lt.Cornelius Murphy; Capt. James Hodnett; Michael Deasy; Timolthy Keohane; John O’Driscoll; 2nd. Lt. Daniel Minihane and Bde. Armr. Con Lehane. The witness statement of John O’Driscoll gives an account of the attack. It was proposed to explode a mine against the barrack wall and then rush the breech made by the explosion. Twenty- five were selected for the assault party which Tom Barry was to lead. They were ordered to remove their boots which were loaded on to a horse cart. The party to lay the mine hoisted the mine on their shoulders like a coffin and the assault party walked behind. As the mining party approached the barracks, the assault party took cover in a lane on the opposite side of the road. When the mine exploded, the assault party rushed out towards the barracks shouting as they ran.A white flag was shown at one of the windows and Tom Barry ordered his men to stop to await the surrendering RIC. A shout was heard from within, “we hold on to the barracks” and a bomb was thrown at the volunteers from one of the windows. A gun battle ensued. A breech was made in the wall but the RIC continued to fire and throw grenades. The volunteers took cover and opened fire on the windows of the building. After a lot of fighting, the barracks was set alight. Two of the garrison were killed and some were wounded. No arms were captured as the garrison had left them in the burning building. The raiding part suffered no loss.
The following day was fair day in Ross and a large crowd was present. Curious onlookers surveyed the scene and an unexploded bomb found in the burned building went off, killing three innocent civilians, two adults and a child. After the attack, the volunteers returned to their own areas.
The Timoleague Railway
The three routes proposed and discussed were as follows: A route linking Bandon to Timoleague via Scardone; another was a link from Bandon via Kilbrittain taking in Harbour View and Burren Pier while a third option favoured linking Ballinascarthy to Timoleague. Each option had its supporters and many vested interests were at play. Discussion went on for a number of years but cost and degree of difficulty of construction won out in the end resulting in the selection of the third option. One railway contractor described the proposed route along the Argideen valley as “nature almost having made it for the railway”. It experienced many teething problems before actual ground works were begun. A contract price was agreed with JW Dorman for £25,000 but for some reason or other, nothing happened for the next three years. A new contract was entered into with another contractor, Robert Worthington in 1887 and after many false starts, construction began.
It was the intention of the local companies to lay a narrow 3 foot gauge track on the line from Ballinascarthy to Timoleague and later to Courtmacsherry but the far-seeing Worthington persuaded the directors to adopt a 5foot 3 inch gauge which would be more compatible with the rolling stock on the Bandon to Cork line, thereby increasing the traffic potential of the two lines substantially. The lines were inspected and after attention to some outstanding details, the final go ahead was given for the opening of the Ballinascarthy to Timoleague line on the 20th. of December 1890. Damage had been caused to the sea wall along the tramway section to Courtmacsherry during a bad weather spell. When this repair work had been attended to, permission was granted in April 1891 for its official opening. However, it is reported that this line “was used” the previous winter to transport train loads of potatoes to the poor of Clonakilty. (to be continued)