The Dunmanway Massacre
In the early hours of the 26th April, IRA men from the Bandon Battalion (including Michael O'Neill, Acting O/C, his brother Stephen O'Neill and Charles O'Donoghue) broke into the house of Thomas Hornibrook at Ballygorman (about half-way between Cork and Bandon). Michael O'Neill was shot dead. The IRA left but returned with re-inforcements and laid siege to the house. Three of the Hornibrook (Thomas, his son Samuel and his son-in-law Capt Herbert Woods) family surrendered - they were taken away and shot dead. In the late hours of 26th and the early hours of the 27th, David Gray, Francis Fitzmaurice and James Buttimer were shot dead in the doorways of their homes on the Main St. in Dunmanway and a number of other Protestants in Dunmanway were attacked. Next evening, two men (Robert Howe and John Chinnery) were shot dead at their farms in Ballaghanure, east of Dunmanway. In the nearby village of Ballineen, a 16 year-old, Alexander McKinley was shot dead. In the nearby Murragh rectory, the son of the rector (Robert Harbord who was himself a curate) was shot dead on the doorstep). In a house in Caher (to the west of Ballineen) John Buttimer and Jim Greenfield were shot dead. Ten miles away, Robert Nagle was shot in his home in MacCurtain Hill in Clonakilty. Other houses in Clonakilty were raided. The following night (28th), John Bradfield was shot dead in his home in Killowen, east of Murragh and other Protestant homes raided.