Maurice Donegan

Maurice Donegan (23 April 1899 – 22 August 1974) was an officer in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the Irish War of Independence, commanding the 5th Bantry Battalion of the Cork III Brigade. Following the Irish Civil War, he unsuccessfully contested the 1923 Irish general election as a candidate with Sinn Féin in the Cork West constituency.

Early life Maurice Donegan was born on 23 April 1899 and grew up in the town of Bantry. In 1917, aged 16, Donegan left Bantry to study national school teaching in De La Salle College Waterford. During the Conscription Crisis of 1918 Donegan returned to Bantry, undertaking Irish Volunteers training with Raphael Keyes. At this time Donegan was also involved with an Irish Volunteers training camp, held in Glandore in August 1919.

War of Independence On 17 November 1919, Donegan lead the Bantry Battalion of the Irish Republican Army in a raid on a British Army submarine chaser docked at Bantry railroad pier, which resulted in the seizure of ammunition and firearms by the IRA. This attack was aided by intelligence from locals who were working for the 'Princess Beara' steamship which moored at the same pier. The arms from the Bantry seizure were stored in the local Catholic church, St. Finbarrs. These weapons were later used by the West Cork Flying Column under the command of Tom Barry in the later Kilmichael Ambush.

On 28 March 1920, Ted Sullivan and Donegan organised an attack on a Royal Irish Constabulary barrack in the village of Durrus. Petrol was poured through the roof of the barracks and set alight along with mines being dropped through the roof also. After a number of RIC officers were injured, the barracks were closed.

On 3 August 1920, Donegan was involved in the raid on Mizen Head signal station along with 11 other local volunteers. The IRA commandeered a truck and drove it to Mizen. When they arrived, they entered the signal station and held the staff at gunpoint, disconnecting the phone lines and removing all explosives from storage at the station. These explosives were mainly made up of Tonite and Nitrocellulose.

On 23 August 1920, Donegan lead an ambush on a RIC patrol in the village of Glengarriff. He left Bantry by boat but due to engine troubles, arrived on Garnish Island at 4am. By this time Donegan and his accompanying troops were hungry and so entered a local home for a meal of sprats. During this altercation a local man crossing the street was described to have had 'his jacket ripped off him' by the bullets passing through the air. Fatalities arising from this ambush led to the closure of the Glengarriff RIC barracks.

Arrest and internment The No. 1 Compound internee officer staff. Front Row (From Left to Right): Art O' Donnell, Mossie Donegan a.k.a. Thomas Fitzpatrick, Joseph McGrath, Dr. Richard Hayes, Dr. T F O' Higgins. Back Row: Thomas Meldon, Barney O' Driscoll, Thomas Treacy, D Hogan On 3 December 1920, Donegan was arrested following his attendance of a mass while on the run. A British Army convoy approached the car containing Donegan and other IRA members, and fired upon them. Donegan was taken to Bantry Workhouse and was held there as a prisoner, before being moved to Collins Barracks, Cork via boat.

Donegan was removed from Cork and was taken by ship to Belfast where the prisoners were taken to Ballykinlar Internment Camp. While detained at Belfast Docks, members of the Orange Order gathered to beat the prisoners using iron bars. The council undertook the construction of an escape tunnel, which upon discovery meant Donegan was extensively cross-examined.

An Anti-Treaty IRA Convention at the Mansion House, Dublin held on 9 April 1922. Donegan is second from the right in the second row. In October 1921, Donegan escaped from Ballykinlar Camp. A prisoner in the camp, Patrick Colgan, was given British military uniforms while being treated in the camp hospital.