Roinn Cosanta. Bureau of Military History, 1913-21
ROINN COSANTA. BUREAU OF MILITARY HISTORY, 1913-21. STATEMENT BY WITNESS. DOCUMENT NO. W.S. 1,252 Witness Eamonn Fennell, Carrigaholt, Co. Clare. Identity. O/C. 8th Battalion Clare Brigade, 1916 -. Subject. (a) Carrigaholt Company Irish Volunteers, Co. Clare, 1914-1921; (b) Preparations for landing of German arms, Holy Week, 1916. Conditions, if any, Stipulated by Witness. Nil File No S.2558 Form B.S.M.2 STATEMENT OF EAMONN FENNELL, Carrigaholt, Co. Clare. (Formerly O/C, 8th Battalion, Clare Brigade.) I was born on 25th March, 1885, in the village of Carrigaholt. Carrigaholt district was one which, in the days of the British regime, contributed a lot of young men to the British Navy, and thus it happened, in the early days of l914 when the first company of Irish Volunteers was formed in the village, that a number of competent instructors - British Naval reservists - were available to train and drill the men who joined this movement. While I'm not very clear now as to the circumstances which led to the formation of the Irish Volunteers in Carrigaholt, or as to who were the first officers, I'm certain that I took a prominent part in organising the district. I administered the oath to companies which were later formed in Cross and Donaha. In Carrigholt the Volunteer company, soon after being formed, was about fifty strong, while in each of the other two companies, which I have mentioned, there were between twenty-five and thirty members. The Carrigaholt men drilled from the outset in a field which belonged to Paddy Collins and met two or three times per week.
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