The Struggle For Freedom In West Waterford

Outside the county, an incident took place, which had a nasty reaction in many places here. I refer to the capture of General Lucas, by Liam Lynch, in June 1920. Lucas, and other British Officers were fishing on the river Blackwater near Fermoy. Lynch's party disarmed them, held them as prisoners of war, and sent back one of Lucas's attendants, to the British post at Fermoy notifying them of the capture. As a result, reprisals took place, first of all in Fermoy itself, where shops were looted and burned, windows broken, and the townspeople generally terrorised.

Intensive searches, over a wide area, in which aircraft and large forces of infantry in lorries were used, followed the capture. Every likely place was searched. The English garrison in Lismore, assisted by the Black and Tans, ran amuck in the town. Young men were beaten up, houses searched, shops looted and a good deal of property destroyed. The same took place in Dungarvan.
 

Author: Domnall O'Faoláin