The Capture and Escape of Denis McCarthy

A Department of Defence stamp dated March 15th, 1933 , marks a significant appeal from Denis McCarthy of Ovens, Co.Cork. Writing to request a gratuity or pension. McCarthy outlined his extensive service and subsequent hardships during the War of Independence and the Civil War.

Military Service and Condemnation

Denis McCarthy joined the Irish Volunteers in 1917. The Company he served was based at Srelane. Srelane is located between the Ovens Bridge bar and the turn off for the Lee Valley Golf Club. The Irish Republican Army was officially formed in 1919. McCarthy served as a volunteer through to 1922 when he was then promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant. He continued to serve at this rank until November 1922, a turbulent period during the Irish Civil War, when he was captured by Free State (pro-treaty) forces while armed.

McCarthy faced a court-martial and was sentenced to death. This severe sentence was later commuted to a three year prison sentence. He was imprisoned in Cork prisons, where his health began to severely decline. At this time he had begun a short term hunger strike. While being held in Cork Women’s Prison in Sunday’s Well, Cork, McCarthy contracted jaundice - an illness he attributed to the tough conditions of digging a tunnel through sewers in an attempt to escape. Due to his deteriorating health, he was removed from the prison and placed under guard at the Mercy Hospital in Cork.

The Mercy Hospital Escape

Local accounts and family recollections given to me in the 1990s shed further light on the times of Denis in prison and hospital. While he was in prison just before his hospitalisation, the anti-treaty leadership within the prison warned the authorities that if McCarthy died without hospital treatment, they would have a full scale riot on their hands.

While at the Mercy Hospital, McCarthy’s condition improved. Seizing the opportunity, and with the help of visitors who brought him a disguise, he managed a daring escape by dressing up as a woman. He remained on the run from the authorities until the conclusion of the Civil War.

Life on the Run

During his time in hiding, McCarthy relied on several local safehouses and hiding spots around Co.Cork:

1. Carrigrohane & Model Farm Road: His initial hiding place is believed to have been in the Carrigrohane area, possibly near Model Farm Road leading towards the bridge. (relayed to me via his son John McCarthy, grandfather to my children).

2. Kilcrea Abbey: He later hid closer to his family home, taking cover under a bridge located opposite Kilcrea Abbey.

3. Begley’s Forge: Another notable hiding spot was near Begley’s Forge in the Cloughduv area. To be more precise this was a culvert with the stream running through.

* The prison that Denis was held prisoner in is now a museum. I highly recommend a visit. Some names have been scratched into the walls, including a couple of republican prisoners from Denis’s time in prison. CORKCITYGAOL.COM