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The coastline of County Kerry is known for its dramatic beauty. Kerry Head, a peninsula reaching into the wild Atlantic, holds many stories. It is a place of rugged cliffs and hidden coves. This landscape played a part in important moments in Irish history.
It was near here at Banner Strand that Sir Roger Casement landed in 1916. This was part of the events leading to the Easter Rising. Later, during the Irish Civil War, these same remote areas became places of conflict and hiding. The land itself seemed to watch over the struggles of the Irish people, offering both shelter and danger.
The Irish Civil War, fought from 1922 to 1923, was a deeply sad time. It followed the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which ended the War of Independence. The Treaty created the Irish Free State, but it also divided Ireland. Some people accepted the Treaty, wanting peace. Others, called Anti-Treaty Republicans, felt it did not give Ireland full freedom.
This disagreement split families, friends and the soldiers who had fought together against the British. County Kerry was one of an area where feelings were very strong and the fighting was particularly bitter and prolonged. In Kerry, the Civil War was often a guerrilla war.
Small groups of anti-treaty IRA fighters, known as columns, used their local knowledge. They would attack Free State National Army soldiers and then disappear into the countryside. The Free State government was determined to control these areas. They sent many soldiers to carry. Life was very hard for ordinary people. They were caught between the two sides. There were raids, arrests, and fear was a constant companion for many families living in these troubled regions.
The remote cliffs and hills of Kerryhead were familiar territory for local fighters. By early 1923, the Civil War was slowly coming to an end in most of Ireland. The anti-treaty side was losing. Their resources were few and many of their leaders had been captured or killed. However, in places like Kerry, the spirit of resistance remained strong. Some groups refused to give up the fight for a full republic.
The Free State forces were increasing their pressure, trying to stamp out the last embers of the war. The events that unfolded at Clashmill Con Cliffs in April 1923 were part of this final, tragic phase of the conflict, a stark reminder of the human cost.
One of the key figures in the continued resistance in North Kerry was Timothy Ayrrow Lyons. He was a native of Garenagor and a committed Republican. Lyons had been active during the War of Independence. He had even escaped from imprisonment in Limerick during the Civil War. His nickname, Ayrrow, reportedly came from his ability to appear suddenly for an attack and then vanish quickly, like an aeroplane. He was known for his daring actions and his refusal to be beaten.
He was a charismatic leader for the men who chose to follow him in those difficult times.
In February 1923, a significant event occurred in Kerry. Two important anti-treaty IRA leaders, Michael Pearse and Tom O'Driscoll, decided to accept the Free State's surrender terms. This led to the release of many prisoners. For some, this signalled that the fight was over. However, Ayro Lyons and his small column of men did not agree. They believed the struggle for an independent Irish Republic must continue.
Lyons chose to keep fighting, even though the odds were increasingly against him and his dedicated followers. His determination was a testament to his strong beliefs. Lyons and his men continued to carry out operations against the Free State. On the weekend of April 7, 1923, his column attacked the Civic Guards building in the village of Ballighig.
The Civic Guard was the new police force of the Irish Free State. Lion's Men burned the building and took some of the Guard's uniforms. This was a bold act of defiance. It showed that for some the war was far from over. Such actions were designed to undermine the authority of the new state and to show that resistance was still alive in Kerry. Just a few days after the Ballyhague attack, a major blow struck the anti-treaty cause.
On April 10, 1923, Liam Lynch, the Chief of Staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA, was shot and died from his wounds. Lynch was a central figure in the Republican movement. His death was a devastating loss and effectively signalled that the Civil War could not be won by the Anti-Treaty side. Many knew the end was near. Despite this national setback, Timothy Ayer O'Lyons and his small band of dedicated men in North Kerry pressed on with their campaign, unaware of the tragic fate that awaited them.
The critical events at Clash Meal Con began to unfold on Saturday, April 14th, 1923. Timothy Arrow Lyons and his column, which numbered about 16 men at this time, were active in the area. They were ambushed by a patrol of National Army troops at a place called Mina Gohan, not far from the cliffs. A firefight broke out between the two sides.
The Free State soldiers were part of a larger effort to pacify North Kerry. For Lyons and his men it was another dangerous encounter in their ongoing struggle against the authorities of the newly formed State. Outnumbered and under pressure from the National Army soldiers, Lyons knew he had to retreat. He managed to break away from the main engagement with a small group of his most trusted men.
These five men were Thomas McGrath, who was from the local area of Clashmealcon itself, Patrick O'Shea from Ballinbrannig, James McEnery, Edward Ned Greeney, also from Ballinbrannig, and Reginald Hathaway, whose actual name was Reginald Stenning, an English deserter who had joined the IRA. Their situation was perilous, pursued by a determined enemy in a landscape that offered few easy escapes. Faced with limited options, Lyons made a crucial decision.
He led his five companions towards the rugged coastline of Kerry Head. They sought refuge in a place known locally as Dunworth's Cave, located at the foot of the imposing Clash Meal Con Cliffs. This cave was accessible only by a narrow, dangerous track down the cliff face, or by sea at low tide. It was a precarious sanctuary, offering some protection, but also a potential trap.
The men hoped the wildness of the location and the difficulty of access would deter their pursuers, or at least buy them some valuable time. The story took another dramatic turn with the involvement of Jim McGrath. Jim was the brother of Thomas McGrath, one of the men with lions in the cave.
National Army soldiers arrested Jim McGrath. It is reported that he was treated brutally and then forced, under duress, to lead the soldiers to the location of Dunworth's cave. Having done so, perhaps seeing no other option or wishing to be with his brother, Jim McGrath himself then entered the cave. He joined Aero Lyons and the other five men, bringing the total number of anti-treaty Republicans sheltering inside the cave to seven.
By Sunday, April 15th, 1923, the situation at Clashmeal Con had escalated into a full siege. Around 200 National Army soldiers had gathered on the clifftop above Dunworth's Cave.
They had effectively sealed off any escape route by land. The atmosphere must have been incredibly tense, with the anti-treaty men trapped below and the Free State forces positioned above. The terrain itself was a major factor. The steep, unstable cliffs made any direct assault on the cave extremely hazardous for the soldiers. Both sides knew that this was a serious confrontation.
The National Army officers on the scene decided to make an attempt to enter the cave and capture the men inside. An assault party was formed. It consisted of four soldiers, Lieutenant Henry de Pearson, Volunteer P McCartney, Sergeant James McCluskey, and Volunteer James O'Neill. They were also accompanied by Jim McGrath, who was being forced to guide them down the perilous path to the cave entrance.
This was an exceptionally dangerous undertaking, requiring them to descend the cliff face while potentially exposed to fire from the hidden Republicans. As the assault party neared the cave, the anti-treaty men inside opened fire. They were determined to defend their precarious position. In the ensuing exchange of shots, volunteer James O'Neill was hit. He was only twenty years old and came from Grenville Street in Dublin.
Tragically he was killed instantly. His death was a stark and immediate reminder of the lethal nature of this siege. A young man, serving his country as he saw it, lost his life on that remote Kerry cliffside far from his home city.
The same burst of fire that killed Volunteer O'Neill also struck Lieutenant Henry de Pearson. Pearson, who was 28 years old, was an engineer and a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, originally from Limerick. He was seriously wounded in the attack. The initial attempt by the National Army to storm the cave had failed, and it had come at a very high cost.
one soldier was dead and an officer was gravely injured. The Free State forces now faced a difficult challenge, how to dislodge the determined men from the cave without suffering further casualties.
Following the costly failure of the initial assault, the National Army commanders changed their tactics. They decided against another direct attempt to enter the cave from the cliff path. Instead, they tried to force the anti-treaty men out by making conditions inside the cave unbearable.
Soldiers gathered hay and set it on fire at the clifftop, hoping the smoke would be blown down into the cave system. This was a common tactic in sieges, designed to choke out defenders. For the seven men trapped below, the air would have become thick with smoke, adding to their already desperate situation.
During the night of April 16th to April 17th, under the cover of darkness and amidst the ongoing pressure from above, the besieged anti-treaty men made a risky move. They managed to leave Dunworth's cave and find their way to another nearby cave. This would have been an incredibly dangerous manoeuvre, navigating the treacherous cliff base in the dark with the tide and the enemy as constant threats. It showed their resilience and determination not to surrender easily.
They were seeking any small advantage or chance of survival in a rapidly deteriorating situation. However, the move to the new cave did not end their ordeal, and for two of the men it led to tragedy. Patrick O'Shea, who was twenty-two years old, and from Ballinbrunnig, and Thomas McGrath, aged twenty-three, and a local man from Clashmealcon, decided to make an even more desperate attempt to escape.
These two men were first cousins. They tried to get away from the caves by sea, perhaps hoping to swim to safety or find a boat. The Atlantic waters around Kerry Head are notoriously rough and unforgiving, especially in April. Their brave attempt to escape ended in disaster.
Both Patrick O'Shea and Thomas McGrath were overcome by the powerful waves and currents they were swept away and drowned in the cold Atlantic. Their bodies were never recovered, despite later searches. The sea became their final resting place. This was a devastating loss for the small group in the caves and a terrible blow to their families.
Two young lives, cousins who had fought together, were claimed by the merciless ocean in their quest for freedom. The remaining men were now fewer in number, and their hopes dimmer.
On April 17th, the day after the tragic drownings of O'Shea and McGrath, the National Army managed to recover the body of volunteer James O'Neill. He had been killed two days earlier during the first assault. Two young volunteers from the Army Medical Corps, Christopher Mulready, aged 19, and Edward Brophy, aged 20, undertook the difficult and sombre task of bringing his body up from the cliff base.
This recovery highlighted the grim realities of the siege for the soldiers on the clifftop, as well as for the men trapped below. The following day, April 18th, brought more bad news for the National Army. Lieutenant Henry Pearson, who had been seriously wounded on April 15th, died from his injuries in a hospital in Tralee.
He was the second National Army soldier to die as a result of the Clashmeal Con siege. His death undoubtedly hardened the resolve of the Free State forces to bring the siege to a decisive end. The pressure on the remaining anti-treaty men in the cave now, Aero Lyons, James McInerney, Ned Greeney, Reg Hathaway and Jim McGrath, must have been immense. With dwindling hope and resources, Timothy Aero Lyons made the decision to surrender.
He signalled his intention to the National Army soldiers on the clifftop. Before giving himself up, Lyons reportedly asked for a pardon or lenient treatment for his companions who were still with him in the cave. This request, however, was denied by the Free State officers in command at the scene. The official policy towards armed anti-treaty fighters, especially in Kerry, which had seen so much bitterness, was often harsh.
There was little room for negotiation in such circumstances. The surrender of Aero Lyons itself became a deeply controversial and tragic event. As he was being hauled up the cliff face by a rope, the rope either broke or, as some accounts suggest, was cut. Lyons fell onto the rocks below. What happened next is disputed, but it is widely reported that Free State soldiers then fired upon him as he lay injured.
He was killed on the spot. His body, like those of O'Shea and McGrath, was washed out to sea, only to be recovered some three weeks later. The leader of the column, known for his daring, met his end in a brutal fashion at the foot of Clashmeelkan cliffs.
With Aero Lyons dead and two others drowned, the four remaining anti-treaty men in the cave had no choice but to surrender. These men were James McInerney, Edward Ned Greeney, Reginald Hathaway, the English deserter whose real name was Reginald Stenning, and Jim McGrath, who had been forced to join them.
They emerged from the cave, exhausted and defeated, into the custody of the National Army. Their desperate stand at Klashmehlkun was over. They were initially taken to the nearby Harrington House, where it was reported they were treated humanely by the soldiers at first. However, the situation soon changed for three of the prisoners.
While Jim McGrath, the brother of Thomas, who had drowned, was released relatively quickly, the other three, James McEnery, Ned Greeney, and Reginald Hathaway, were considered to be more deeply involved in anti-treaty activities. They were transported from the local area to Ballymullen Barracks in Tralee, the main military headquarters for the Free State Forces in County Kerry.
Their future looked increasingly bleak as they faced the military justice system of the Irish Free State during a time of war. At Ballymullen Barracks the three men were formally charged with a series of serious offences. These charges included taking part in an attack on National Army troops at Clashmealcon, which led to the deaths of two soldiers, O'Neill and Pearson.
They were also accused of robbing the post office in Ballyduff, burning the civic guards stationed at Ballyheeg, stripping civic guards of their uniforms, and being in armed opposition to the government. These were capital charges, and the military tribunals of the time often handed down death sentences for such activities. The fate of James McInerney, aged 28, Edward Greeney, aged 29, and Reginald Hathaway, aged 20, was sealed quickly.
A petition for clemency was made on their behalf, but it was rejected by Major General Paddy O'Dailey, the commander of the Free State Forces in Kerry. O'Dailey was known for his ruthlessness in prosecuting the war. On April 25, 1923, just one week after their surrender at Clashmealcon, the three men were executed by a firing squad at Ballymullen Barracks. Their deaths marked a final grim chapter in the story of the Clashmealcon siege.
The events at Clashmeal Con and the subsequent executions left deep and lasting scars on the families involved, on both sides of the conflict. James McHenry was a married man with a young son named Henry, often called Sonny. Before his execution, he wrote poignant letters to his loved ones. His wife, Hannah McHenry, suffered greatly.
Not only did she lose her husband, but it is reported that she also lost her home and farm in the aftermath, a common hardship for the families of executed anti-treaty men. Her life and that of her young son was changed forever by the tragedy. The family of Timothy Arrow Lyons also endured immense grief. His mother, Margaret Lyons, was said to have been deeply affected by the manner of her son's death and the loss of such a dynamic young man.
She passed away in September 1929, some years after the Civil War, but the sorrow would have remained. Ayro's father, also named Timothy, received a small gratuity payment from the State in 1934, a belated and perhaps insufficient acknowledgement of his son's role in the earlier struggles for independence,
before the bitter divisions of the Civil War. Reginald Hathaway, the young English deserter executed alongside McHenry and Greeny, also had a family far away. His real name was Reginald Stenning. His mother, Edith Stenning, living in England, applied to the Irish authorities for some form of financial support or compensation after her son's death.
Her application, however, was rejected. She was left to grieve for a son who had chosen to fight in a foreign conflict only to meet his end in front of a firing squad. Her pain was likely compounded by the distance and the circumstances of his involvement.
The families of the National Army soldiers who died also suffered greatly. Volunteer James O'Neill was only 20 years old. His father, John O'Neill, had a complex history, having fought with the Irish Citizen Army in the 1916 Rising and later, reportedly, with the anti-treaty IRA in 1922. John O'Neill himself died in Grange-Gorman Mental Hospital in November 1923, just months after his son's death at Clashmilken,
James's mother, Jane O'Neill, was awarded a small weekly pension in 1924. These personal stories show that loss and trauma were not confined to one side of the Civil War divide.
The siege at Clashmealcon Caves in April 1923 was one of the last significant violent episodes of the Irish Civil War. It occurred at a time when the broader conflict was clearly winding down. The anti-treaty forces were depleted, their leadership was fractured,
and the Free State Government, with British support, had established control over most of the country. The desperate fight at the caves and the subsequent executions represented some of the final bitter exchanges in a war that had already cost so many lives and caused such deep societal wounds. Indeed, the end of the war was very near. Frank Aiken, who became the Chief of Staff of the Anti-Treaty IRA after Liam Lynch's death, issued an order for a cease-fire.
This ceasefire was to commence on April 30th, 1923. This was just five days after the executions of McInnery, Greeny and Hathaway at Ballymullen Barracks. A month later, in May 1923, Aitken issued a further order for anti-treaty forces to dump arms, effectively ending their armed campaign. The Clashmeal Con events thus stand as a symbol of the war's brutal conclusion.
The memory of those who died at Clashmilken has been preserved, though not without reflecting the divisions of the time. Today, two memorials stand at the site of the cliffs. These memorials list the names of the six anti-treaty IRA members who lost their lives there, Timothy Arrow Lyons, Thomas McGrath,
Patrick O'Shea, James McHenry, Edward Greeney and Reginald Hathaway, the names of the two National Army soldiers, Volunteer James O'Neill and Lieutenant Henry Pearson, who also died in the siege, are not included on these particular memorials, highlighting how the Civil War's divisions could persist in public commemoration.
The Clashmeal Con cave siege encapsulates the intense bitterness and tragedy of the Irish Civil War. It was a conflict that pitted former comrades against each other, often described as brother against brother. The events demonstrate the desperate courage of men fighting for their beliefs, even in a losing cause, and the harsh measures taken by the emerging state to secure its authority.
Jim McGrath, the one anti-treaty survivor from the cave, lived until 1972. He carried the memories of those terrible days for almost 50 years. The story of Clashmealchen remains a painful but important reminder of a dark chapter in modern Irish history.
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