"Again, a moving story."

Joe: The Battle of Belleek, both Pettigo and Belleek were shelled. Churchill was the government minister at the time, and he set up guns about three miles up the Enniskillen Road and the IRA were in The Battery Fort at the time, and he shelled Battery Fort. The people, with the shelling, with the troubles, they got out of Belleek for safety. Some of the Protestant members I think they got a boat and got up the river but the so-called Republicans, what did they do? They raided the Protestant shops and stole the stuff out of it and then they burned the books that had the record of what they owed them, and these were Republicans. You have a fair idea of what my mind is. Churchill also set the shelling of Pettigo too as well, it’s amazing, you know?

Interviewer: There was an IRA unit and presumably what would’ve been an RUC members as well as the British army involved?

Joe: In the 1920s, it was the RIC (the Royal Irish Constabulary) and the British Army involved. The British Army were based in the fort overlooking the bridge at Belleek there and they eventually moved out then. There were three Republicans shot in Pettigo at that time, I think there’s a memorial on Pettigo Main Street in their memory.

Interviewer: There was one man shot in an armoured car?

Joe: That was over at, we call it Slaters Cross, over where I lived, just right beside it. The Republicans had control of the fort at that time. More by chance they fired a shot and it happened to go through this peep hole and the army lad was there he was looking out the peep hole and he was shot. His body remained there for a couple of days until through negotiations with Republicans and others two local ladies Mrs Ross, Knox was her maiden name, and her and another lady went over and recovered the body and brought it to Belleek and gave it the respect it deserved.

Interviewer: The body was left in the armoured car for two days and nobody could get at it?

Joe: For two days, the Republicans agreed to allow the two ladies to take the body. Again, a moving story.

Interviewer: Then again, I think there was a slightly more funny story at the time about the B Special who was caught in no man’s land, was that in the same battle?

Joe: That was in Pettigo. The Republicans allowed him to run across. I had a contact from a lady in north Antrim and an uncle of hers was shot at that time by the Republicans in Pettigo, I’ve been in contact with her for quite a while and was able to give her the information she wanted.

Interviewer: The IRA made their escape I think did they but they had to go on a ferry but there was a price to pay, have I got that right?

Joe: No there was a Magheramenagh Castle out here which belonged to the Johnston family, the last of the family lost their lives in 1917. Magheramenagh Castle was sold and was purchased by the Diocese. Old Father O’Ciarain took up residence there, he was the Parish Priest. That would’ve been the story there. When he was there the Specials took over and held him captive and then there was a lady who had a boat, Pride of Erin, and she came out with her boat. The Specials who were in Magheramenagh Castle went across the fields into the shore and she took them up to Enniskillen again.

Another funny story about Father O’Ciarain, as an altar boy I used to serve mass, so I knew him quite well way back in the 1930s. He was a very solid Republican; he was reputed to be both a personal friend of De Valera and Michael Collins which he was actually at the time. Way back during the war, during the blackout there was this very officious policeman who was cycling up the Enniskillen Road, there were no buses that time, but he looked across the river and saw a wee glimmer of light in Magheramenagh Castle. He pedalled across the bridge, Roscor bridge, knocked at the door and old Father O’Ciarain eventually came to the door, opened the door with this candle in his hand. People would’ve expected him as a leading Republican to have chased your man. Your man gave him a complete lecture on this light and the danger of the Germans seeing it they would’ve bombed the place. Old Lorcan said, “oh my good man we can’t have that, come with me”. So, he brought him away to the castle, to the very far end of it where he had a candle burning preparing his sermon for the following Sunday. He blew out that candle and he blew out the one in his hand and said, “now my good man you can get your own way out”. The humour that we have keeps us going.