Owen O'Shea's Blog
Occasional meanderings and insights into Kerry’s past with a focus on electioneering, election results, key political figures, political culture, and the dramatic ups and downs of politics in the county over the past century.
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“This is local history at its best”
“This is local history at its best: clearly written and cliché free, painstakingly researched, a useful index, a really clear map, interesting photos and placing the ambush in the context
“Meticulously researched and soberly written” – the Business Post on ‘Ballymacandy’
“Wait for a dead man’s shoes and you’ll end up barefoot,” warns an old English adage about the importance of taking action. At the removal of four police officers killed
Ballymacandy: a timeline of events
The Ballymacandy Ambush: 1st June 1921 9.30am: Twelve RIC and Black and Tans leave Killorglin RIC Barracks by bicycle to travel to Tralee to collect their wages. They are led
The Ballymacandy Ambush: 1st June 1921
The first day of June 1921: as Ireland’s War of Independence intensifies, twelve policemen – members of the Royal Irish Constabulary and the notorious Black and Tans – make their
Launch of ‘Ballymacandy: The Story of a Kerry Ambush’ on 24th May at 8.00pm
The online launch of ‘Ballymacandy: The Story of a Kerry Ambush’ by Owen O’Shea and published by Merrion Press, will take place on Monday, 24th May at 8.00pm. The book
How Lemass’ visit to Killarney led to new planning laws
On the 50th anniversary of the death of former Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader, Seán Lemass, here is an extract from the memoirs of Kerry South TD, John O’Leary (which
What I learned while researching the war in my community
Learnings from researching the ambush at Ballymacandy History isn’t really an interest of mine: it’s more like an obsession. It’s difficult to adequately articulate what makes one want to constantly
The only shots fired in Kerry during the Easter Rising
Despite much activity in County Kerry during the week-long Easter Rising in 1916, there was just one discharge of a weapon in the county during the entire rebellion. The confused
Coming soon: Ballymacandy – The Story of a Kerry Ambush
My new book on the Ballymacandy Ambush will be published shortly by Merrion Press. The ambush, which took place on the 1st of June 1921, a century ago this year,
“The Tans ordered me outside and told me I would be shot …”
A century ago, the women of Cumann na mBan played a critically important role in the Irish War of Independence, a role which has often been understated and overlooked. This
The War of Independence in Kerry – the Dracula connection
Research on the War of Independence in Kerry can throw up some extraordinary stories involving civilians who came close to being caught up in the vicious fighting between the forces
“Wipe them out for once and for all” – the Listry priest who stood against his bishop
Dan Allman’s brother: the formidable republican cleric, Fr Myles Allman of Rockfield Daniel Allman of Rockfield in the parish of Listry is one of best-known figures of the War of
