John Lyons 1895-1921 of the Dripsey Ambush

Here is a baptism record from www.rootsireland.ie/:

Name:John Jeremiah LyonsDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:29-Jan-1894Address:
Parish/District:COACHFORDGender:MaleCountyCo. Cork
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Timothy LyonsMother:Margaret HoganOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:Jeremiah LyonsSponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Julia Lyons

Do you know if his second name was Jeremiah?

There is only one other from Coachford R C and it is 1892 father John & mother Hanna Cronin

Col

Thanks for the record, Col. In this Lyons family in Clonmoyle E he is listed as Jeremiah age 9 in 1901 then as Jerh John age 19 in 1911, so this must be his birth record. I would like to believe the witnesses are Jerh John's grandparents, who have the same names as the parents of my GGM Mary Lyons. 

I haven't come across more records for the John Lyons of the Dripsey Ambush. A birth date could reconcile this baptismal record  you excavated to the Tim & Maggie Lyons family of Clonmoyle East.

Col, I see John has a brother 2 years the elder listed as Jeremiah on 1901 census then as Jerh John on the 1911 census. The record you found must be of the family in my tree. Does anyone know an actual burial site for John Lyons of the Dripsey Ambush that may provide some info?

A little more attention was paid to the site of Irish Volunteers which states John Lyons is buried at the site of the former Cork Gaol among 13 volunteers of the Irish Republican Army executed by British firing squads in the Cork Military Barracks in 1921 and buried in what was then a part of the exercise yard of the former Cork County Jail. This is now part of the University College Cork campus.

Photos and more details here:

http://irishvolunteers.org/cork-county-gaol-ira-volunteers-executed-mem…

Thanks all for their assistance. Still looking for descendants/family of these Lyons from CLonmoyle East if anyone has a lead.

I have been told that his parents were related to my family. His mother was Johanna Cronin (my GG mothers cousin). 

Kathy Kelley

Update: as ColCafe found and Kathy Kelley suggested, John Lyons of the Dripsey Ambush was the son of John Lyons of Clonmoyle and Hannah Cronin. Lyons cousins now living in Clonmoyle and Rylane state he was the second cousin of their father, William Lyons (son of Tim Lyons and Margaret Horgan) of Clonmoyle.

John Lyons and Hannah Cronin married 18 Feb 1882. Fathers: William Lyons & Daniel Cronin. Father John Lyons likely born 13 Aug 1853 to Billy Darby Lyons and Mary Twohig in Aghabullogue. Mother Hannah Cronin b. Jan. 1853. 

Their children were Mary b. 1883, William b. 1884, Daniel b. 1886, Denis b. 1890, Jeremiah b. 1894, John b. 1892 (died 3mos old), JOHN b. 3 Jan 1897. 

The family is found on the 1901 census in Clonmoyle house 5 with parents John 45 & Hanna 42, children Mary 18, Daniel 14, Denis 11, Jeremiah 7, John 4.

The family is found on the 1911 census in Clonmoyle house 16 with parents John 60 & Hanna 62, children Mary 26, Dan 24, Den 22, Jeremiah 18, John 14.

Father John died 1920 age 65 of heart failure. 

JOHN LYONS died of gunshot wounds inflicted by firing squad 28 Feb 1921 age 23 at the Victoria barracks, Cork Gaol, now the site of UCC. He is buried there. 

John Lyons’ family applications for War Pension lists mother Hannah, brother Denis, Denis’s family.  Hannah Lyons applied for £2000 relief but was awarded a gratuity of £40 which was later increased to £75 from the Army Pensions Act of 1923 as well as £80 from the White Cross Association.  It appears she also received an allowance of £38 weekly.

Denis Lyons awarded an allowance of £223.10.0 from 3 July 1969 while unmarried. Denis wife was Ellen, daughter was Joanne who married James Walsh, farmer. Another brother and sister of John Lyons were living away from home at time of his death. 

In 1974, a book called “Execution” was published about events surrounding the Dripsey Ambush. The author was Sean O’Callaghan. Much of the book was taken from interviews with participants including IRA Commander Frank Busteed and British Auxiliaries Colonel Evans.  John Lyons’ capture, trial and execution are covered. He claimed he just happened by while looking for work. John Lyons was captured unarmed although a revolver was just a few yards away. The book also covers the kidnapping and execution of Mrs. Lindsay for spying. John Lyons entries:

John Lyons was born near Coachford in 1895, and attended Aghabullogue National School. He joined the I.R.A in 1917, but did not take an active part in operations as his parents were old and his wage helped to support them. He worked as a labourer for Mr. Tom Healy, a local farmer who sold remounts to the British Army. On the morning of the Dripsey Ambush he helped to dig rifle pits and later remained on duty as a scout. He was unarmed that day.

Five prisoners were brought in, one of them wounded....The two other men also readily gave their names: Dan O'Callaghan and John Lyons. The latter, who wore khaki trousers and puttees, seemed vaguely familiar..."Haven't I seen you somewhere before, Lyons?"  "No sir, never, sir. I don't come from these parts. I come from Aghabullogue." He looked terrified.  "All right, son," Colonel Evans said, "Nobody is going to do anything to you now. You will all be taken back to Ballincollig barracks and there handed over to the proper authorities."  On Monday 31st January 1921, the prisoners captured at the Dripsey Ambush were taken from Ballincollig under heavy escort and lodged in the Detention Wing of Victoria Barracks, Cork.  Page 77.

Colonel Dowling showed the dispatch (from General Strickland sending congratulations on success between Coachford and Dripsey) to Gareth Evans. He had just returned from a good run with the Muskerry Hunt...He (Evans) was bitter.  Out hunting that day Tom Healy had ridden up to him.  "I believe you picked up on of my men at Dripsey on Friday, young Lyons."  "That's where I saw him, Tom. I remembered his face and asked him if I had seen him before.  He said, no, he wasn't from this area. If I had known he was one of your men I would have kicked his arse and sent him home."  Tom had nodded, wheeled his horse, and ridden off without another word.  Pages 77-78.

When the batallion runner reported back that the cooks had refused to turn out and prepare tea for any fucking Shinners, a very angry Sergeant-Major stalked into the cookhouse. Soon a dixie of steaming tea and chunks of bread and butter brought to the cell. The prisoners who had taken part in the ambush ate ravenously....John Lyons had only eaten one slice of bread which was all the publican at Dripsey could provide.  The prisoners did not sleep that night...When first captured they had expected to be bayoneted to death on the spot. Page 33.

John Lyons was next called to the stand. He was pale, and the knuckles of his hands gripping the rail of the witness box were white.  Mr. Bourke, defending him, began his examination. Lyons gave his evidence in a low voice and was asked to speak up on several occasions. He said that on the Thursday before the ambush he went to his sister's place, riding there on a saddled horse to get a greyhound that had strayed the previous night. He returned about three in the afternoon, and slept in his own house that night. The following day (Friday) he worked on the farm until two o'clock, and had dinner an hour later. After dinner, he left the house to go to the Shandy Hall, a big house between Godfrey's Cross and Dripsey Bridge, to see if he could get work. He went through the fields and some time after heard shots. Thinking there might be an ambush on, he turned back towards Dripsey Woollen Mills. He ran into three or four civilians, who were in the field.  The soldiers opened fire, and a bullet struck the ground at his feet. He was quite close to the civilians who said, "Come on, or you will suffer." He kept on, but there were more shots and he stopped and held up his hands. He had no arms on that occasion and never had firearms.   Page 91.

In Donoughmore and All Around, page 288, Richard Henchion identified in error John Lyons of the Dripsey Ambush as the son of Dan Lyons and Mary Twomey of Clonmoyle. Daniel/David Lyons was a cousin of John Lyons, not his father. However the bio Henchion includes the following: 

John Lyons was born in 1890 the son of Dan Lyons and Mary Twomey, Clonmoyle, Aghabullogue, others of the family being Catherine (1879), Julia (1881), Con (1883), Mary (1884), Denis (1886), Dan (1887), and Michael (1894). They were so badly off that John's trousers had so many patches it was described as "the map of the world". A quiet, unassuming youth, he played hurling with the Aghabullogue Club and then in his 27th year he joined "D" Coy of the 6th Battn. in Aghabullogue. At Dripsey he was given a "look-out" role although he asked to be part of the fighting contingent. Being captured and court-martialed, he was executed in Feb. of 1921. Aghabullogue was the burying place of his family.

I believe the “Dan Lyons” in Henchion’s bio refers to David Lyons who married Mary Twomey 21 Sep 1878 as found on the Catholic register for Aghabullogue. David Lyons was the youngest son of Darby Lyons and Jude Savage of Aghabullogue, born 18 Sep 1857, a brother of Mary Lyons. Mary Lyons married Patrick Kelleher and lived in Beenalaght. "Daniel" and "David" are easy to confuse when viewing handwriting on baptism and civic documents. 

Thanks for the updates. I will be traveling in the area next month and hope to go by the Ambush site. I did visit a Cronin farm a couple of years ago that belonged to their cousins. I know that my Uncle was in contact with some family members many years ago. Donal Cronin (?), who died just a couple of years ago has just pased when I visited in April 2015. https://rip.ie/showdn.php?dn=248935/Donal%20(Donie)CRONIN/Ballinagree/C…

Kathy

Hi Kathy, 
There are many memorials including ones at the site of the Ambush, one at Donoughmore cemetery, especially where John Lyons is buried at University College Cork. I believe the on-campus road is callled The Lough, right off College Road on the way to "The Old Bar".  It used to be the site of the Cork County Gaol exercise yard.

http://irishvolunteers.org/cork-county-gaol-ira-volunteers-executed-mem…

Map is here: 

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=crMap&CRid=2635510

Here is an online memorial for the executed 13 Volunteers interred: 

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=777578&GRid=17…;

Hope you have a great trip. Hope to make it myself one day.