Incident at Shannon Hotel, Castleconnell 1921

[Doddie]

Looking for help tracking down newspaper coverage in Irish press of an incident that took place on April 17 1921 at Shannon Hotel, Castleconnell, County Limerick. There were several fatalities including the hotel proprieter. Apparently, the incident concerned a shoot-out between members of the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary and some local "insurgents". My personal interest lies in the fact that my late grandmother was in service at the time (aged about 18) and employed by an English couple who witnessed the event. Evidently, my grandmother was travelling with the couple to provide assistance during their short trip. In later years my grandmother recounted an "horrific  event" taking place while she was working in Ireland. My research has lead me to conclude that she was possibly alluding to the incident oulined above. Any help would be much appreciated.

Doddie

[aghadowey]

Have you tried looking in The Times as it might have featured a report at the time?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxiliary_Division

New York Times covered the event:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F07E1DD113FEE3ABC4152DFB266838A639EDE

[LGShiner]

Hi Doddie, not sure if you are still looking but my grandfather was involved in the Shannon Hotel incident in 1921. In fact he shot and killed Sargeant Hughes who was from his own side. I will wait on you to get back but I would be so interested to discuss further. I visited the Hotel this year when I was over from Australia.

[rathmore]

http://www.irishmedals.org


Sergeant William Hughes aged 46, temp cadet Donald Pringle age 27 killed along with hotel proprietor Dennis O'Donovan

[dathai]

see Hughes William Joe
http://www.limerickcity.ie/Library/LocalStudies/ObituariesdeathnoticesetcfromtheLimerickChronicle/1921/


http://theauxiliaries.com/INCIDENTS/castleconnell/castleconnell.html

[Doddie]

Hi LGshiner, my grandmother was in service with the family of William Harrison Cripps whenever they came to stay at Glendaruel House in Argyll (the Cripps family retreat in Scotland). William was a surgeon at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London. He was the uncle of the Labour politician and future Chancellor of the Exchequer, Stafford Cripps. In April of 1921 William and his wife visited Ireland and stayed at the Shannon Hotel. After the shooting incident William brought the matter up in the newspapers (The Times, for example) and his name appears in various articles relating to the Shannon Hotel incident. I am almost certain that my grandmother was staying at the hotel too in her position of maid or such like for the Cripps'. As I have discussed on various forums before, her presence there would most probably have gone without mention because she was ony a domestic servant. Many years later my grandmother visited Glendaruel House with my mother. The house had long since passed out of the hands of the Cripps family and had become a hotel. It was during this visit (very probably for afternoon tea) that my grandmother recounted the details of the "horrific event" she had experinced in Ireland. I have managed to establish my family links to Glendaruel House. My great grandfather was the farm grieve (scottish for manager or overseer) of Home Farm, one of several farms on the Glendaruel estate and as stated previously my grandmother was a member of the household staff. It would be good to have some corroborating evidence that could place my grandmother at the Shannon Hotel but I very much doubt that there is anything out there.


Regards

Doddie

[Treetotal]

Other post here to avoid duplication of information:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=733351.0

Carol

[StanleysChesterton]

Quite a lot turns up in the National Newspapers in the months of April/May and October.  Including:

"...  Agnes O'Donovan, proprietress of the Shannon Hotel. Castleconell. was awarded by Judge Pigot £15,000 compensation for the loss of her husband ..." Gloucester Citizen, 20 October

" ... A graphic description of the fierce attack which, it was said, was made by Black and Tans on the Shannon View Hotel, Castleconnel, County Limerick, on Sunday, 17th inst., was given in letters which were read in the House Lords yesterday...." Aberdeen Journal, 27 April.

"... CROWN FORCES SHOOT EACH OTHER. FOUR DEATHS ...." Western Morning News, 19 April.

"... A regrettable affair has occurred in Shannon View Hotel Castleconnell, which resulted in the death of three members of the Crown Forces and the proprietor of the hotel.... " Hull Daily Mail, 19 April.

"... whether grenades were thrown through the windows the hotel ...." Yorkshire Post, 20 April.

Loads of papers did reports.

[rathmore]

after the killings at Shannon hotel by the crown, Captain Biggs armed with a revolver was out to get William Harris Cripps to stop him talking to the police, but the Cripps had left Ireland early because of the shooting, it is in a article about the killing of Winifred Barrington.

http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/media,3996,en.pdf