Mc'Donnell's Hotel, Clifden, Galway - burnt 1921

[corisande]

Can anyone help me with what became of this Hotel - McDonnell's in Clifden

It was burnt by the Auxiliaries on 17 March 1921 as reprisal for the death of 2 policemen in an ambush the day before.

John Joe McDonnell, the son of the owners, was shot by the Auxiliaries (either "taken outside and shot" or "shot running away" depending on who is telling the story)

I suspect it has been rebuilt and is now operating under a different name

[Pastmagic]

Will have a look later, in the mean time, this is what happened next:

Dáil Éireann - Volume 8 - 15 July, 1924
WRITTEN QUESTIONS. - CLIFDEN COMPENSATION CLAIMS.
[1257] TOMAS O CONAILL asked the Minister for Finance whether compensation has yet been paid to Mr. Alex. McDonnell, of Clifden, Co. Galway, on account of his premises, “McDonnell's Hotel,” which were burned down by British Forces on March 17th, 1921, as well as for furniture and personal effects destroyed on the same occasion; further, whether he will say if any decision has been taken in the matter of Mr. McDonnell's claim for compensation for the loss of his only son, John Joe McDonnell, who was killed by British Forces during the Anglo-Irish struggle.
The PRESIDENT: The claim of the person named by the Deputy for compensation in respect of damage to property has not yet been the subject of an award by the Compensation (Ireland) Commission. It is understood, however, that the case is at present under consideration by that tribunal.
Mr. McDonnell's application for compensation in respect of the death of his son will be listed for hearing by the Compensation (Personal Injuries) Committee during the course of their next sittings at Galway.

[corisande]

PM

Like most events at that time it is much more complicated than that

Link to page on John Joe McDonnell

I was trying to find out a bit more about the McDonnells hotel, but feel free to broaden the discussion to the events over those two days.

And I could not find the end of the story
Mr. McDonnell's application for compensation in respect of the death of his son will be listed for hearing by the Compensation (Personal Injuries) Committee during the course of their next sittings at Galway.

[Pastmagic]

I have just emailed a cousin in Clifden - an architect interested in the buildings there to see what he can come up with. I have spent a day in the national Archive following paperwork re various people in my family in that period, and the gaps are so frustrating 1919-1924. Ended up having to order vast number of pages to be photocopied, as there was no way of making sense of it in an afternoon. I admire your continued endeavours.

PM

[corisande]

Thanks for that PM

I tried Google street photos, but the "little man" has not been to Clifden yet!

The Nat Arch in London are good in that you allow you to photograph pages at will, so you can make sense of it a a reasonable cost.

The detail with the sort of things that I research is important, as the accounts exist, but are written with bias by one side or the other. The detail helps make sense of whether what anyone says is true, partly true or false>

[corisande]

OK I have found McDonnells Hotel now thanks to some very good detective work by someone on the Great War Forum.

Essentially a new owner applied for a spirt licence and the paper reported the chain of owners from McDonnells to his niece a Miss Higgens and thence to a Mrs Bridget O'Connnor

It is now the Central Hotel (or B&B) at Clifden. click this link shows the grainy contemporary newspaper photo and a modern photo side by side and it is the correct building.

As far as I can see the ambush occurred between Kings and Foyles which are on the corner of Market St and Main St.

Not much seems to be available for the ambush itself, can anyone help. All I have really established is that 4 RIC men were ambushed at about this spot and 2 died

[Pastmagic]

Clifden Market

[corisande]

Thanks for the photo, that is Foyles in the centre, the double fronted building. Another photo on this link - click here .  Again Foyles is in the centre of that photo

These facts of the case  appear not to be in dispute. How the buildings came to be burned and how the two casualties has differing tales, but it appears to me that McDonnell was taken outside and shot and that Clancy was put up against a wall and shot. Both by the RIC

a. At 10 p.m. on 16th March a 4 man RIC patrol was ambushed on the corner of Market Square, Clifden

b. 2 policemen died, one immediately, one later in hospital

c. News of the ambush was wirelessed to Galway 50 miles away, the telegraph wires having been cut.

d. A party of Royal Irish Constabulary under three officers was despatched by special train to Clifden

e. This party, which included men who knew the locality well, arrived in Clifden between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. on the morning of the 17th.

f. By dawn 12 houses had been burned and 4 more damaged

g. John Joe McDonnell son of the owner of McDonnell's hotel had been shot dead

h. Peter Clancy sustained terrible injuries from 3 bullet wounds to the head

[rathmore]

have you seen this site
http://www.cairogang.com/police-killed/clifden-mar-17/clifden.html
your might have to type this address yourselve.
It has a part copy of 1901 and 1911 showing th McDonnell's when they were born and lots more information they also have a copy of the Graing Newspaper photo of McDonnells Hotel and of Lydons after the burnings.