PODCASTER and former Rubber Bandits star Blindboy Boatclub took a detour during his recent visit to West Cork, using the opportunity to connect with his family's history and a pivotal moment in Irish history.
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After a performance of his popular podcast on Garnish Island, Blindboy visited a memorial dedicated to the IRA unit in which his grandfather and his brothers served, particularly highlighting their involvement in the Kilmichael Ambush.
The Kilmichael Ambush, which took place on November 28, 1920, between Dunmanway and Macroom, was a dramatic and bloody engagement in the War of Independence.
A flying column commanded by Tom Barry ambushed a large force of the Royal Irish Constabulary's Auxiliary Division, mercenary soldiers deployed to conduct a terror campaign across Cork and Munster.
The ambush resulted in the deaths of 16 members of the British forces and three IRA volunteers.
A wounded 'Auxie' who initially escaped was reportedly tracked two days later and killed with his own gun.
This event marked an escalation of the War of Independence in Munster, occurring just one week after the infamous Bloody Sunday in Croke Park.
Posting images of himself at the historic ambush site, Blindboy reflected on the personal significance of the location.
'Had a wonderful time gigging down in West Cork on the gorgeous Garnish island. I visited this memorial to my Granda and his friends on the way back,' he wrote.
He also shared a childhood memory: 'My Da brought me here when I was a child for the consumption of chicken sandwiches. And on this road too died 17 terrorist officers of the British forces.'
In a previous interview with Prospect magazine, Blindboy elaborated on his family's involvement: ;My grandfather was a member of the Irish Republican Army, in Tom Barry’s flying column down in West Cork. They fought the Black and Tans and the Auxiliaries, who were British forces, instructed by Winston Churchill to commit acts of terror against the civilian population.'
He further detailed his grandfather's role: 'My granda was only a 19-year-old farmer. He and his brothers took part in the Kilmichael ambush, which was a decisive battle in helping end British colonisation of the 26 counties. That Ken Loach film The Wind That Shakes the Barley is based around those events.'
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