On Sunday 11th September a Monument will be unveiled to commemorate the Volunteers of Dungourney Company, Irish Volunteers. The districts included in the Company Area were Dungourney, Clonmult and Ballynoe.
The commemoration will commence at 3.00pm with the unveiling of the Monument followed by an oration by the renowned historian Dr. Martin Mansergh, Blessing the Monument, Laying of Wreath, Reading of the Proclamation, raising of the National Flag, Sounding of the Last Post, Reveille and Playing of the National Anthem. In the school hall Tom O’Neill’s Military exhibition will be on display. The day will feature an exhibition of traditional Irish Music and Song by the pupils of St. Peter’s National School.
The Dungourney Company of the Irish Volunteers were formed in October 1915, presided over by Thomas and David Kent. A meeting of about 100 attended of whom 60 became active members. On that day a committee of 12 elected Eamonn Ahern (IRB), Castlequarter, as Chairman and his brother Maurice as Company Captain. Maurice and Martin O’Keeffe of Ballynoe attended a course for officers at the Volunteer Hall, Shear’s Street, Cork.
On Wednesday of Holy Week orders were received from Tomás MacCurtain that the company was to go to the Volunteer Hall in Cork with all arms and equipment, no other details were given. About 30 men left by train from Mogeely to Cork, before getting on the train they were quizzed by some RIC men as to where they were going with shotguns etc. but gave no reply. On reaching Cork they went to the Volunteer Hall Shear’s Street where they slept overnight, lying on straw.
On Easter Sunday morning the company with members of other companies went to mass in St. Francis Church. After mass they took the train to Crookstown and then marched to Macroom. Terence McSweeney had plans to collect and distribute rifles that were coming from Germany on the Aud, but the Aud was captured by the British Navy, and was scuttled by the captain outside Cork Harbour with all guns on board. Not long after reaching Macroom the order to dismiss was received following orders from Eoin Mc Neill to abort the rising. The company marched back to Crookstown, got the train back to Cork and then to Mogeely.
Capt. Maurice Ahern was captured by the British a couple of weeks later and imprisoned in Wakefield Wandsworth and Frongach. Later in Cork Jail he was the first Irishman to go on hunger strike there.