Several assignments were delegated and mine took me to the 9th Battalion area Cork 1. On the way back to Ballyvourney that night after the meeting, we were very lucky to avoid the Staters as they had been lying in ambush for some time and were finally recalled before we arrived. Ambushing unprotected cars would have had fatal results. [SN79] I met Tim Hobbs, Paddy 0Keeffe (later General Secretary of the G.A.A.), Henry Mahoney O.C. 9th Battalion Cork 1, Bill Mahoney 9th Batt., George Bourke at Crowley's and Harris's Ballygarvan and Ballea. We divided ourselves between the Harris's and Crowley's homes. Some days later as I walked along the road going east to Carrigaline and as I waited for Tim Hobbs, I heard a lot of noise. I jumped the ditch, ran across one field, took cover near a rivulet and worked my way back to the road. I heard later that three of our men had been arrested, otherwise we would have had some warning. The Staters raided Crowley's. They saw me running and fired and then searched the fields from the road to the Crowley home. Ciss O'Keeffe, sister of Paddy's was there at the time and she had to withstand a lot of questioning as the boys had escaped. The Staters, wanted to know where I ran and Ciss denied seeing me, so did the Crowley girls. Several houses were raided in the vicinity and some hours later, about four, I was able to get up, drenched as I was, to join Paddy O’Keeffe and George Bourke at the Harris home where I was able to change and dry myself. Fortunately for me, the excitement made me forget the wetting. I was worried about Tim Hobbs who turned up a day later. He barely escaped at Five Mile Bridge (the speed of his motorcycle saved him). Tim and I proceeded west to Brigade Headquarters, where we met Dan Donovan, George Buckley and Sean McSwiney. We also called to Con Hayes, Mrs. Hayes, Ballinguilla, Cloughduv, to enjoy their hospitality then and often later. Another assignment was given and this time it took in Cork City, 9th Batt., then to 4th and 6th Battalion areas, staying at Cashmans, Glamnire, then back to Mrs. Daly's, Blackrock. Reports of that area had reached Brigade Headquarters and they had it investigated with that of H. Company area 1st Battalion. While at Daly's, about 2 a.m. Mrs. Daly heard the lorry coming up the hill and warned me to run which I did, clearing the stairs, out the front door which she shut behind me, to a garden of high cauliflowers where I dropped flat on the ground and hid myself. The Staters raided the house, but Mrs. Daly (who had gifted ways of dealing with them) put one of the workmen into my bed. They had evidently been tipped off but on finding nothing they departed. I came back [SN80] and told Mrs. Daly that if any of our own came there to say that I had left the place. Due to jumping the stairs my trousers suffered and on leaving the following evening, Mrs. Daly gave me a raincoat (it was raining at the time) which she stated had belonged to the late Terence McSwiney. My next stop was Con Healy's, Back Douglas Road. Again I was amongst the very best of friends. The Healys were also a very sympathetic family but when they asked me to join in the Rosary I had to refuse until such time as one of them repaired my trousers. Tim Healy, one of the sons who had seen service in Limerick and other spots with the I.R.A. took a fancy to a whistle which Timmy Hobbs used to play very well. All the following day Tim Healy kept playing to the canary and it was clearly noticeable that he would never create any jealousies in the musical world. That night, when leaving, Mrs. Healy very solemnly said to Tim Hobbs "I have a great favour to ask, anytime you or Connie come here you are more than welcome. I know you are going tonight, so will you please take that tin whistle with you before my son Tim drives us all crazy". Her marvellous sense of humour kept Tim Hobbs and myself laughing for a long time. Off we trudged towards Ballygarvan then to Waterfall, getting to Joe Lynch's the following night. Immediately, the family (Aunt May, Mrs. Lynch and her other sister, all who knew Tim very well, as he was a relation) recognised me. There and then I remembered the night we held up the train in Waterfall, using the house as a stopping place. I never met them, neither did they meet me in all that time, so it was a relief when our real identity was known to them there and then. Joe told Tim and myself that we were free to stay as long as we wished and again we found ourselves amongst the most hospitable of friends, Joe added that the house was never raided by the Free State Army. Around 3 p.m. the following afternoon, as I sat by the window reading the Examiner, I heard a commotion and looking out I saw the yard full of Free State soldiers. I nearly dropped and creeping away I used the paper as a shield, while Joe Lynch talked with the officer in charge. I got back to the bedroom to tell [SN81] Tim
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