Rectory Gates

Ibberson found the day unusually hot, and after climbing some distance the three of them took off their jackets and puttees and slung their two bandoliers over their shoulders, with Ibberson placing his .32 automatic pistol in his right-hand breeches pocket. This action was to prove fateful for Maguire's judgement and O'Brien's life. On reaching the summit they were unable to locate Smith's patrol. This was because Smith's patrol had sighted two Sinn Feiners and chased and captured them, one in possession of a shotgun. The two men, Patrick King and Philip Hallinan, were spotted asleep near Glenmask. They were surprised by the soldiers and their story of being out hunting foxes who were attacking their sheep was not believed. They were subjected to tough treatment as they were taken down the mountain and into Ballinrobe. At their Court Martial in Renmore Barracks, it was the word of  Sergeant Goulden, who had spent 15 years as an RIC man in the Partry area, which saved the men. He testified that the men’s’ story was true. They were acquitted.

Ibberson continued on, turning right and north, near the mountain crest. The ground was bare and boggy in parts. After advancing a short distance in this direction a group of four men appeared moving west, to Ibberson's left, and carrying weapons. Ibberson and his two-man patrol found a firing position, and opened fire with 300 yards in their sights. The four men, who had previously not seen the patrol, immediately vanished from view. The Englishman and his companions pushed on to the position where they had sighted the armed men, and found it to be a gully along a crest, with a view to the north and east, i.e. down to the lake and also the Srah-Tourmakeady road. As they observed the terrain they noticed the four men scampering away north across another gully. Gazing to the north-east Ibberson could also see, below and in front of him, a large number of men who appeared to be in four groups, in single file, and in flight.

 From this position Ibberson, in his account, fired three or four rounds at the leader of the Column. He fell on the slope facing Ibberson, while the rest of the Column took cover. Tom Maguire in his account, says he was “ wounded by a burst from a Lewis gun…  hit by a bullet entering at the elbow joint and leaving below the armpit of the right arm and inflicting a flesh wound” and from the pain in his upper arm he knew that the bone was broken and he was bleeding dangerously. He lay on his uninjured side while Michael O'Brien crawled to his assistance from his end of the line to apply tourniquet and bandages. O'Brien knelt beside him, eased the jacket off the injured limb and ripped up the shirtsleeve to expose the wound. Then he tried to staunch the blood by pressing on arteries and by binding the arm tightly with a bandage from his first aid kit. As O'Brien crouched beside Maguire his back was towards the enemy rifle fire. Ibberson fired one round at him before realising he [O'Brien] had come to assist the wounded Maguire. As Ibberson looked round vainly  for his patrol a few bullets fell near him. The shots appeared to come from the four men he had previously chased. As he took cover, however, he heard a Lewis gun open up from the direction of Gortbunacullin and saw bullets strike above the Column's position. Ibberson signalled to the Borders and soon after all firing ceased.

Seeing no movement from the Column and fearing they might be withdrawing east and down the hillside, Ibberson made a right flank movement to the south, crawling the last few yards. On arrival at a viewpoint he saw about a dozen men in a small saucer of ground twenty yards from his position. Ibberson observed a man attending the wounded Maguire, but as he looked to his rifle he found the magazine empty. As quietly as possible he charged five rounds and then, somewhat nervously, added another three from another charger. He then decided to bluff the Column into surrender in the vain hope of disarming them and marching them to Gortbunacullin, and jumped forward shouting 'Come on my Borders. Hands Up, Surrender.'

 Ibberson says that when he surprised the Column he saw several put up their hands but the man who was attending to the wounded leader picked up his rifle and had a snap shot at him. At this Ibberson dropped and the shot missed, but he shot the Column man who then rolled over. Ibberson rose again and was about to repeat the order when he was shot from the left through both arms and in the chest. As he was wounded Ibberson turned and set off down the hillside. After about twenty yards a bullet struck his left thigh, causing him to trip and fall, amongst another group of Sinn Feiners, who were flat on the ground. He scrambled up and had to pick his way among them as they were so close together. Ibberson recalled how he was fortunate that he was being shot at, or that the men whom he fell among thought the position was being overrun by British soldiers, as he got clear and ran zigzag down the hillside for about a mile until he came to some stone walls. As he ran he could hear the Lewis guns opening fire again. His useless arms and hands made the stone walls difficult to cross, and twice he had to take a running jump, land on his middle and roll over. Eventually he reached a boreen, which ran north to south, parallel to the Srah-Tourmakeady road. On the way down the hillside Ibberson reckoned he had seen Craig's lorry beside the road, south of Srah. He turned left in the lane to make for it, but found himself near to collapse.