Remembering Murrintown Brigade IRA Volunteers Bernie Radford and Con McCarthy who were killed by Counter Revolutionaries on this day – 10th of January 1923.
The Murrintown brigade of the IRA were billeted in a building on Rossister’s farm at Spencerstown (Spelcherstown) in Rathangan when a Free State force using intelligence from an Informer surrounded the building and demanded the Brigades surrender.
Refusing to surrender the IRA Brigade opened up on the Free Staters and the Staters responded with fire on the IRA’s billetts.
During the firefight the IRA volunteers made a run for freedom using cover-fire to aid their retreat.
As the Murrintown men made good their escape two of the Brigade were shot dead, Volunteer Con McCarthy and Brigade Officer Commanding Bernie Radford.
(On May 2nd 1923, 27 Irish Republican prisoners escaped from Wexford Gaol. One of the Republican escapees was Volunteer Mick Radford of Murrintown. Mick was the brother of Vol. Bernie Radford.
On June 22, 1923, Mick was shot by the Staters while unarmed.)