“At this time some Tans were coming along like a parade of ducks, and I said to one: “We are trying to get home before the curfew, but those soldiers are playing with the children. Would you talk to them?` He went over and spoke to the soldiers. On our way up Catherine Street, we heard the Tans and other soldiers knocking the hell out of each other. When my father found the revolvers in the pram next morning, he almost had a fit, asking: `Are you trying to get us all shot?`

“A man called Blake Small used to fish the coal that fell into the Albert Basin, which I bought from him. One time I had six grenades hidden under about half a ton. During one raid, soldiers started to poke at the coal with their bayonets. I was afraid they would pull out the ring, the damned thing would go off, and blow up the house. I was lucky, - they found nothing.”

“There was a patrol usually stopped at the Glen, so the Volunteers decided to give them a taste of their own medicine. Eight men were picked for the task; they met in my shop; each man had a revolver and a grenade. They were getting ready to move, when word came of a raid. My wife was ill at the time, expecting my son, Kevin.

We had to think quickly, so I told the boys to leave the stuff and get out. “One man stayed, we carried the stuff upstairs, and dumped it in the bed with my wife. We were just down the stairs when the Tans and the police came in. First, we were searched, then the shop and the house. When they came to the bedroom, I objected and there were hot words. They opened the door, and my wife, having heard the commotion, and knowing what was in the bed, lay like a corpse.

“I said to the officer: `I told you there was a sick woman in there. Now if anything happens to her, I will hold you responsible.` He said he was very sorry, and gave me his name and number. Commandant Casey had been watching the raid from his pub across the street. After it was over, he ran across the street to see what had happened, and gave me top marks for quick thinking.”

The shooting dead of Head Constable Carney in Ballybot caused a violent reaction from the Black and Tans, who raided a lot of shops and houses, including Tommy Mulligan’s. He recalled: “They came in drunk and crazy, throwing everything about. They told me they were going to get some Sinn Fein bastard for their man who was shot. They asked for some names, since I lived beside the Sinn Fein Hall.

“I told them they would get no names from me, and was told: `Well, you Sinn Fein bastard, you are next. `I was ordered to go up the stairs in front of them. Well, I thought, this is it, and I certainly did pray. They put me into a room, placed me against a wall, and stood at the other end. I was told: ` Now you bastard, tell us the names or you are for it.` I still refused.

“The eyes were rolling in their heads, and they couldn’t keep the revolvers steady. They were shaking, and all the sins of my past life passed through my brain. Then we heard steps, and in came a Tan officer, who asked what was going on. He was told they were `going to bump me off as number one for Carney’. The officer told them to leave off, as I was `just trying to run a little business.’

Meanwhile, Tommy Mulligan was on his way to take part in the Egyptian Arch ambush, which coincided with an attack on Camlough barracks, but Commandant Doherty ordered him to “go back to your wife and kids. We don’t want no married men in this.`

“I stayed in my father’s house that night; and the RUC called later to report that the Black and Tans had wrecked my shop, and had thrown my goods over the street. How did the police know I was there? My house was also burned down that night, along with the Sinn Fein Hall.”

A few weeks later there was a raid on his father’s house; and he was searched along with a brother, Frank; Joe McDonald, Dan McCreesh, Tom Rickards, and Dick Courtney. It was claimed that bullets had been found in Tommy’s pockets, so they were all taken to the police barracks.

“There were 32 men in the guard-room, including 10 who were in the Movement. We were very careful about the rest. Dick Courtney was chosen to pretend that he had been wrongly arrested, and detested Sinn Feiners. Also we collected a few quid, so that Dick could buy some drinks for the guards. Members of Cumann na mBan, posing as our sisters, informed us that `B` Specials had called at several houses and had stolen goods.”

“Dick learned that the ‘B’ Specials who had stolen the goods were to be court-martialled. If those from whom the items had been taken would fail to recognise them, then they would `go easy on the fellow who had the bullets in his pocket.’ But Dick told the `Special` that he would not mix with Shinners, and he should do the talking himself.

“The fellow came to me and said that `it was a mean thing to put bullets in anyone’s pocket. Whoever did it should be shot.` He asked me to pick out the person responsible. I responded that the culprit had a gold tooth, and he was that person.

`I was drunk, and wanted to show how good I was`, he explained. After three weeks Tommy and the others were released. “When the Civil War started, I quit.

While I had taken an oath to fight for the freedom of Ireland, it was not for one Irishman to fight another.”

So Tommy Mulligan started a business in North Street, and had a stall in Newry Market. He re-joined St Joseph’s Silver Band, which won the Championships of Britain and Ireland in 1928, as well as forming and teaching other bands. But more about all of that anon!

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