Blarney Road - July 8 1921

It was just past midnight on that Summers night when soldiers of the South Staffordshire Regiment burst in the door of the Spriggs family home on Strawberry Hill. 19 year old Denis Joseph Spriggs was dragged from his bed and taken outside where he was bundled into a crossly tender. Young Spriggs was driven just yards up Blarney Road where he met his death at the hands of crown soldiers.

Denis Spriggs was, like his father, a plasterer. He was also a member of C Company, 1st Battalion of the Cork IRA No. 1 Brigade. During the War of Independence Spriggs was involved in many actions against the enemy  and as a result he had to go on the run. When the truce came in the summer of 1921 he returned home  to see his mother. His presence back on Strawberry Hill was relayed back to the authorities and they decided to arrest him.

A plaque on the wall to the right marks the spot where Spriggs was murdered.



The South Staffordshire Regiment had a reputation in Cork for their shoot to kill policy. Many civilians and IRA volunteers fell foul of their guns, including Denis Spriggs.
On the night he was taken from his home he was, according to the British troops, shot while trying to escape. The British soldiers claimed the tail board on the lorry fell down and Spriggs jumped out.

It is more likely that Spriggs was pushed out of the lorry and then shot against the wall - executed without trial. The "shot while trying to escape" story was not believed by those on living on Blarney Road or across the rebel city.

Grave of Denis Spriggs, St Finbarrs Cemetery Republican Plot.