Across the road from the Church of Christ the King at Turners Cross you will find a large white plaque dedicated to the IRA Volunteers of D Company, 2nd Battalion First Cork Brigade and two D Company members who lost their lives - Charles Daly and John O'Brien.
Witness Statement of D Company Vol. Robert Ahern
There are two other similar plaques located on the south side of the city - at Phairs Cross and at Friars Walk. These plaques were erected by old comrades of the 2nd Battalion Cork IRA in the decades after the war.
The plaque is on the grey house on the right, directly across from the church.
31 year old Charles Daly was residing at 5 Glenview Terrace South Douglas road at the time of his death. In June 1921 he was captured at O'Sheas pub in Waterfall. Captain Leo Murphy was shot dead during the round up there and Daly was taken prisoner to Victoria (Collins) Barracks.
O'Shea's Pub Waterfall after the roundup.
Daly was tortured in the barracks and his body was later dumped in the woods at Vernon Mount.
He had six bullets in his body, five bayonet wounds, a broken eye socket, crushed skull, broken ribs, broken fingers, broken arm and broken leg. Daly worked as a clerk at the Cork Gas Office on South Mall and was buried at the Republican plot in St Finebarrs Cemetery.
John (Jaçk) O'Brien came from 34 Maiville Terrace Evergreen road and was shot dead fighting against Free State forces outside Blarney village in September 1922.
21 year old O'Brien worked as an engineer at Rushbrook docks and was buried in the Republican Plot St Finbarrs cemetery.
Aerial view of Turners Cross 1930s.
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