Christopher Lucey lived at No. 3 Pembroke Street before he went west to Ballingeary where he was killed by crown forces on November 10th 1920. Lucy was a UCC medical student and a volunteer of B Company, 1st Battalion, Cork No.1 Brigade IRA.
Chris Lucey
22 year old Lucey was the son of John Lucey of the "Lucey & O'Connell" agricultural tool merchants on Mulgrave Road. He had strong roots in Muscrai where his ancestors fought against the red coats at The Battle of Keimaneigh. Young Christopher Lucey would die not far from that famous battlesite on a cold winters morning in 1920.
3 Pembroke Street - today known better as Counihans Pub.
Lucey was born December 21st 1897 at No. 8 Grenville Place Cork city. In 1905 his father died and the family moved across the city to Pembroke Street where Nora his mother became a vintner. Today the pub is known as Counihans.
8 Grenville Place, red brick building on right. Located near the Mercy Hospital, Cork city.
Looking across the river at 8 Grenville Place. Originally built as Turkish Baths in the 1860s, the property was later adapted for residential use where Christopher Lucy was born in 1897.
Lucey had spent three months in Mountjoy when he was arrested in Skibbereen in early 1920. He went on hunger strike and was released early and from there he went to Ballingeary where he joined the local IRA company and took part in various actions including the Ballingeary Ambush in July 1920.
Irish Independent November 11 1920.
Lucey was staying with his cousins, the Twomeys, at Tuirin Dubh near Gougane Barra. By night he slept in a haggard across from the Twomey cottage.
In the morning he would come down to the cottage to wash and have breakfast. On the morning of November 10th 1920 as Lucey was making his way down from the haggard to the cottage he noticed a lorry of Auxies coming.
The memorial which marks the spot where Lucey was shot.
Lucey ran for the cottage to warn his cousins but they had already left. With the auxies hot on his heels , Lucey ran through the cottage and out the back door. As he ran up a grassy incline shots rang out and young Lucey fell dead. He was unarmed.
The second memorial to Lucey, not far from where he was killed.
* memorial photos from the brilliant -
https://readingthesigns.weebly.com/
The auxies who killed Lucey later boasted about it in the Market Bar in Macroom. Members of the dreaded Auxie C Company were drinking in the bar the evening after Lucey was killed.
The barman heard them talking about it, and one particular auxie who claimed to have killed him. The barman then told local IRA men about what he heared. Weeks later, the boasting auxie was taken prisoner by the Cork No.1 Brigade and executed.
Christopher Lucey was buried in the Republican Plot in St Finbarrs Cemetery. His funeral drew a large attendance but suffered harrasment from British troops.
His gravestone inscription translated:
In sweet memory of Christopher Lucy
1st Battalion
1st Cork Brigade
Who was killed by the English army in Ballingeary
10 November 1920
Jesus have mercy on him
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