It was from Pallaskenry that we crossed the Shannon to lend our aid to the Clare and Galway men. The night was brightly moonlit and fishermen pushed our boats over the mudflats and rowed us to the Clare side of the river. Our stay was with Mr. Corbett of Bunratty House who was a sympathiser. The house, or rather mansion, was quite large and he catered for the lot of us in a most princely manner.

What happened on this particular hosting was not without humor (if working with explosives can be called humorous). I remember we had to thaw out a large quantity of frozen gelignite that we intended to use to demolish a police barracks. The thawing operation took place in a fisherman’s hut on the banks of the river. A huge pot full of water simmered on the fire and into this we dipped sweet cans full of the frozen explosives. Under such conditions gelignite gives off sickening fumes and the proposed military operation had to be called off at the last moment.

The tide was in and it was a bright sunny day when we recrossed the Shannon to the Limerick shore. Frost and I rowed together in the leading boat and all lifted up their voices in song. We were always singing in those days of happy unquestioning youth.