The four IRA men were on the run. They got careless and used a main road, rather than crossing the fields as they usually did. They were going to the MacMahon house to collect a bicycle, about halfway between Athea and Listowel. They were surprised by the Tans and lined up and shot in cold blood. They had just come from Mass and Communion in Athea, as they had done for the previous four days during a "Mission". They were unarmed at the time, so had to surrender. The first to be shot was Jerry Lyons. When this happened, Con (Cornelius) Dee decided, as he was going to die anyway, to make a run for it. He did, and almost immediately took a bullet in the thigh but managed to keep going. He ran for about three miles and survived. He was never recaptured but remained in hiding until the Truce.

Gortaglanna is the name of the crossroads and bridge (where the men were sitting chatting when captured). Knockanure is the relevant townland. It's fairly flat farmland, not mountainous as implied by the song.

This background is based on accounts by witnesses. Mainly, one of the MacMahon family, who noted the Tan commander's Scottish accent. In June '21 Con Dee made a sworn statement to a Justice of the Peace. In 1958 he published his account of the event in the "Shannonside Annual". (These local publications are held by Tralee library). The River Lee, mentioned in the song, flows near Tralee (it's not of course the BIG River Lee!). The River Feale is a few miles south. Often they are mistakenly sang as "field and lea"

Timmy Leahy (as his family called him) worked as a railway signal man in Listowel, where he lived. He played the button accordian and wrote songs.

Dr Bryan MacMahon was an academic and writer. There is quite a lot about him online. Some of Paddy Drury's stuff is also online, including his most famous, risque verse! He was a spailpinn.

Joe: I'll post Leahy's version, which is completely different, later, if nobody else does first.