Sir,—In the brief but interesting article ‘Seán Hogan rescued at Knocklong’ (HI 27.3, May/June 2019), Joseph E.A. Connell wrote that five men were arrested following the rescue of Seán Hogan at Knocklong on 13 May 1919. In fact six men were arrested. The sixth man was Michael O’Connell, who at that time was the brigade commander of the Mid-Tipperary Volunteers. O’Connell’s job was to watch the movements of Seán Hogan while in police custody in the Thurles area and communicate them to Treacy, Breen and Robinson. Some months after the rescue, O’Connell and the five men mentioned in the article were arrested and stood trial for their lives, with O’Connell narrowly escaping the death penalty for his participation in this now-historic episode.—Yours etc.,
NEVILLE O’CONNELL
Thurles
Co. Tipperary
Thank you for the additional information—Joseph E.A. Connell.