Tale of the white shamrock on Kilconly's red farm door

AS Irish rebels during the War of Independence trekked from village to village trying to avoid the Black and Tans, many of them in the Kilconly area were glad of a rest and a meal after reaching the relative safety of a shed in Cloonaglasha village where a white shamrock emblazoned on the red barn door meant it was safe to sleep in the hay there.
The white shamrock was on a loft door leading to an area filled with hay and straw above stables that housed cattle, pigs and horses in the Courtney family farmyard (now Byrne’s) in Cloonaglasha.
Today the white shamrock is still as clear as ever on the red door which is now part of a more modern hayshed. The story of it, and other similar stories from North Galway and south Mayo, will be on display at the 2016 ceremonies in Kilconly Community Centre between 3.30 and 6.30 pm on Sunday April 24.