Captain Jim McCarron
(Killed in Action at Trusk, Ballybofey on 2nd June 1921)

Jim McCarron was born in Ballybofey and attended the local national school in Stranorlar. He was popular with everyone as he had a ready answer for those who engaged him in conversation. Jim was always interested in dealing and trading and after leaving school he got a pony and van of his own and set up trading in fruit and other merchandise.

After Germany invaded Belgium in 1914, thousands of Irishmen were called to fight for Belgium and the freedom of small nations. Jim McCarron answered the call together with a quarter of a million other Irishmen of whom more than fifty thousand were never returned. Instead their bones were left on far foreign fields from Dunkirk to Belgrade.

Jim McCarron spent a number of years in France during which he was wounded on three occasions. Eventually he was discharged and returned home to Ballybofey in the Autumn of 1920. At this time there was strong feeling and resentment towards the English military presence in the country and Jim McCarron like most other Irishmen at that time played an active part with the local resistance forces in the area. He was one of the men who organized the hijacking of “Johnston’s Motor Car” in 1921.

At that time it was noticed that some of the English soldiers went of to Trusk Lough to fish on their days off duty. McCarron decided that this sort of thing must stop and that the English soldiers must be made feel that they are not free to roam the country-side at their leisure.

On Thursday June 2nd 1921, McCarron and a small party lay in wait as a car load of British soldiers made their way to Trusk Lough. The soldiers spotted McCarron’s men and after an exchange of shots between the two groups, Jim McCarron was killed.

Though most of the pupils now attending the local schools may never have heard of Jim McCarron, it is interesting that he too played as boys in Stranorlar school yard.

HC Deb 27 June 1921 vol 143 cc1796-7

84. Mr T.P. O’Connor asked the Chief Secretary whether a young man named Edward Doherty, of Coreffrin, Ballybofey, County Donegal, was chased from his house on Thursday the 2nd June, 1921, and shot dead by the military; that a solicitor requested to be present at the military inquiry in lieu of the inquest, held at Drumboe Castle on the 4th June, and was refused admission; if he will say whether any of the local constabulary, who knew the deceased and were present at the castle when the inquiry was held, were called as witnesses; what witnesses were called and what was the finding of the military inquiry; whether, in view of the fact of his having been killed wantonly one and a half miles from the scene of an alleged ambush, that he belonged to no society, legal or otherwise, he being chased from his house by the military, any compensation will be given by the Government; whether he is aware that James McCarron, of Ballybofey, who was killed on the same date, had a good War record, entering the Service on 19th April, 1915, was wounded at the Somme battle, 1916, and invalided home, again returned and was wounded at Givenchy, and was finally discharged on pension on 10th January, 1919; if he will say whether any of these facts were brought forth at the military inquiry; and whether the arrears of his pension will be paid to his father, James McCarron, of Ballybofey?

Sir H. Greenwood A party of Crown forces proceeding to Drumboe on 2nd June were stopped by a barrier of stones which had been placed across the road. As they were alighting from their car to investigate they were fired upon at close range and four men were seen running away. These men were fired upon and James McCarron was killed. Sixteen rounds of ammunition were found in his pocket. McCarron is described in the police report as an ex-soldier and captain in the Irish Republican Army. After obtaining reinforcements the Crown forces proceeded to search the neighbourhood and visited, among others, the house of Edward Doherty. As the door was opened Doherty ran out. He was challenged three times and three shots were fired in the air. As he still did not stop, he was fired at and wounded, and died in hospital some hours later. The court of inquiry found that both men were shot by Crown forces in the execution of their duty. I must decline, for obvious reasons, to give the names of witnesses who were examined during the inquiries, but as regards the allegation that a solicitor was refused admission I am having inquiry made. The last part of the question should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Pensions.