Fuair siad bás ar son Saoirse na hÉireann!

A troop of Black and Tans were travelling out from Listowel towards Athea when they arrested four young unarmed men in Gortaglanna. Prior to this the barracks in Listowel had been burnt out and the troops, heavy with drink and bent on revenge decided to execute the young men. The first to be shot was Jerry Lyons along with Paddy Walsh and Paddy Dalton. When this happened, Con (Cornelius) Dee decided, as he was going to be shot 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. All three of the other men were shot on the spot. Today a memorial stands by the roadside where the three died during Ireland’s struggle for independence. A film about the events was made in 2009.

The Valley of Knockanure is the name of several ballads commemorating this atrocity.