Moon Car returns to scene of crime

Sunday March 24th will see the return of the ‘Moon Car’ to the scene of a crime it was involved in 1924, some 95 years after the event first took place. The bright yellow Rolls Royce silver ghost was used in an attack on British forces and became the subject of Ireland’s largest ever manhunt. Author of’ Death on the Pier’ John Jefferies will give a talk on Spike Island at 3pm Sunday March 24th, with visitors on boats at 1pm and 2pm able to view the car on Kennedy pier Cobh before travelling for the talk.

Kennedy pier Cobh was the scene of the deadly ambush on British soldiers who were returning from their station on Spike Island, which had been retained by the British after the formation of the Irish Free State. As they disembarked the pier a bright yellow Rolls Royce silver ghost containing 5 men in Free State uniforms opened fire with two Lewis machine guns, killing 1 and injuring 18 others, including civilians. The British soldier killed, PT Herbert Aspinall from Rochdale, was just 18 years old and the entire party were unarmed. The car then drove up the town and opened fire on a British war ship that was docked in the harbour before disappearing from sight.

The attack was described by then President William T Cosgrave as a “dastardly outrage in its deliberation and its savagery”, with many suspecting the attack was aimed at reopening up the conflict between Britain and Ireland.

What followed remains perhaps the biggest manhunt every seen in Ireland which included a reward of £10000, as the event made national news and prompted furious comment in the British Parliament. The car would not be seen again for 59 years, when a dogged historian discovered the car in a scrap yard near Bweeng in Cork, and the car was eventually restored. The car was found to have machine gun emplacements and armoured sides, making it a fearsome weapon in disguise. It had earned the nickname the ‘moon car’ for its use in late night patrols looking for enemies of the IRA’s Cork number 1 brigade during the War of Independence and the Irish Civil war.

The car will return to Kennedy pier Cobh at 12.30pm on Sunday March 24th where visitors to Spike Island can view the car before embarking for a talk on the island at 3pm by author John Jefferies, author of ‘Death on the Pier’ which elaborates on the infamous tale. Mr Jefferies will give a 30 minute talk in Spike Islands Mitchel hall at 3pm on the subject at no extra cost for a regular island visit. Those wishing to attend are asked to book the 1pm and 2pm ferries on that date to attend the talk.