Destruction of Irish country houses (1919–1923) April 1921, north Cork IRA leader, Liam Lynch, enraged by the destruction of several houses in reprisal for an IRA ambush declared, 'six big houses and castles of their friends, the Imperialists will go up for this.'" At least 76 country mansions were destroyed in the War of Independence; 30 "Big Houses" were burned in 1920 and another 46 in the first half of 1921, mostly in the conflict's Munster heartland, i.e. counties Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Clare and Limerick. Historian James S. Donnelly stated in a study of the burning of over 50 country mansions in County Cork in 1919–21
Brosna, County Kerry of Trughanacmy. Crochaun Mountain is above sea level. Brosna lies close to the Cork/Kerry and Kerry/Limerick borders, and neighbouring towns include Castleisland and Knocknagoshel in Kerry, Abbeyfeale and Mountcollins in Limerick, and Ballydesmond and Rockchapel in Cork. In Samuel Lewis's 1837 "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland", Brosna was recorded as having 2168 inhabitants in 18,013 statute acres. The same entry notes that a "large portion of the land consisted of coarse mountain pasture and bog, the greater part of which might be reclaimed". As of the first half of the 19th century, there were 2 private schools in the area, in