The Cliffoney Company took over the Old Boy's School, and renamed it after Fr. O'Flanagan. The building was as a drilling and parade hall, even though it was just across the street from the R.I.C. barracks. The Cliffoney Company were out marching in uniform for Saint Patrick's Day 1916. "In his report at the end of March the County Inspector mentioned that a branch of the Irish Volunteers had been formed at Cliffony and that other branches were in the process of being formed. He reported that the Cliffony Volunteers had paraded to the number of fifty on St. Patrick's Day wearing uniforms. They attended Mass at Cliffony and then "paraded the roads." Their leaders, William Gilmartin and Andrew Conway, carried revolvers, he reported. On the same day, he said. Alec McCabe led a parade of 69 "Sinn Féiners" in Ballymote. McCabe was reported as wearing the uniform of the Irish Volunteers and the others wearing Irish Volunteer armbands." They were ready for action a month later for the Easter Insurrection 1916, with orders to march along the route to Sligo capturing R.I.C. barracks along the way, but stood down when Eoin MacNeil's countermanding order came from Dublin. "The Cliffony Volunteers mobilised in the early hours of Easter Monday, 60 strong, including Fianna boys. At the break of day they were ready to advance on Sligo when a messenger arrived cancelling all active operations pending further orders from H.Q. The Volunteers remained in readiness for over a week in the hope of taking part in the rebellion but with the surrender in Dublin all hope ended and they disbanded." "On Sunday April 30th, the day after the surrender in Dublin, a parade was held by the Irish Volunteers in Cliffony. No arms were carried." On 6 May some sixty soldiers from the North Staffordshire regiment arrived in Sligo by train. They proceeded by car to Cliffony on the morning of 7 May with orders to arrest any Volunteers at large in the area. The Cliffoney Company forewarned, but fifteen men were arrested and subsequently deported first to Sligo Goal, then Dublin and finally Wandsworth prison close to London.