The family seat, Castle Bernard, near
Bandon, County Cork, was one of the great houses
burned during the
Irish War of Independence in the early 1920s by the
Irish Republican Army under
Seán Hales on 21 June 1921. The home was burned as a counter-reprisal measure against British policy of burning the homes of suspected Irish republicans. Seán Hales's own family home was burned just prior, and Castle Bernard was burned in retaliation. Bernard was
kidnapped and held hostage for three weeks being released on 12 July. The IRA threatened to have him executed if the British went ahead with executing IRA prisoners. During his captivity, Bernard reportedly played cards with his captors, who seem to have treated him well. Reportedly, Lord Bandon would give one of his captors, Daniel O'Leary (also known
An Leabhar, Irish for 'The Book', based on the fact he was so well read), money each day to travel from the house in Kilcolman townland to Slattery's pub in
Ahiohill in order to purchase Clonakilty Wrastler (a local beer). After the captivity, Bernard gifted Seán Hales "a fine stick as a mark of his gratitude and esteem for Seán's conduct towards him". ==See also==