Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1. War of Independence
2. The Anglo-Irish Treaty 3. The Civil War
The Soloheadbeg ambush was unpopular with many members of Sinn Fin
The Soloheadbeg incident may be regarded as an expression of militant republican frustration with Sinn Fins political initiatives The Volunteers took action to ensure that the Sinn Fin leadership did not compromise the republican demand
2. March 1920-December 1920: confrontational approaches 3. December 1920-July 1921: intelligence gathering and the move to negotiated settlement
Militant republicans
Well-educated Correlation between IRA militancy and the influence of the teaching of the Christian Brothers Service in the British army. Ex-servicemen like Tom Barry proved invaluable to the IRA
Tom Barry
IRA tactics
Offensive against communication involved cutting roads off and restricting military and police patrols to routes offering good ambush prospects Burning of abandoned police stations and big houses Assassination in the city, ambush in rural areas
Some of the British secret intelligence officers killed by Collins hit squad on Bloody Sunday, November 21st 1920
to realise the full horrors of the night one has to think of bands of men inflamed with drink raging about the streets firing rifles wildly, burning houses here and there and loudly threatening to come again tonight and complete their work.
Article in Manchester Guardian following the sack of Balbriggan, 1920
Irish delegation in Hans Place, London on the day after the signing.
Members of the Irish delegation consisted of Arthur Griffith, Robert Barton, Michael Collins, Eamonn Duggan and Charles Gavan-Duffy, with Erskine Childers as principal secretary
I have to communicate with Sir James Craig tonight. Here are the alternative letters which I have prepared, one enclosing articles of agreement reached by his majestys government and yourselves and the other saying that SF representatives refuse to come into the empire. If I send this letter it is war and war within three days. Which letter am I to send? If the messenger is to reach Craig in time we must know your answer by 10pm tonight. You can have until then, but no longer, to decide whether you will give peace or war to your country. Llyod George, Dec 5 1921
IRA convention held March 26th 1922 in defiance of the government Most members of the IRA were opposed to the treaty known as the Irregulars April 13th 1922: Rory OConnor led a force of Irregulars into the Four Courts (above)
Civil War
Lull of 6 months between the signing of the treaty and the beginning of civil war hostilities Civil War began 28 June 1922 when government troops attacked headquarters of the Irregulars in the Four Courts, Dublin Anti-Treaty forces: 12,900 men Government: 9000 semi-trained recruits