Irish Civil War
Date June 28, 1922 – May 24, 1923 (executions and deaths continued after May 1923; amnesty declared on November 8, 1924) Location Ireland Result Confirmation of Irish Free State and defeat of anti-Treaty IRA forces
Belligerents
} National Army (pro-Treaty)	} Irish Republican Army (1922-1969) (anti-Treaty/)
Commanders
Michael Collins† Richard Mulcahy	Liam Lynch† Frank Aiken
Strength
National Army c. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by The Irish Army ( Arm na hÉireann) is the main branch of the Irish Defence Forces ( Óglaigh na hÉireann) This article deals with the Irish republican organisation opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty styling itself "Irish Republican Army" as it existed from the time of the Treaty Michael John ("Mick" Collins (Mícheál Seán Ó Coileáin 16 October 1890 &ndash 22 August 1922 was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Richard James Mulcahy (Risteárd Séamus Ó Maolchatha (10 May 1886 &ndash 16 December 1971 was an Irish politician, Army general and Commander in For other people named Liam Lynch see Liam Lynch Liam Lynch (Liam Ó Loinsigh 9 November, 1893 &ndash 10 April Frank Aiken (Proinsias Mac Aodhagáin new spelling Proinsias Mac Aogáin; 13 February 1898 – 18 May 1983 was a senior Irish Politician. The Irish Army ( Arm na hÉireann) is the main branch of the Irish Defence Forces ( Óglaigh na hÉireann) 55,000 men, 3500 officers by the end of the war	c. 15,000 anti-Treaty IRA Volunteers
Casualties and losses
c. 800 Irish Army killed 3 Garda Siochána killed[1]	unknown number of anti-treaty IRA, c. ga '''''Garda Síochána na hÉireann''''' (ˈgaːrdə ʃiːˈxaːnə nə ˈheːɾʲən Irish for "Peace Guard of Ireland" often rendered This article deals with the Irish republican organisation opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty styling itself "Irish Republican Army" as it existed from the time of the Treaty 2000-3000 killed (incl. 77 official executions), over 12,000 taken prisoner[2]
Civilians: (unknown, c. 250 casualties in Dublin fighting alone)[3]

The Irish Civil War (Irish: Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann) pitted supporters against opponents of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which established the Irish Free State under British dominion and without the six counties of Northern Ireland. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. The Anglo-Irish Treaty (An Conradh Angla-Éireannach officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a Treaty The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of The Civil War (June 28, 1922 – May 24, 1923) claimed more lives than the War of Independence that preceded it and left Irish society deeply divided. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Irish War of Independence (or Tan War, or Anglo-Irish War, Irish: Cogadh na Saoirse) from January 1919 to July 1921 was a guerrilla Its influence in Irish politics remains evident today.

Background

The Treaty

The Anglo-Irish Treaty arose from the Irish War of Independence, fought between Irish separatists (organised as the extra-legal Irish Republic) and the British government, from 1919-1921. The Anglo-Irish Treaty (An Conradh Angla-Éireannach officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a Treaty The Irish War of Independence (or Tan War, or Anglo-Irish War, Irish: Cogadh na Saoirse) from January 1919 to July 1921 was a guerrilla The Irish Republic ( Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann or Saorstát Éireann) was a unilaterally declared independent state of Ireland proclaimed Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at The treaty provided for a self-governing Irish state in 26 of Ireland's 32 counties, having its own army and police. However, rather than creating the independent republic favoured by most nationalists, the Irish Free State would be an autonomous dominion of the British Empire with the British monarch as head of state, in the same manner as Canada and Australia. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities under sovereign authority within the British Empire and The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. ^[4] The treaty also stipulated that members of the new Irish Oireachtas (parliament) would have to take the following "Oath of Allegiance"

"I. From 1922 to 1937 the Oireachtas was the Legislature, or parliament of the Irish Free State. The Irish Oath of Allegiance was a controversial provision in the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 which Irish TDs (members of the Irish parliament and Senators were required . . do solemnly swear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the Irish Free State as by law established, and that I will be faithful to His Majesty King George V, his heirs and successors by law in virtue of the common citizenship of Ireland with Great Britain and her adherence to and membership of the group of nations forming the British Commonwealth of nations". ^[4]

This oath was considered highly objectionable by many Irish Republicans. Furthermore under the treaty, the state was not to be called a republic but a "free state" and it would quickly be limited to the twenty-six southern and western counties of Ireland. Free state is a term occasionally used in the official titles of some states The remaining six northeastern counties would certainly opt to remain part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of The partition of Ireland had already been decided in the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and was confirmed in the Anglo-Irish treaty. The Partition of Ireland took place on 3 May 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. An Act to Provide for the Better Government of Ireland, more usually the Government of Ireland Act 1920, (and sometimes called the Fourth Home Rule Act) was an Act Also, several strategic ports were to remain occupied by the Royal Navy. After the Irish War of Independence when the Irish Free State won independence in 1922 three deep water Treaty Ports at Lough Swilly, Berehaven The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service)

Nonetheless, Michael Collins, the republican leader who had led the Irish negotiating team, argued that the treaty gave "not the ultimate freedom that all nations aspire and develop, but the freedom to achieve freedom". Michael John ("Mick" Collins (Mícheál Seán Ó Coileáin 16 October 1890 &ndash 22 August 1922 was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for However, Anti-Treaty militants in 1922 believed that the Treaty would never deliver full Irish independence.

Split in the Nationalist movement

See also: IRA and the Anglo-Irish Treaty

The split over the Treaty was deeply personal. The Irish Republican Army was a Guerrilla army that fought the Irish War of Independence against Britain from 1919–1921 The leaders on both sides had been close friends and comrades during the War of Independence. This made their lethal disagreement over the Treaty all the more bitter. Michael Collins felt that Éamon de Valera had sent him as plenipotentiary to negotiate the Treaty because he knew that the British would not concede an independent Irish republic and wanted Collins to take the blame for the compromise settlement. Michael John ("Mick" Collins (Mícheál Seán Ó Coileáin 16 October 1890 &ndash 22 August 1922 was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Éamon de Valera (ˈeɪmən dɛvəˈlɛrə (born Edward George de Valera) (14 October 1882 &ndash 29 August 1975 was one of the dominant political figures in 20th century The word plenipotentiary (from the Latin, plenus + potens, full + power has two meanings He therefore felt deeply betrayed when de Valera refused to stand by the agreement that the plenipotentiaries had negotiated with David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill. David Lloyd George 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor OM, PC (17 January 1863 &ndash 26 March 1945 was a British Statesman and the only Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 De Valera, for his part, was furious that Collins and Arthur Griffith had signed the Treaty without consulting him or the Irish cabinet.

The IRA West Cork Flying Column during the War of Independence. Most of the IRA units in Munster were against the Treaty

Dáil Éireann (the parliament of the Irish Republic) narrowly passed the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64 votes to 57 on January 7, 1922. Dáil Éireann (English Assembly of Ireland) was the revolutionary unicameral parliament of the unilaterally declared Irish Republic Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Following the Treaty's ratification, a Provisional Government, headed by Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith, was set up to transfer power from the British administration to the Irish Free State. Arthur Griffith (Art Ó Gríobhtha 31 March 1872 &ndash 12 August 1922 was the founder and third leader of Sinn Féin. The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by

Upon the Treaty's ratification, Éamon de Valera resigned as President of the Republic and led the anti-treaty wing of Sinn Féin out of the Dáil. Éamon de Valera (ˈeɪmən dɛvəˈlɛrə (born Edward George de Valera) (14 October 1882 &ndash 29 August 1975 was one of the dominant political figures in 20th century President of the Republic was the title given to the head of the Irish ministry or Aireacht in August 1921 by an amendment to the Dáil Constitution, which replaced Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 He challenged the right of the Dáil to approve the Treaty, saying that its members were breaking their oath to the Irish Republic. The Irish Republic ( Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann or Saorstát Éireann) was a unilaterally declared independent state of Ireland proclaimed De Valera then attempted to promote a compromise, in which the new Irish Free State would have "external association" with the British Commonwealth rather than membership of it. In early March he formed "Cumann na Poblachta" while remaining a member of Sinn Féin.

More seriously, the majority of the Irish Republican Army officers were also against the Treaty and in March 1922, their ad-hoc Army Convention repudiated the authority of the Dáil to accept the Treaty. The Irish Republican Army ( IRA) (Óglaigh na hÉireann was a military organisation descended from the Irish Volunteers, established 25 November 1913 and who ga '''Dáil Éireann''' ( English House of Representatives of Ireland) is the principal chamber of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament The anti-treaty IRA formed their own Army Executive, which they declared to be the real government of the country, despite the result of the 1921 general election. Two elections in Ireland took place in 1921 as a result of the Government of Ireland Act 1920 to establish the House of Commons of Northern Ireland and On 26 April the Minister of Defence, Richard Mulcahy, summarised the illegal activities by many IRA men over the previous 3 months, whom he described as 'seceding volunteers', including hundreds of robberies. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy. Richard James Mulcahy (Risteárd Séamus Ó Maolchatha (10 May 1886 &ndash 16 December 1971 was an Irish politician, Army general and Commander in ^[5] Yet this fragmenting army was the only police force on the ground as the Royal Irish Constabulary (R. The Royal Irish Constabulary ( RIC) ( Irish: Constáblacht Ríoga na hÉireann) was one of Ireland's two police forces in the early twentieth century I. C. ) was being disbanded.

By putting 10 questions to General Mulcahy on 28 April, Seán McEntee argued that the Army Executive had acted continuously on its own to create a republic since 1917, had an unaltered constitution, had never fallen under the control of the Dáil, and that: "the only body competent to dissolve the Volunteer Executive was a duly convened convention of the Irish Republican Army" - not the Dáil. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Seán MacEntee (Seán Mac an tSaoi 22 August 1889 &ndash 10 January 1984 was a senior Irish politician By accepting the Treaty in January and abandoning the Republic, the Dáil majority had effectively deserted the Army Executive. ^[6] Then in a debate on defence, McEntee suggested that supporting the Army Executive ". . . even if it meant the scrapping of the Treaty and terrible and immediate war with England, would be better than the civil war which we are beginning at present apparently. "^[7] McEntee's supporters added that the many robberies complained of by Mulcahy on 26 April were caused by the lack of payment and provision by the Dáil to the volunteers. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy.

The descent into war

In the months leading up to the outbreak of civil war, there were a number of armed confrontations between the opposing IRA factions. In March, there was a major stand-off between up to 700 armed pro- and anti-Treaty fighters in Limerick over who would occupy the military barracks being vacated by departing British troops. Limerick (pronounced /ˈlɪmrɪk/ Luimneach in Irish) is a city and the county seat of County Limerick in the Province of Munster The situation was temporarily resolved in April when, after arbitration, the two sides agreed to occupy two barracks each. ^[8] In April, a pro-Treaty general, Adamson, was shot dead by anti-Treatyites in Athlone. Athlone ( is a town that lies on the River Shannon near the southern extremity of Lough Ree, Ireland. In early May there was an even more serious clash in Kilkenny, when anti-Treaty forces occupied the centre of the town and 200 Pro-Treaty troops had to be sent from Dublin to disperse them. Kilkenny, ( is a city and county town of County Kilkenny in Ireland. ^[9] On 3 May the Dáil was informed 18 men had been killed in the fighting in Kilkenny. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João ^[10] In a bid to avoid an all-out civil war, both sides agreed to a truce on May 3, 1922. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

Delay until the June election

Collins established an "army re-unification committee" to re-unite the IRA and organised an election Pact with de Valera's anti-treaty political followers to jointly campaign in the Free State's first election in 1922 and form a coalition government afterwards. The Irish general election of 1922 took place in Southern Ireland on 16 June 1922 under the provisions of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty to elect a constituent assembly He also tried to reach a compromise with anti-treaty IRA leaders by agreeing to a republican-type constitution (with no mention of the British monarchy) for the new state. IRA leaders such as Liam Lynch were prepared to accept this compromise. For other people named Liam Lynch see Liam Lynch Liam Lynch (Liam Ó Loinsigh 9 November, 1893 &ndash 10 April However, the proposal for a republican constitution was vetoed by the British as being contrary to the terms of the treaty and they threatened military intervention in the Free State unless the treaty was fully implemented. ^[11] Collins reluctantly agreed. This completely undermined the electoral pact between the pro- and anti-treaty factions, who went into the Irish general election on June 18, 1922 as hostile parties, both calling themselves Sinn Féin. Events 618 - Coronation of the Chinese governor Li Yuan as Emperor Gaozu of Tang, the new Emperor of China, initiating three centuries Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970

The Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin party won the election with 239,193 votes to 133,864 for anti-Treaty Sinn Féin. A further 247,226 people voted for other parties, all of whom supported the Treaty. The election showed that a majority of the Irish electorate supported the Treaty and the foundation of the Irish Free State, and that the Sinn Féin party did not represent the opinions of everyone in the new state, but de Valera, his political followers and most of the IRA continued to oppose the Treaty. The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann (1922&ndash1937 was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 De Valera is quoted as saying, "the majority have no right to do wrong". ^[12]

Meanwhile, under the leadership of Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith, the pro-treaty Provisional Government set about establishing the Irish Free State, and organised the National Army - to replace the IRA - and a new police force. Arthur Griffith (Art Ó Gríobhtha 31 March 1872 &ndash 12 August 1922 was the founder and third leader of Sinn Féin. The Irish Army ( Arm na hÉireann) is the main branch of the Irish Defence Forces ( Óglaigh na hÉireann) The Irish Republican Army ( IRA) (Óglaigh na hÉireann was a military organisation descended from the Irish Volunteers, established 25 November 1913 and who However, since it was envisaged that the new army would be built around the IRA, anti-treaty IRA units were allowed to take over British barracks and take their arms. In practice, this meant that by the summer of 1922, the Provisional government of the Free State controlled only Dublin and some other areas like Longford where the IRA units supported the treaty. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Longford ( An Longfort in Irish) is the county town of County Longford in the Midlands of Ireland. Fighting would ultimately break out when the Provisional government tried to assert its authority over well-armed and intransigent anti-treaty IRA units around the country - particularly a hardline group in Dublin. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland.

Course of the war

See also Chronology of the Irish Civil War

Dublin fighting

The Four Courts along the River Liffey quayside. The Irish Civil War, was fought between June 1922 and May 1923 The building was occupied by Anti Treaty forces during the civil war, whom the National Army subsequently bombarded into surrender. The Irish national archives in the buildings were destroyed in the subsequent fire. The building was badly damaged but was fully restored after the war.

Main article: Battle of Dublin

In April 1922, 200 anti-treaty IRA militants, led by Rory O'Connor, occupied the Four Courts in Dublin, resulting in a tense stand-off. The Battle of Dublin, a week of street fighting in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, from 28 June to 5 July 1922, marked the beginning Rory O'Connor (1883 - 1922 was an Irish republican activist He is best remembered for his role in the Irish Civil War 1922-1923 which led to his execution The Four Courts (Na Ceithre Cúirteanna in Dublin is the Republic of Ireland 's main courts building Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. These Anti-Treaty Republicans wanted to spark a new armed confrontation with the British, which they hoped would unite the two factions of the IRA against their common enemy. However, for those who were determined to make the Free State into a viable, self-governing Irish state, this was an act of rebellion that would have to be put down by them rather than the British. Arthur Griffith was in favour of using force against these men immediately, but Michael Collins, who wanted at all costs to avoid civil war, left the Four Courts garrison alone until late June 1922. Arthur Griffith (Art Ó Gríobhtha 31 March 1872 &ndash 12 August 1922 was the founder and third leader of Sinn Féin. By this point the Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin party had been endorsed in the general election and Collins was also coming under continuing pressure from London to assert his government's authority in his capital. ^[13]

Ironically, the British lost patience as result of an action ordered by Collins. He had Henry Hughes Wilson, a retired British Army field marshal, assassinated in London on June 22 because of his role in Northern Ireland. Field Marshal Sir Henry Hughes Wilson 1st Baronet, GCB, DSO, ( 5 May 1864 – 22 June 1922) was a The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. For other meanings see Field Marshal (disambiguation Field marshal is a military officer rank London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of ^[14]

Winston Churchill assumed that the anti-treaty IRA were responsible for the killing and warned Collins that he would use British troops to attack the Four Courts unless the Free State took action. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 ^[15] In fact the British cabinet actually resolved to attack the Four Courts themselves on June 25, in an operation that would have involved tanks, howitzers and aeroplanes. Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians However, on the advice of General Macready, who commanded the British garrison in Dublin, the plan was cancelled at the last minute. Macready's argument was that British involvement would have united Irish nationalist opinion against the Treaty and instead Collins was given a last chance to clear the Four Courts himself. ^[16]

The final straw for the Free State government came on June 27, when the Four Courts republican garrison kidnapped JJ "Ginger" O'Connell, a general in the new National Army. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden The Irish Army ( Arm na hÉireann) is the main branch of the Irish Defence Forces ( Óglaigh na hÉireann) Collins, after giving the Four Courts garrison a final ultimatum to leave the building, decided to end the stand-off by bombarding the Four Courts garrison into surrender. The government then appointed Collins as Commander-in-Chief of the National Army. This attack was not the opening shots of the war as skirmishes had taken place between pro and anti treaty IRA factions throughout the country when the British were handing over barracks. However, this represented the 'point of no return' when all out war was ipso facto declared and the Civil War officially began. ^[17]

Michael Collins had accepted a British offer of artillery for use by the new army of the Free State (though General Nevil Macready gave just 200 shells of the 10,000 he had in store at Kilmainham barracks). Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine General Sir Cecil Frederick Nevil Macready 1st Baronet, GCMG, KCB, PC ( 7 May 1862 &ndash 9 January 1946) Kilmainham ( Cill Mhaighneann in Irish, meaning "St Maighnenn's church" is a suburb of Dublin south of the River Liffey and west of The anti-treaty forces in the Four Courts, who possessed only small arms, surrendered after two days of bombardment and the storming of the building by Free State troops (June 28-30 1922). Pitched battles continued in Dublin until July 5, as anti-Treaty IRA units from the Dublin Brigade led by Oscar Traynor occupied O'Connell Street - provoking a week's more street fighting. Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. Oscar Traynor (21 March 1886 &ndash 15 December 1963 was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and revolutionary O'Connell Street (Sráid Uí Chonaill is Dublin 's main thoroughfare The fighting cost both sides sixty-five killed and twenty-eight wounded. Among the dead was Republican leader Cathal Brugha, who made his last stand after exiting the Grandville Hotel. Cathal Brugha ( pronounced bˠɾˠuː born Charles William St In addition, the Free State took over 500 Republican prisoners. The civilian casualties are thought to have numbered well over 250.

Cathal Brugha, Anti-Treaty leader killed during the fighting on Dublin's O'Connell St

When the fighting in Dublin died down, the Free State Government was left firmly in control of the Irish capital and the anti-treaty forces dispersed around the country, mainly to the south and west.

The Opposing forces

The outbreak of the civil war forced pro- and anti-treaty supporters to choose sides. Supporters of the treaty came to be known as "pro-treaty" or "Free State Army", legally the "National Army". The Irish Army ( Arm na hÉireann) is the main branch of the Irish Defence Forces ( Óglaigh na hÉireann) Its opponents were known as "anti-treaty", "Irregulars" or "Republicans" and continued to refer to themselves as the "IRA". The Anti-Treaty IRA claimed that it was defending the Irish Republic that had been declared in 1916 during the Easter Rising, that had been confirmed by the First Dáil and that had been invalidly set aside by those who accepted the compromise of the Free State. The Easter Rising (Éirí Amach na Cásca was a rebellion staged in Ireland in Easter Week, 1916 The First Dáil (An Chéad Dáil was Dáil Éireann as it convened from 1919&ndash1921 Éamon de Valera stated that he would serve as an ordinary IRA volunteer and left the leadership of the Anti-Treaty Republicans to military leaders such as Liam Lynch, the IRA Chief of Staff. For other people named Liam Lynch see Liam Lynch Liam Lynch (Liam Ó Loinsigh 9 November, 1893 &ndash 10 April The following is the list of those who are reported to have served as Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army in the various incarnations of organisations bearing that name The Civil War split the IRA. When the civil war broke out, the Anti-Treaty IRA (concentrated in the south and west) outnumbered the pro-Free State forces by roughly 15,000 men to 7,000 or over 2-1. (The paper strength of the IRA in early 1922 was over 72,000 men, but most of them were recruited during the truce with the British and fought in neither the War of Independence nor the Civil War). However, the anti-treaty IRA lacked an effective command structure, a clear strategy and sufficient arms. They started the war with only 6,780 rifles and a handful of machine guns. Many of their fighters were armed only with shotguns. A shotgun (also known as a scattergun) is a Firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number They also took a handful of armoured cars from British troops as they were evacuating the country. A military armored (or armoured) car (see spelling differences) is a wheeled armored vehicle lighter than other armored fighting vehicles primarily More important still, they had no artillery of any kind. As a result, they were forced to adopt a defensive stance throughout the war.

By contrast, the Free State government managed to expand its forces dramatically after the start of the war. Michael Collins and his commanders were able to build up an army which was able to overwhelm the Irregulars in the field. British supplies of artillery, aircraft, armoured cars, machine guns, small arms and ammunition were much help to pro-treaty forces. A military armored (or armoured) car (see spelling differences) is a wheeled armored vehicle lighter than other armored fighting vehicles primarily For other uses of the phrase see Machine Gun (disambiguation. Small arms is a term used by the Armed forces to refer to Infantry Weapons such as the Firearms that an individual soldier can carry Ammunition, often referred to as ammo, is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which The National Army amounted to 14,000 men by August 1922, was 38,000 strong by the end of 1922 and by the end of the war, it had swollen to 55,000 men and 3,500 officers, far in excess of what the Irish state would need to maintain in peacetime. Collins' most ruthless officers and men were recruited from the Dublin "Active Service Unit" (the elite unit of the IRA's Dublin Brigade), which Collins had commanded in the Irish War of Independence and in particular from his assassination unit, "The Squad". In the new National Army, they were known as the Dublin Guard. The Dublin Guard was a unit of the Irish Republican Army, in the Irish War of Independence and then of the Irish Army during the Irish Civil War Towards the end of the war, they were implicated in some notorious atrocities against Anti-Treaty guerrillas. Most of the National Army's officers were Pro-Treaty IRA men, as were a substantial number of their soldiers. However, many of the new Army's other recruits were unemployed veterans of the First World War, where they had served in the Irish Division of the British Army. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. Former British Army officers were also recruited for their technical expertise. The Republicans made much use of this fact in their propaganda —- claiming that the Free State was only a proxy force for Britain itself. However, in fact, the majority of the Free State soldiers were raw recruits without military experience in either the First World War or the subsequent Irish War of Independence.

The Free State takes major towns

Arthur Griffith
(1871-1922)

Main article: Irish Free State offensive

With Dublin in pro-treaty hands, conflict spread throughout the country. The Irish Free State offensive of July–September 1922 was the decisive military stroke of the Irish Civil War. The war started with the anti-Treaty forces holding Cork, Limerick and Waterford as part of a self-styled independent "Munster Republic". Cork (Corcaigh is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland 's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast Limerick (pronounced /ˈlɪmrɪk/ Luimneach in Irish) is a city and the county seat of County Limerick in the Province of Munster Waterford ( or Windy fjord;) is a city in Ireland. It is the primary city of the South East region and the fifth largest in the country The Munster Republic was a term used by Irish republicans to refer to the territory they held in the province of Munster at the start of the Irish Civil However, the Anti-Treaty side were not equipped to wage conventional war. As a result Liam Lynch was unable to take advantage of the Republicans' initial advantage in numbers and territory held. He hoped simply to hold the "Munster Republic" long enough to force Britain to re-negotiate the Treaty.

The large towns in Ireland were all relatively easily taken by the Free State in August 1922. Michael Collins, Richard Mulcahy and Eoin O'Duffy planned a nationwide Free State offensive, dispatching columns overland to take Limerick in the west and Waterford in the south-east and seaborne forces to take counties Cork and Kerry in the south and Mayo in the west. Eoin O'Duffy (Eoin Ó Dubhthaigh 20 October 1892 – 30 November 1944 was in succession a Teachta Dála (TD the Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army In the south, landings occurred at Union Hall in Co. Cork and Fenit, the port of Tralee, in Co. Kerry. Limerick fell on July 20, Waterford on the same day and Cork city on August 10 after a Free State force landed by sea at Passage West. Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire Passage West ( An Pasáiste Thiar in Irish) is a port town in County Cork, Ireland, situated on the west bank of Cork Harbour. Another seaborne expedition to Mayo in the west secured government control over that part of the country. While in some places the Republicans had put up determined resistance, nowhere were they able to defeat regular forces armed with artillery and armour. The only real conventional battle during the Free State offensive, the Battle of Killmallock, was fought when Free State troops advanced south from Limerick. The Battle of Kilmallock (also Killmallock took place between June 28 and August 5, 1922, in County Limerick.

Government victories in the major towns inaugurated a period of inconclusive guerrilla warfare. Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc Anti-Treaty IRA units dispersed and held out in areas such as the western part of counties Cork and Kerry in the south, county Wexford in the east and counties Sligo and Mayo in the west. County Wexford (Contae Loch Garman is a maritime county in the southeast of Ireland, in the province of Leinster. Sligo (disambiguation Sligo ( (ˈslaɪɡoʊ "sly-go" Irish ˈɕlʲɪɟəx is the County town of County Sligo in Ireland. Sporadic fighting also took place around Dundalk, where Frank Aiken and the Fourth Northern Division of the Irish Republican Army were based. Dundalk (Dún Dealgan is the County town of County Louth in Ireland, situated close to the border with Northern Ireland. Frank Aiken (Proinsias Mac Aodhagáin new spelling Proinsias Mac Aogáin; 13 February 1898 – 18 May 1983 was a senior Irish Politician. The Fourth Northern Division of the Irish Republican Army operated in an area covering parts of counties Louth, Armagh, Monaghan, and Down

It took eight more months of intermittent warfare before the war was brought to an end. This period was marked by assassinations and executions of leaders formerly allied in the cause of Irish independence. Commander-in-Chief Michael Collins was killed in an ambush by anti-treaty republicans at Béal na mBláth, near his home in County Cork, in August 1922. A commander-in-chief is the Commander of a nation's Military forces or significant element of those forces Michael John ("Mick" Collins (Mícheál Seán Ó Coileáin 16 October 1890 &ndash 22 August 1922 was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for County Cork (Contae Chorcaí is the most southerly and the largest of the modern counties of Ireland. ^[18] Collins' death increased the bitterness of the Free State leadership towards the Republicans and probably contributed to the subsequent descent of the conflict into a cycle of atrocities and reprisals. Arthur Griffith, the Free State president had also died of a brain hemorrhage ten days before, leaving the Free State government in the hands of W. T. Cosgrave and the Free State army under the command of General Richard Mulcahy. William Thomas Cosgrave (Liam Tomás Mac Cosgair 6 June 1880 &ndash 16 November 1965 known generally as W Richard James Mulcahy (Risteárd Séamus Ó Maolchatha (10 May 1886 &ndash 16 December 1971 was an Irish politician, Army general and Commander in

Michael Collins, as Commander-in-Chief at President Griffith's funeral, one week before his own death. Arthur Griffith (Art Ó Gríobhtha 31 March 1872 &ndash 12 August 1922 was the founder and third leader of Sinn Féin.

In October 1922, Éamon de Valera and the anti-treaty TDs (members of the Dáil) set up their own "Republican government" in opposition to the Free State. ga '''Dáil Éireann''' ( English House of Representatives of Ireland) is the principal chamber of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament However, by then the anti-Treaty side held no significant territory and de Valera's "government" had no authority over the population. In any case, the IRA leaders paid no attention to it, seeing the Republican authority as vested in their own military leaders.

Atrocities and executions

Main article: Executions during the Irish Civil War

The final phase of the Civil War degenerated into a series of atrocities that left a lasting legacy of bitterness in Irish politics. The executions during the Irish Civil War took place during the guerrilla phase of the Irish Civil War (October 1922 – May 1923 This phase of the war was bitter and both The Free State began executing republican prisoners on November 17, 1922, when four IRA men were shot by firing squad. Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. They were followed on November 24 by the execution of acclaimed author and treaty negotiator Robert Erskine Childers. Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Robert Erskine Childers DSC (25 June 1870&ndash24 November 1922 was an author and Irish nationalist who was executed by the authorities of the nascent In all, the Free State sanctioned 77 official executions of Anti-Treaty prisoners during the civil war. The Anti-Treaty IRA in reprisal assassinated TD (member of Parliament) Seán Hales. A Teachta Dála (ˈtʲaxtə ˈdɑːlə is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Oireachtas (Parliament of the Republic of Ireland. Sean Hales (died 6 December 1922 was an Irish political activist in the early 20th century On December 7, 1922, the day after Hales' killing, four prominent Republicans (one from each province), who had been held since the first week of the war—Rory O'Connor, Liam Mellows, Richard Barrett and Joe McKelvey—were executed in revenge for the killing of Hales. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Poetic description This dinnseanchas poem named Ard Ruide (Ruide Headland poetically describes the kingdoms of Ireland Rory O'Connor (1883 - 1922 was an Irish republican activist He is best remembered for his role in the Irish Civil War 1922-1923 which led to his execution Liam Mellows (25 May 1895 – 8 December 1922 often spelled 'Liam Mellowes' was an Irish Nationalist and Sinn Féin politician Richard Barrett ( Dick Barrett) (died December 8, 1922) was a prominent Irish Republican Army volunteer who was executed during the Irish Joe McKelvey (died December 8 1922) was an Irish Republican Army officer who was executed during the Irish Civil War in 1922 In addition, Free State troops, particularly in County Kerry, where the guerrilla campaign was most bitter, began the summary execution of captured Anti-Treaty fighters. County Kerry ( Contae Chiarraí in Irish) is a southwestern county of Ireland. A summary execution is a type of Extrajudicial punishment in which a person is killed on the spot without Trial. The most notorious example of this occurred at Ballyseedy, where 9 Republican prisoners were tied to a landmine, which was detonated. A land mine is an Explosive device designed to be placed on or in the ground to explode when triggered by an operator or the Proximity of a vehicle person Then the survivors were killed with machine guns.

Richard Mulcahy - the Free State General who instituted the policy of executions of republican prisoners in reprisal for the murder of elected representatives.

The Anti-Treaty IRA were unable to maintain an effective guerrilla campaign, since the great majority of the Irish population did not support them. This was demonstrated in the elections immediately after the civil war, which Cumann na nGaedheal, the Free State party, won easily. An election is a Decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office Cumann na nGaedhael (ˈkʊmən nə ˈŋɰeːɫ "Society of the Gaels" sometimes spelt Cumann na nGaedheal, was an Irish language name given (See Irish general election, 1923 for the results. The Irish general election of 1923 was held on 27 August 1923 ) The Roman Catholic Church also supported the Free State, deeming it the lawful government of the country, denouncing the Anti-Treaty IRA and refusing to administer the Sacraments to Anti-Treaty fighters. A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is "a Rite in which God is uniquely active On October 10, 1922, The Catholic Bishops of Ireland issued a formal statement, describing the anti-treaty campaign as,

a system of murder and assassination of the National forces without any legitimate authority. Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. . . the guerrilla warfare now being carried on [by] the Irregulars is without moral sanction and therefore the killing of National soldiers is murder before God, the seizing of public and private property is robbery, the breaking of roads, bridges and railways is criminal. All who in contravention of this teaching, participate in such crimes are guilty of grievous sins and may not be absolved in Confession nor admitted to the Holy Communion if they persist in such evil courses. The confession of one's Sins is a religious practice important to many faiths e The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those ^[19]

End of the war

The lack of public support for the Anti-Treaty IRA, the determination of the government to defeat them and their lack of will all contributed to their defeat. By February 1923, republican leader Liam Deasy had already surrendered to Free State forces and called on other republicans to do the same. Liam Deasy (1898 &ndash 1974 was an Irish Republican Army officer in the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War of the 1920s As the conflict petered out into a de facto victory for the pro-Treaty side, de Valera asked the IRA leadership to call a ceasefire, but they refused. Some historians suggest that the death of Liam Lynch, the intransigent Republican leader, in a skirmish in the Knockmealdown mountains in County Waterford on April 10, allowed the more pragmatic Frank Aiken, who took over as IRA Chief of Staff, to call a halt to what seemed a futile struggle. For other people named Liam Lynch see Liam Lynch Liam Lynch (Liam Ó Loinsigh 9 November, 1893 &ndash 10 April County Waterford (Contae Phort Láirge is a County in the province of Munster on the south coast of Ireland. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Frank Aiken (Proinsias Mac Aodhagáin new spelling Proinsias Mac Aogáin; 13 February 1898 – 18 May 1983 was a senior Irish Politician. Aiken's accession to IRA leadership was followed on April 30 by the declaration of a ceasefire on behalf of the anti-treaty forces. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule A ceasefire (or truce) is a temporary stoppage of a War or any Armed conflict, where each side of the conflict agrees On May 24, 1923, Aiken followed this with an order to IRA volunteers to dump arms rather than surrender them or continue a fight which they were incapable of winning. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Thousands of Anti-Treaty IRA members (including Éamon de Valera) were arrested by the Free State forces in the weeks after the end of the war, when they had dumped their arms and returned home.

The Free State government had started peace negotiations in early May which broke down. ^[20] Without a formal peace, holding 13,000 prisoners and worried that fighting could break out again at any time, it enacted the Emergency Powers Act on 2 July by a vote of 37 - 13. Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival ^[21]

Attacks on former Loyalists

Although the cause of the civil war was the treaty, as the war developed the Republicans sought to identify their actions with the traditional republican cause of the "men of no property" and the result was that the war also saw large Anglo-Irish landowners, and some not very well-off Protestant loyalists, attacked. " Anglo-Irish " was a term used historically to describe a privileged Social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Ulster loyalism is a militant unionist ideology held mostly by Protestants in Northern Ireland. A total of 192 "stately homes" of the old landed class were destroyed by republicans during the war. ^[22]

The stated reason for such attacks was that some landowners had become Free State Senators. Among the prominent senators whose homes were attacked were: Palmerstown House near Naas which belonged to the Earl of Mayo; Moore Hall in Mayo, the house of Oliver St John Gogarty (who also survived an assassination attempt); Horace Plunkett (who had helped to establish the rural co-operative schemes); and Senator H. Seanad Éireann (ɕan̪ˠad̪ˠ erʲan̪ˠ English Senate of Ireland) also known unofficially as the Senate, is the Upper house of the Oireachtas Naas (ˈneɪs Irish: Nás na Ríogh nɑːs nə riː or An Nás nɑːs is the county town of County Kildare, Ireland. Earl of the County of Mayo, usually known simply as Earl of Mayo, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. Moore Hall is a co-ed residence hall at Kansas State University that has a reputation for greatness Oliver Joseph St John Gogarty ( August 17, 1878 - September 22, 1957) was an Irish Physician and ear surgeon Sir Horace Curzon Plunkett, ( 24 October 1854 – 26 March 1932) was an Anglo-Irish unionist, later Irish nationalist S. Guinness of the Guinness family. The Guinness family is an extensive aristocratic Irish Protestant family noted for their accomplishments in brewing banking politics and diplomacy ^[23]

However, in addition to their allegiance to the Free State, there were also other factors behind republican animosity towards the old landed class. Many, but not all of these people, had supported the Crown forces during the War of Independence. This support was often largely moral, but sometimes it took the form of actively assisting the British in the conflict. Such attacks should have ended with the Truce of July 11, 1921, but they continued after the Truce and escalated during the civil war. Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar

In addition, many of the Landlord class were the focus of rural class antagonism that had been simmering since the Land War of the 1880s. The Land War in Irish History was a period of Agrarian agitation in rural Ireland in the 1870s 1880s and 1890s Though the Wyndham Act of 1903 allowed tenants to buy land from their landlords, much untenanted land remained and some republicans followed Michael Davitt's policy that all land should be made available to 'the nation'. Michael Davitt ( Irish name: Mícheál Mac Dáibhéid) ( March 25, 1846 &ndash May 30, 1906) was an Irish This made the former landlords' post-independence situation difficult, and in the anarchy of the Civil War they became easy targets. Sometimes these attacks had sectarian overtones, although most anti-treaty IRA men made no distinction between Catholic and Protestant supporters of the Irish government. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation.

The Free State made efforts to protect Protestants and their property, most notably in County Louth, where a special police force was set up specifically for this purpose. County Louth (Contae Lú is a County on the East coast of Ireland, on the border with Northern Ireland. Controversy continues to this day about the extent of intimidation of Protestants at this time, but many left Ireland during and after the civil war.

Consequences

Casualties

The Civil War, though short, was bloody. It cost the lives of many senior figures, including Michael Collins, Cathal Brugha and Arthur Griffith. Cathal Brugha ( pronounced bˠɾˠuː born Charles William St Both sides carried out brutal acts: the anti-treaty forces murdered TDs and burned many historic homes while the government executed anti-treaty prisoners, officially and unofficially. The pro-treaty National Army suffered 800 fatalities and perhaps as many as 4,000 people were killed in total, though the precise figures have yet to be determined. ^[24] In addition, about 12,000 Republicans were interned by the end of the Civil War, most of whom were not released until 1924. Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people commonly in large groups without trial In October to November 1923, up to 8,000 IRA prisoners went on hunger strike in protest at their continued detention. A hunger strike is a method of Non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political Protest, or to provoke feelings of

However, it has also been argued that the human cost of the Irish Civil War could have been far worse than it actually was. The numbers killed were relatively modest by the standards of other contemporary civil wars - for example in Russia or Spain or even Finland. The Russian Civil War (1917–1923 was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of The Finnish Civil War was a part of the national and social turmoil caused by World War I (1914&ndash1918 in Europe Moreover, the new Police force, the Civic Guards, was not involved which meant that it was possible for the Free State to establish an unarmed and politically neutral police service after the war. ga '''''Garda Síochána na hÉireann''''' (ˈgaːrdə ʃiːˈxaːnə nə ˈheːɾʲən Irish for "Peace Guard of Ireland" often rendered

Economic costs

The economic costs of the war were also high. As their forces abandoned their fixed positions in July-August 1922, the republicans burned many administrative buildings and businesses they had been occupying. In addition, their subsequent guerrilla campaign caused much destruction and the economy of the Free State suffered a hard blow in the earliest days of its existence as a result. The material damage caused by the war to property came to over £30 million. Particularly damaging to the Free State's economy was the systematic destruction of railway infrastructure and roads by the republicans. In addition, the cost to the Free State of waging the war came to another £17 million. By September 1923 Deputy Hogan estimated the cost at £50m. ^[25] The new State ended 1923 with a budget deficit of over £4 million. ^[26] This weakened financial situation meant that the new state could not pay its share of Imperial debt under the Treaty, and this adversely affected the boundary negotiations in 1924-25, which left the border with Northern Ireland unchanged. The Boundary Commission was established by the Anglo-Irish Treaty that ended the Anglo-Irish War in 1921 Further, the state undertook to pay for damage caused to property between the truce of July 1921 and the end of the civil war; W.T. Cosgrave told the Dáil:

"Every Deputy in this House is aware of the complaint which has been made that the measure of compensation for post-Truce damage compares unfavourably with the awards for damage suffered pre-Truce. William Thomas Cosgrave (Liam Tomás Mac Cosgair 6 June 1880 &ndash 16 November 1965 known generally as W "^[27]

Political results

The fact that the Irish Civil War was fought between Irish Nationalist factions meant that the issue of Northern Ireland was ignored and Ireland was spared what could have been a far bloodier civil war based on ethnic and sectarian lines over the future of Ireland's six north-eastern counties. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Sectarianism is Bigotry, Discrimination, Prejudice or Hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions In fact, because of the Irish Civil War, Northern Ireland was able to consolidate its existence and partition of Ireland was confirmed for the foreseeable future. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of The war confirmed the northern unionists' existing prejudices against the ethos of all shades of nationalism. Collins, up to the outbreak of the civil war and possibly until his death, had been planning to launch a clandestine guerrilla campaign against the North and was funnelling arms to the northern units of the IRA to this end. This may have led to open hostilities between North and South had the Irish Civil War not broken out. In the event, it was only well after their defeat in the Civil War that anti-treaty Irish Republicans seriously considered whether to take armed action against British rule in Northern Ireland (the first serious suggestion to do this came in the late 1930s). The northern units of the IRA largely supported the Free State side in the civil war due to Collins's policies and over 500 of them joined the new Free State's National Army.

The cost of the war and the budget deficit it caused was a difficulty for the new Free State and affected the Boundary Commission negotiations of 1925, which were to determine the border with Northern Ireland. The Boundary Commission was established by the Anglo-Irish Treaty that ended the Anglo-Irish War in 1921 The Free State agreed to waive its claim to predominantly Nationalist areas in Northern Ireland and in return its agreed share of the Imperial debt under the 1921 Treaty was not paid. ^[28][29]

W. T. Cosgrave

In 1926, having failed to persuade the majority of the anti-treaty IRA or the anti-treaty party of Sinn Féin to accept the new status quo as a basis for an evolving Republic, a large faction led by de Valera and Aiken left to resume constitutional politics and to found the Fianna Fáil party. Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach shortened to Fianna Fáil ( is currently the largest Political party in the Whereas Fianna Fáil was to become the dominant party in Irish politics, Sinn Féin became a small, isolated political party. Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 The IRA, then much more numerous and influential than Sinn Féin, remained associated with Fianna Fáil (though not directly) until banned by de Valera in 1935.

In 1927, Fianna Fáil members took the Oath of Allegiance and entered the Dáil, effectively recognising the legitimacy of the Free State. ^[30] The Free State was already moving towards independence by this point. In 1931, under the Statute of Westminster, the British Parliament gave up its right to legislate for members of the British Commonwealth. The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (22 & 23 Geo ^[31] When elected to power in 1932, Fianna Fáil under De Valera set about dismantling what they considered to be objectionable features of the Treaty, abolishing the Oath of Allegiance, removing the power of the Office of Governor General (British representative in Ireland) and abolishing the Senate, which was dominated by former unionists and pro-treaty nationalists. The Governor-General (Seanascal was the representative of the King in the 1922&ndash1937 Irish Free State. Seanad Éireann (Senate of Ireland was the Upper house of the Oireachtas (parliament of the Irish Free State from 1922–1936 ^[32] In 1937, they passed a new constitution which made a President the head of state, did not mention any allegiance to the British monarch and which included a territorial claim to Northern Ireland. The Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÉireann came into force on 29 December 1937 after having been passed by a national plebiscite the previous July The President of Ireland (Uachtarán na hÉireann n̪ˠə ˈheːɾʲən̪ˠ is the Head of state of Ireland. The following year Britain returned without conditions the sea-ports it had kept under the terms of the Treaty. ^[33] Finally in 1948, a coalition government, containing elements of both sides in the Civil War (pro-treaty Fine Gael and anti-treaty Clann na Poblachta) left the British Commonwealth and re-named the Free State the Republic of Ireland. Fine Gael – The United Ireland Party, shortened to Fine Gael (ˌfina gail meaning Family of the Irish or Tribe of the Irish, is the second largest Clann na Poblachta n̪ˠə pʷɔbʷłəxt̪ˠə (Family of the Republic was an Irish republican political party founded by former Irish Republican Army Chief of Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. ^[34] Thus, by the 1950s, with the exception of the partition of Ireland, the issues over which the Civil War had been fought were largely settled. The Partition of Ireland took place on 3 May 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920.

Legacy

As with most civil wars, the internecine conflict left a bitter legacy, which continues to influence Irish politics to this day. The two largest political parties in the Republic are still Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the descendants respectively of the anti-treaty and pro-treaty forces of 1922. Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach shortened to Fianna Fáil ( is currently the largest Political party in the Fine Gael – The United Ireland Party, shortened to Fine Gael (ˌfina gail meaning Family of the Irish or Tribe of the Irish, is the second largest Until the 1970s, almost all of Ireland's prominent politicians were veterans of the civil war, a fact which poisoned the relationship between Ireland's two biggest parties. Examples of Civil War veterans include: Éamon de Valera, Frank Aiken, Todd Andrews, Seán Lemass, (Republican) and W. T. Cosgrave, Richard Mulcahy and Kevin O'Higgins (Free State). Christopher Stephen "Todd" Andrews ( 6 October 1901 &ndash 11 October 1985) was an Irish public servant Seán Francis Lemass (15 July 1899 &ndash 11 May 1971 was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and third Taoiseach of Ireland from 1959 until 1966 William Thomas Cosgrave (Liam Tomás Mac Cosgair 6 June 1880 &ndash 16 November 1965 known generally as W Kevin Christopher O'Higgins (Caoimhín Críostóir Ó hUigín 7 June 1892 &ndash 10 July 1927 was an Irish politician who served as Vice-President of the Executive Council ^[35][36] Moreover, many of these men's sons and daughters also became politicians, meaning that the personal wounds of the civil war were felt over three generations. In the 1930s after Fianna Fáil took power for the first time, it looked possible for a while that the Civil War might break out again between the IRA and the pro-Free State Blueshirts. This article deals with the Irish republican organisation opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty styling itself "Irish Republican Army" as it existed from the time of the Treaty The Army Comrades Association (ACA later named National Guard and better known by their nickname The Blueshirts (Na Léinte Gorma were an Fortunately, this crisis was averted and by the 1950s, political violence was no longer prominent in politics in the Republic of Ireland.

However, the breakaway IRA continued (and continues in various forms) to exist. It was not until 1948 that the IRA renounced military attacks on the forces of the southern Irish state - now the Republic of Ireland. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. After this point the organisation dedicated itself primarily to the end of British rule in Northern Ireland. Up until the 1980s the IRA Army Council still claimed to be the Provisional Government of the Irish Republic declared in 1918 and annulled by the Treaty of 1921. The IRA Army Council is the decision-making body of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, more commonly known as the IRA a Paramilitary group dedicated to bringing Some people, notably Michael McDowell, claim that this attitude, which dates from the Civil War, still underpins the politics of the Provisional IRA. Michael McDowell (Mícheál Mac Dubhghaill born 29 May 1951 Senior Counsel of the Irish bar is a former Irish politician who helped found the Progressive The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Óglaigh na hÉireann ( IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the

Notes

Bibliography

• Calton Younger, Ireland's Civil War (Frederick Muller, London, 1968).
• "A record of some mansions and houses destroyed 1922-23" (The Irish Claims Compensation Association, 1924).
• Ernie O'Malley, The Singing Flame, Dublin, 1978.
• M. E. Collins, Ireland 1868-1966, Dublin, 1993.
• Michael Hopkinson, Green against Green - the Irish Civil War
• Eoin Neeson, The Irish Civil War
• Paul V Walsh, The Irish Civil War 1922-23 -A Study of the Conventional Phase
• Meda Ryan, The Real Chief: The Story of Liam Lynch (Mercier Press, Dublin, 2005)
• Tim Pat Coogan, De Valera: Long Fellow, Long Shadow, Dublin, 1993
• The Treaty Debates December 1921 January 1922 on-line.
• Niall C. Harrington, Kerry Landings

External links

• The final siege of Limerick City from July 7 until July 21, 1922, on the Limerick Leader web site. Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
• The Dáil Treaty Debates 1921-22.