The Irish Story Archive on the Irish Civil war

The Irish Civil War ripped apart the independence movement from 1922-23. This is an archive of our articles to date on the conflict.

A good place to start is here – The Irish Civil War, an overview.

And: Why Was there A Civil War in Ireland?, by John Dorney

Articles

The Treaty and the split

The Anglo-Irish Treaty is signed, December 6, 1921.

The Treaty Debates, December 14 1921- January 7 1922 by John Dorney

‘We Must Forgive but we Won’t forget’: The Treaty Debates in the Border Counties, by John Dorney

The Dail votes for the Treaty, 7 January 1922.

22 June 1922, The Assassination of Sir Henry Wilson – the killing that sparked off the Civil War.

Belfast Republicans and the Treaty Split, by Kieran Glennon and Part 2 here.

January 16 1922, the handover of Dublin Castle -or was it? By John Dorney

The Course of the War

The Irish Civil War – A Short Military History, by John Dorney

28 June 1922, the First Day of the Civil War, by John Dorney

The Killurin ambush, Wexford, 24 July 1922, by Aaron O Maonaigh

The ‘Bridges Job’ – a disastrous defeat for the IRA in Dublin on August 5-6 1922.

The Cork Landings, August 8-10, 1922, by John Dorney

Wellington Barracks – A Microcosm of the Irish Civil war – a look at the experiences of one barracks of pro-Treaty troops in Dublin during the war.

British Military Involvement in the Irish Civil War. How British military aid and at times assistance all but decided the civil war.

The IRA attack on Dundalk, August 14, 1922

‘A Damn good clean fight’ The Last Stand of the Leixlip Flying Column, an anti-Treaty column is trapped and wiped out in Kildare.

The Dalkey column, the Civil War in south-east Dublin

The Tragedies of Ballyconnell – a series of raids and reprisal in the border area in 1923.

March 1923 – The terror month, A month of grisly atrocities in Kerry.

An examination of reprisals in Counties Cork and Kerry. By John Dorney

10 April 1923, Liam Lynch is killed, by John Dorney.

Weapons of the Irish Civil War, by John Dorney

Executions and assassinations

Executions during the Irish Civil War, by John Dorney

Harry Boland is killed, July 31, 1922. by John Dorney

The shooting of Michael Collins, 22 August 1922. By john Dorney

Evasive Manoeuvres: An Examination of Florence O’Donoghue’s Account of the Death of Michael Collins, by Daniel Murray.

The Passing of the Public Safety Act – 27 September 1922 – legislation allowing for military courts and execution of republican prisoners. By John Dorney

‘One Irregular was killed’: The death of John Lawlor of Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry, 31 October 1922., by Bryan McMahon

Erskine Childers his life and times, executed November 24, 1922. By John Dorney

The Red Cow Murders revisited, October 7, 1922, by john Dorney.

The Assassination of Sean Hales and reprisal executions, December 7 1922, the killing of Sean Hales TD and the shooting in reprisal of four leading republicans.

Who Shot Frank Lawlor? – an article about assassinations in Dublin during the civil war. By John Dorney

Who Was Seamus Dwyer? – on the assassination of leading pro-Treaty politician in December 1922, article by Michael McKenna.

The Drumboe Martyrs – Kieran Glennon tells the story of his grandfather’s role in the execution of three republicans in Donegal in 1923.

 

The Civil War and society

 

Michael Collins, the Dictator? by John Dorney

Thinking about Violence in the Irish Civil War, by John Dorney, an essay on the nature of civil war violence.

The Postal Strike of 1922 – a major industrial dispute at the height of the civil war, which the government put down by use of the National Army.

‘A Riot of Plunder’ Rural revolt in 1922, by Terry Dunne

The Big House and the Irish Revolution. How the republicans systematically destroyed the houses of the old Anglo-Irish landed class during the civil war.

The Burning of the Big Houses Re-Visited,  a follow up article on the burnings by John Dorney.

Roundup at Midnight Mass, 1922, a story of the Catholic church and the republicans in Kerry in the civil war.

‘Rough and Ready Work’ – The Special Infantry Corps, a corps raised to put down social disorder, by John Dorney

The IRA’s War on Public Entertainment, Liam Lynch’s ‘Amusement Order’

Career (Mis)Adventurers, The IRB in the Free State Army, by Daniel Murray.

The IRB among the anti-Treatyites, by Daniel Murray.

Policing Revolutionary Dublin 1919-1923, by John Dorney.

Off to Fight for the Republic, the propaganda cartoons of Constance Markievizc, by Alison Martin.

The Boys of the Old Brigade, The IRA Third Northern Division, by Kieran Glennon.

Internment aboard the Prison Ship Argenta, by Anne Marie McInerney

Women and the Irish Revolution, by John Dorney.

The Strange Case of Lord Massey by John Dorney

The Rise and Fall of the Dail Courts, by John Dorney

The Army Mutiny of 1924 and the Army Inquiry by John Dorney

The General Strike Against Militarism, April 1922, by John Dorney

Counting the cost

Casualties of the Civil War in Dublin– By John Dorney

Civil War Casualties in Tipperary, by John Dorney

Civil War Casualties in County Cork, by John Dorney

Civil War Casualties in County Limerick, By John Dorney

Civil War Casualties in County Wicklow, by Aaron O Maonaigh

The National Army Monument at Glasnevin – the Free State’s forgotten soldiers, by John Dorney

Mapping Civil War deaths in Dublin.

 

Interviews

Podcast the Irish Civil War 100 years on, with Cathal Brennan and John Dorney

Making Sense of the Irish Civil War – A conversation with Gavin Foster.

Interview with John Dorney on ‘The Civil War in Dublin’ book, with Cathal Brennan.

History Wars – John Regan discusses, among other things, the debates over the civil war among historians.

Radio Discussion comparing the civil war and War of Independence in Dublin city.

The Civil War in Dublin, with Cathal Brennan and John Dorney.

Audio documentary, Wellington barracks in the Irish Civil War

Interview about the Ballyseedy masssacre, with John Dorney

John Borgonovo on the Civil War in Cork.

The Irish Civil War – Divisive Memory, with Declan Power and Michael MacDonnacha.

Republican Policing with Brian Hanley

The Civil War Memory Project with Criostóir MacCárthaigh

Book Reviews

 

Article on John Dorney’s The Civil War in Dublin. 

The battle for Cork City, by John Borgonovo.

The Fall of Dublin by Liz Gillis.

The Story of the Irish Civil War, by John Dorney

The battle of Limerick City, and the Summer Campaign in Kerry,  By Padraig Og O Ruairc and Tom Doyle respectively.

Sligo: The Irish Revolution 1912-1923 by Michael Farry.

From Pogrom to Civil War by Kieran Glennon.

The Flame and the Candle, War in Mayo by Dominic Price.

Judging W.T. Cosgrave, by Michael Laffan.

The Irish Civil War and Society, by Gavin Foster.

Emmet Dalton, by Sean Boyne.

Everyday Violence in the Irish Civil War, by Gemma Clark.

The Irish Civil War, Law, Executions and Atrocity, by Sean Enright

Birth of a State, The Anglo Irish Treaty by Liam Weeks and Michael O Fatharataigh

Spiritual Wounds, Trauma Testimony and the Irish Civil War, by Siobhra Aiken

Talks

Report on the Irish Civil War Conference in Drogheda, September 2012. By Cathal Brennan.

Report on the Civil War Conference in Athlone, November 2013, by John Dorney

Report on Military Archives talk, ‘Establishing the Free State in conflict‘ includes estimates of the war’s death toll.

‘Up Us!’ The Launch of the Kilmainham Graffiti website.

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