The Irish Civil War 1922-23 the Irish Civil War 1922-23
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THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT THE IRISH CIVIL WAR 1922-23 PHASE 1: The Battle of Dublin, PHASE 2: The Battle for Munster, 28 June - 5 July 1922 July-August 1922 On 14 April 1922 Rory O’Connor led a group CABINET MEMBERS The Four Courts At the beginning of the Civil War the anti-Treaty IRA of hardline anti-Treaty IRA men into the 112,650 had control of the south and west but in mid-July they ACTING IN THE NAME OF Four Courts in defiance of the authority of garrison were forced out of Limerick, which because of its geo- BOTH THE PROVISIONAL the Provisional Government. In an attempt surrendered graphical position dividing south from west was a cru- GOVERNMENT & THE to avoid civil war, Collins took no immediate on cial anti-Treaty stronghold. Waterford city was easily 7 action against the Four Courts garrison. taken by pro-Treaty units in mid-July 1922. 2nd DÁIL 60,000 30 In August the National Army attacked the remaining Pre Split IRA National Army June republican strongholds in Cork and Kerry from the Anti-Treaty IRA coast. Men and arms were landed at Passage West, Union Hall and Youghal in mid-August, Kenmare on 11 35,000 August, Westport in late July and Waterford in mid-Ju- Anti-Treaty forces under Oscar Traynor continued the ly. In all cases the expeditions met with little effective George Gavan Duffy Michael Collins Arthur Griffith struggle from positions in central Dublin. Most of the an- opposition. ti-Treaty positions fell on 2 July leaving only 14 buildings c.12,900 The pro-Treaty TDs formed the Pro- Arthur Griffith : President of the Irish Free State c.9,700 in O’Connell Street under the command of Cathal Brugha. visional Government of the Irish Free Michael Collins: Minister for Finance On 5 July, after heavy shelling by NA forces, Brugha order The Munster State on 14 January to put the provi- George Gavan Duffy: Minister for Foreign Affairs c.1,300 his garrison to surrender. That evening Brugha emerged Republic sions of the Treaty into effect. As chair- Eamonn Duggan: Minister for Home Affairs Autumn 1921 June 1922 July 1922 April 1923 from the burning building, but when called on to surren- man, Collins had responsibility for Kevin O’Higgins: Minister for Economic Affairs der, he refused and was fatally wounded. overseeing the transfer of power from W.T. Cosgrave: Minister for Local Government the British to the Irish administration, Richard Mulcahy: Minister for Defence collins-de Valera pact, 18 May 1922 ASSASSINATION OF SIR HENRY WILSON and drawing up a constitution. on 12 July, a council of The British soldiers left remaining Ireland in Dec 1922 To avoid widening the split in Sinn Féin, on Michael Collins war was appointed and ira reaction to the treaty and Éamon de Valera negotiated the ‘pact’ agreement for the On 22 June two IRA gunmen michael collins became 5,500 upcoming election in June, whereby Sinn Féin would run both assassinated Field Marshal Sir commander-in-chief of Like the Dáil, the army was split pro- and anti-Treaty candidates, who, if successful, would form a Henry Wilson, security adviser the national army by the Treaty with the majority coalition government with a narrow pro-Treaty majority. In this to the Northern Ireland government, in London. opposing it. Clashes occurred way the Treaty would not be the key issue in the election cam- The British Government blamed IRA hardliners between pro and anti-Treaty IRA paign. Shortly before the election, Collins repudiated the pact. in the Four Courts. Churchill warned that unless across the country in February 1922 the occupation of the Four Courts was brought as both sides attempted to take over The national ArMy (NA) to an end, the British Army would take action PHASE 3: Guerrilla War, Aug 1922-May 1923 barracks evacuated by the British. the ‘Pact’ gENERAL ELECTION, 16 JUNE 1922 themselves. The End of the Civil War Representatives of 52 of the IRA’s 73 Those members of the army The Kidnapping of J.J. O’Connell In late August 1922, the anti-Treaty IRA abandoned By early 1923 republican resistance was beginning brigades met an Army Convention who supported the Treaty were Conventional tactics and reverted to guerrilla warfare. to collapse. Demoralisation, lack of popular support, in the Mansion House on 26 March dressed in new green uniforms In the same month, Commander-in-Chief of the National and the persistence of the National Army unravelled and known as the National Army Anti-Treaty man Leo Henderson was arrested on Army, Michael Collins, was killed in an anti-Treaty IRA 1922. IRA leaders Liam Mellowes 26 June. The Four Courts garrison responded by the IRA organisation. and Ernie O’Malley spoke strongly (NA) while the anti-Treaty IRA ambush at Béal na Blá in his native County Cork. became known as the ‘Irregulars’. Provisional Government: 58 seats kidnapping J.J. O’Connell, Deputy Chief of Staff against the Treaty. The convention of the National Army, provoking the Cabinet rejected the authority of the Dáil and Unionists (Trinity College): 4 seats to take action. On 27 June, Collins sent an In late September 1922 the 3rd elected its own Army executive with Independents: 7 seats ultimatum to the O’Connor’s men - surrender Dáil brought in an Emergency Liam Lynch as Chief-of-Staff of the SINN FEIN ARD FHEIS Anti-Treaty Farmers: 7 seats by 4:00 am or the Four Courts would be shelled. Powers Act authorising the Liam Lynch was shot dead on the slopes of the Knock- anti-Treaty IRA. No answer was given. death penalty for a range of IRA Executed mealdown Mountains on 10 April 1923. Lynch’s suc- According to the Treaty, the 26 Labour: 17 seats offences. On 10 October Cath- 77 cessor as chief-of-staff, Frank county Irish Free State would Anti-Treaty: 35 seats olic bishops excommunicated Aiken, issued an order to ‘Cease Approx be governed by a parliament 4.10 a.m. on 28 June 1922 republicans. Fire - Dump Arms’ on 24 May APPROX 75% decided by a general election. On 30 November, IRA 1923. There was neither an offi- ANTI-TREATY At the Sinn Fein convention in General Tom Ennis of the NA chief-of-staff Liam Lynch cial surrender nor a negotiated February 1922, de Valera and peace settlement, and Treaty 1,200 ordered the attack ordered a policy of reprisals Combat Fatalities Griffith agreed to postpone the Seven out of sixteen IRA divisions which included shooting on issues would continue to dom- inate Irish politics for decades. election for 3 months to give remained loyal to the pro-Treaty on the sight TDs who had voted for voters time to consider both Liam Lynch GHQ, but the two largest - the 1st Four Courts emergency legislation. When Approx the Treaty and the constitution. Sean Hales TD was assassinated in Dublin on 7 December Collins hoped to use the time to and 2nd Southern Divisions under male internees 1922, the Dáil responded by ordering the executions of imprisoned in the Free win over the anti-Treaty IRA. Liam Lynch and Ernie O’Malley, prominent republican prisoners, Rory O’Connor, Richard respectively- were anti-Treaty Barrett, Liam Mellows and Joe McKelvey in Mountjoy Gaol. 15,000 State, 1922-1924 Richard Mulcahy.