Leaving Cert History: War of Independence

The First Dáil

1. Sinn Fein were abstentionist (would not take seats in House of Commons).

2. Sinn Fein invited all Irish MP’s to attend a new assembly in Dublin.

3. No other party attended.

4. Only 27 Sinn Fein candidates attended the assembly on 19/1/1919. Most of the rest were still in prison over German Plot.

5. Sinn Féin set about gaining as much control as possible over the country.

6. They set up Sinn Féin courts to try people for crimes and encouraged the public to come to these courts rather than the official British ones.

7. Collins organised a loan for the work of the government.

The War 1919 - 1921

1. The first fighting was at Soloheadbeg, Tipperary, on 19/1/1919 when an RIC patrol was ambushed by an IRA. The policemen were guarding a supply of explosives.

2. The IRA used guerrilla tactics against the British forces. These were ambush or “hit and run” tactics.

3. Michael Collins organised an intelligence network, using spies to collect informations. He organised a special group in Dublin called the “Squad”. Their job was to kill spies, informers and detectives.

4. As the IRA grew it was organised into “flying columns” – mobile units that were able to move around the countryside, getting food and shelter from local people.

5. The British government recruited ex-soldiers. They were known as the “Black and Tans” because of their uniform. They acquired a bad reputation in Ireland.

6. The government also recruited ex-officers who were known as “Auxiliaries”. They found it very difficult to deal with guerrilla warfare. They often used reprisals for guerrilla attacks by burning houses, barns and creameries and attacking innocent people.

7. The British government also passed the “Government of Ireland Act” in 1920, in which two parliaments were set up – one in Dublin and one in Belfast.

Major incidents of the War of Independence

1. Members of the RIC murdered Tomás MacCurtain, Lord Mayor of Cork, in front of his family on 20/3/1920.

2. Terence MacSwiney, the next Lord Mayor of Cork, was arrested, demanded to be treated as a PoW and, when this was refused, died on hunger strike on 25/10/1920.

3. On “Bloody Sunday”, 21/11/1920, Collins’ “Squad” killed 11 British agents in Dublin. Later the same day, in retaliation, the Black and Tans broke into a GAA match at Croke Park and killed 14 people, including one player, Michael Hogan.

4. After an ambush at Crossbarry Co. Cork, on 11/12/1920 the Black and Tans burned down the centre of Cork City.

5. The IRA attacked the Custom House on 25/5/1921 and some of it was burned down. This attack was an attempt at a more conventional, large scale military engagement and was suggested by de Valera to counter accusations of the IRA’s tactics being simply murder. The attack led to the capture or death of 80 IRA men.