The Irish Revolution, 1911-1923 (Military History)

Introduction

The Irish War of Independence, also sometimes known as the Tan War or the Anglo-Irish War, was part of the Irish revolution, which consisted generally of three conflicts spanning from 1911 to 1923. The constituent struggles were the Easter Rising of 1916 and the events leading up to it, the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921) and the Irish Civil War (1922–1923). Widespread debate continues as to the exact relationship of these conflicts to each other and whether they constituted a single war or separate wars. Consensus is growing toward their distinctive, yet interconnected nature within an overarching revolution, albeit interrupted, changed, and, in many ways spurred on by World War I, spanning a period from roughly 1910 or 1911 to the end of the Irish Civil War in 1923. Further, some scholars advocate the use of the word “for” to make the title the Irish War for Independence, in place of the War of Independence. The reasoning behind this title change is that Ireland gained only limited independence from the United Kingdom in 1923 rather than complete independence or a republic separate from the British Crown. Regardless, this was a war unlike any war fought in Ireland up to that time. It was not only that it was a guerrilla war, but also that it was a conflict typified by strong political organization. This was the first time the rebels counted the fully enfranchised as the majority within their ranks. It was also the first time many of the rebel leaders were elected to Parliament. Although not universally popular, the war still enjoyed a level of legitimacy among the populace not seen previously. The rebels did not fight in a mass rising as they did in 1916 because they did not want a repetition of the rising, in which they were caught in static defense of an urban center. This was a war based on the guerrilla concepts of dispersal and temporary concentration. Finally, this was the first time the British government avowed independence, although limited, as its goal. The issues were the form and type of new government to be permitted as well as to whom to hand over power.

General Overviews

The rural and urban guerrilla nature of the War of Independence has tended to defy adequate definition and explanation. While the British army was able to define the conflict simply as a “murder campaign,” historians, until later in the 20th century, were frequently at a loss to describe the processes and mechanisms of change. This fact may be due partly to a lack of experience with such wars and a corresponding lack of revolutionary theory at the time. Macardle 1937 is one of the first among the comprehensive histories, albeit it is unapologetically propagandistic. Hopkinson 2002 is one of the more recent works to examine the era as one in which a separate war was waged, while Costello 2003 followed soon after with a more comprehensive view of the revolutionary era. Augusteijn 2002 brings many leading historians together to examine the issue of whether it was a revolution or a war of national liberation. Bric and Coakley 2004 examines the war broadly but in the context of the rest of the era and of those following. Finally, Townshend 2013 and Coleman 2013 provide comprehensive examinations of the foundation of the Irish state. Townshend 2013 looks at the higher politics and grander strategies, and Coleman 2013 examines the lower levels of activities.

Augusteijn, Joost, ed. The Irish Revolution, 1913–1923. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002.
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In a series of essays by many of the leading and up-and-coming historians in the field, this work examines many aspect of the revolution, from propaganda to mobilization, from rebel government to motivation, and from Unionists to remembrance.
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Bric, Maurice J., and John Coakley, eds. From Political Violence to Negotiated Settlement: The Winding Path to Peace in Twentieth-Century Ireland. Cork, Ireland: Cork University Press, 2004.
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Another series of essays examines the era (and beyond) comprehensively and thoughtfully. While it examines events beyond the scope of the revolutionary era, the majority fall within that scope.
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Coleman, Marie. The Irish Revolution, 1916–1923. Harlow, UK: Pearson, 2013.
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Coleman provides a fairly comprehensive view of the war, the political situation leading up to it, its conduct, and other aspects, such as issues concerning the involvement of women and of organized labor. Finally, she includes a representative sample of primary documents.
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Costello, Francis. The Irish Revolution and Its Aftermath, 1916–1923: Years of Revolt. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 2003.
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This voluminous work examines in good detail the whole period of the conflict. Broken down chronologically, Costello ably tells the story from the Easter Rising to the end of the Irish Civil War.
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Hopkinson, Michael A. The Irish War of Independence. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2002.
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Billed as the first narrative account of the overarching war since Macardle 1937, Hopkinson intended to give the macro view of the conflict. Although he examined the British side more than the republican, left out the war in Ulster, and ended at the truce, Hopkinson’s strength is in examining the struggle of dealing with this modern approach to guerrilla warfare in Ireland.
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Macardle, Dorothy. The Irish Republic: A Documented Chronicle of the Anglo-Irish Conflict and the Partitioning of Ireland, with a Detailed Account of the Period 1916–1923. London: Gollancz, 1937.
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Available in several editions, this was the “official” history of the war from the republican side. It portrays the revolution as many republicans, especially the anti-treatyites, wanted. For the same reason, it must be used with caution.
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O’Hegarty, Patrick Sarsfield. The Victory of Sinn Féin: How It Won It and How It Used It. Dublin, Ireland: University College Dublin Press, 1998.
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Originally written shortly after the war in 1924, it is a good pro-treaty account. As Bill Kissane has noted (see Kissane 2005, cited under Civil War, 1922–1923), it should be read along with Macardle 1937.
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Townshend, Charles. The Republic: The Fight for Irish Independence, 1918–1923. London: Allen Lane, 2013.
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The eminent Townshend attempts to cut through the hyperbole of the past century to get to the truth of what happened during this period. He rejects the stereotypical explanations and legends throughout.
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Reference Works

Good reference works help reduce the time spent on the more mechanical aspects of research. They assist the reader in attaining good background knowledge of the conflict and, of course, they also can aid in finding new sources. Foster 2006 is a general overview of Irish history, but it is exceptionally detailed. Connolly 2011 is an edited update that includes new material, while Hickey and Doherty 1980 is a useful product.

Connolly, S. J., ed. The Oxford Companion to Irish History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
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Connolly edited this encyclopedia of Irish history with many entries covering the revolutionary era, with longer entries for the more important issues. It is a good resource with entries by many of the leading historians in Irish history.
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Foster, Roy F. Modern Ireland, 1600–1972. London: Penguin, 2006.
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One of the better general histories of Ireland this examines the important cultural, political, and economic issues and events of Ireland’s turbulent history.
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Hickey, D. J., and J. E. Doherty. A Dictionary of Irish History, 1800–1980. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan, 1980.
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This is an alphabetized list of Irish political, cultural, and economic issues covering almost two hundred years. It is an excellent quick reference.
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Genealogical Guides

Genealogical guides are not a resource one would consider for sources, beyond biographical data. In Ireland, however, many of the sources available have come from genealogical researchers rather than traditional formal scholars. As a result, one cannot overlook these valuable resources. Herlihy 1997, Herlihy 2001, and Herlihy 2005, although written for genealogists, fall into this category. The Irish War of Independence was a sufficiently small conflict, in terms of numbers involved directly, for good compilations to exist. Abbott 2000 is the best of these sources. National Graves Association 1986 lists every “republican” death from 1798 to publication.

Abbott, Richard. Police Casualties in Ireland, 1919–1922. Dublin, Ireland: Mercier, 2000.
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Although a good history, albeit lacking in continuity, this book is another critical source for police in Ireland. It lists almost every policeman, of the various forces, killed during the conflict. In most cases, it provides greater biographical details and circumstances surrounding the deaths.
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Connell, Joseph E. A., Jr. Dublin in Rebellion: A Directory, 1913–1923. Dublin, Ireland: Lilliput, 2009.
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The directory is an excellent reference that provides short accounts of the important events that occurred in Dublin during the decade covered. What makes this book different is that it also acts as a gazetteer of streets in Dublin; the events are organized by street names.
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Herlihy, Jim. The Royal Irish Constabulary: A Short History and Genealogical Guide. Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts, 1997.
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Herlihy has created a useful guide with a quick history of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and a treasure of information not available outside the actual records of the force.
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Herlihy, Jim. The Dublin Metropolitan Police: A Short History and Genealogical Guide. Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts, 2001.
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Herlihy provides background on the force, which has, thus far, been largely neglected by scholars. The history, lists, and tables are quite useful.
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Herlihy, Jim. The Royal Irish Constabulary Officers: A Biographical Dictionary and Genealogical Guide, 1816–1922. Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts, 2005.
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As a general reference, it is critical for anyone looking into the officers of the RIC. Most entries provide basic biographical data, but death dates are largely not provided.
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National Graves Association. The Last Post. New York: National Grave Association, 1986.
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This rare volume constitutes an attempt to list every republican death and grave in Ireland. Although organized in a strange manner, the index is comprehensive and helpful.
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British Published Archival Sources

Much progress has been made in making primary sources of this era available to researchers around the world. Many of the British governmental documents have been published, first in microfilm and now digitally. Key among these are the Cabinet Papers, which contain many of the minutes and decisions made by the government about Ireland, and the Colonial Office Papers, which likewise have much detail on decision making and also contain detailed police reports. Stewart 1997 reproduces many of the intelligence files on Michael Collins from the various British government offices. The British army’s official history of the war was not published until Hart 2002, Sheehan 2007, Sheehan 2009, Ferguson 2009, and Kautt 2013.

Ferguson, Kenneth, ed. The Irish Rebellion in the 6th Divisional Area. Dublin: Military History Society of Ireland, 2009.
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The Military History Society of Ireland published the second part of the fourth volume of the “Record of the Rebellion” focusing on the 6th Infantry Division in the south of the country. Due to its location in southern Ireland, the 6th Division bore the brunt of the fighting. Much of this volume was written by Lieutenant-General Sir E. P. Strickland, the general officer commanding in chief who later commanded the Palestine Police.
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Hart, Peter, ed. British Intelligence in Ireland, 1920–21: The Final Reports. Cork, Ireland: Cork University Press, 2002.
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Peter Hart edited the second volume of the “Record of the Rebellion in Ireland” on intelligence and included the final intelligence report by Brigadier-General Ormond Winter, the chief of police intelligence, for comparison.
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Jeffery, Keith. The Military Correspondence of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson, 1918–1922. London: Bodley Head, 1985.
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This provides an important view into the thought processes and decision making of Wilson, the chief of the Imperial General Staff.
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Kautt, William H. Ground Truths: British Army Operations in the Irish War of Independence. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 2013.
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This volume is an annotated and critical editing of the first volume of the “Record of the Rebellion in Ireland, 1919–1921, and the Part Played by the Army in Dealing with it,” on operations. It adds the various primary source documents referenced but not included in the original, as well as commentary and other sources.
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National Archives of the United Kingdom. Cabinet Papers. London: National Archives of the United Kingdom.
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The National Archives of the United Kingdom are increasingly digitizing their records. The Cabinet Papers are available on microfilm in many libraries, but they are also now available in pdf format via the National Archives website.
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National Archives of the United Kingdom. Colonial Office Papers. London: National Archives of the United Kingdom.
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These records provide details on many governmental operations in Ireland at the time, although they have not yet been digitized. Most important with regard to this topic, the RIC Inspector-General Monthly Confidential Reports to the under secretary are available for the entire period on microfilm. These are critical reading to any student of the era.
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Sheehan, William. Fighting for Dublin: The British Battle for Dublin 1919–1921. Cork, Ireland: Collins, 2007.
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The third part of the fourth volume of the “Record of the Rebellion” focused on the Dublin District. The third volume of this official history is available only at the National Archives of the United Kingdom at Kew. The Military History Society of Ireland is planning to publish it.
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Sheehan, William, ed. Hearts & Mines: The British 5th Division, Ireland, 1920–1922. Cork, Ireland: Collins, 2009.
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The fourth volume of the “Record of the Rebellion” contained three parts. This is the first part of that volume and examines the role of the 5th Infantry Division in Ireland and includes much of the reflections on the conflict of Lieutenant-General Sir H. S. Jeudwine, the division’s general officer commanding in chief.
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Stewart, A. T. Q. Michael Collins: The Secret File. Belfast, Northern Ireland: Blackstaff, 1997.
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A thin tome, it is an outstanding source because it consists of 102 legible photocopies of the various intelligence documents on Collins. Stewart provides a good introduction, but most importantly, he has fully indexed the documents.
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Published Republican Primary Sources

Numerous republican primary sources have been published throughout the past decades that facilitate research and allow considerably greater access. Fanning, et al. 1998 is a concise volume of War of Independence documents from the republican side and Documents on Irish Foreign Policy provides many of these online. The Census of Ireland 1901/1911 is, although perhaps an unusual resource, useful in locating many people and providing some information about them. Also online is Labour Party of Great Britain 1921. Aubane Historical Society 2013 constitutes a reissue of the Irish Bulletin.

Aubane Historical Society. Irish Bulletin: A Full Reprint of the Official Newspaper of the Dáil Éireann Giving News and War Reports. Vol. 1, 12th July 1919–1st May 1920. Cork, Ireland: Aubane Historical Society, 2013.
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The Irish Bulletin was the official gazette of the Dáil Éireann throughout the war and contained all of its public pronouncements. This volume covers the first half of the war. The organization is chronological, but it contains no index.
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Census of Ireland 1901/1911. National Archives of Ireland.
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The census records are invaluable for researchers trying to find more information about people during the conflict. Obviously, the records are limited, but the National Archives of Ireland has an excellent database that is intuitive and easy to use.
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Documents on Irish Foreign Policy. Dublin, Ireland: Royal Irish Academy.
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Maintained by a group of some of the best Irish historians, this is a series of documents placed online by the Royal Irish Academy. It is an invaluable resource.
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Fanning, Ronan, Michael Kennedy, Dermot Keogh, and Eunan O’Halpin, eds. Documents on Irish Foreign Policy. Vol. 1, 1919–1922. Dublin, Ireland: Royal Irish Academy, 1998.
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This volume deals expressly with the War of Independence and is packed with documents and other information. It is invaluable.
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Labour Party of Great Britain. Report of the Labour Commission to Ireland. London: Caledonian, 1921.
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The British Labour Party wrote a report that was quite useful to republican propaganda and was condemned privately by British government officials, although, by modern standards, it was surprisingly moderate in tone.
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Published Interviews and Recollections

The first attempts to gather republican recollections in Ireland began in 1823 by Richard Madden, who sought information from the United Irishmen of the 1798 rebellion. The War of Independence is well documented due to a similar spirit of preserving the past. Thus, many interviews, statements, and official reports are available documenting the history of the war. MacEoin 1980 is a notable work in following in Madden’s footsteps. It was followed two years later with Griffith and O’Grady 1982. O’Malley and Horgan 2012 and O’Malley and Ó Comhraí 2013 are based on interviews, but they were not published until after his death. Ryan 2007 is also an admirable work in this vein, while the author of Sheehan 2007 takes extant writings from British sources to do much the same. Finally, official efforts to preserve these memories are found in the Bureau of Military History, 1913–1921 Witness Statements, which is available online.

Bureau of Military History (BMH). Bureau of Military History, 1913–1921: Witness Statements. Dublin, Ireland: Bureau of Military History.
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From 1947 to 1957, the Bureau of Military History collected 1,773 statements from participants in the Irish revolution. Although these were collected decades after the events, they represent the recollections of those who participated. Due to the sometimes volatile nature of what they contain, the statements were withheld from the public until 2003, after the last witness had died. While one must use caution with these statements, they are an invaluable resource. The website has an index and searchable form.
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Griffith, Kenneth, and Timothy E. O’Grady. Curious Journey: Oral History of Ireland’s Unfinished Revolution. London: Hutchinson, 1982.
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The authors interviewed surviving veterans of the era and have provided an account of their experiences. What is different in this work is that it covers a broad range of experiences, including cultural events as well as political and military happenings.
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MacEoin, Uinseann. Survivors: The Story of Ireland’s Struggle as Told through Some of Her Outstanding People. Dublin, Ireland: Argenta, 1980.
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A compilation of twenty-three interviews conducted by MacEoin, these are the stories of people at all levels of the conflict and they include five women.
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O’Malley, Cormac K. H., and Tim Horgan, eds. The Men Will Talk to Me: Kerry Interviews by Ernie O’Malley. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2012.
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To be read with O’Malley and Ó Comhraí 2013. This volume consists of a series of interviews conducted by veteran Ernie O’Malley in the 1940s and 1950s and are typed transcripts from O’Malley’s famous notebooks housed in the archives at University College Dublin.
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O’Malley, Cormac K. H., and Cormac Ó Comhraí, eds. The Men Will Talk to Me: Galway Interviews by Ernie O’Malley. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2013.
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To be read with O’Malley and Horgan 2012. This volume is the typescript of the Galway interviews from the O’Malley notebooks in the archives of University College Dublin.
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Ryan, Annie. Comrades: Inside the War of Independence. Dublin, Ireland: Liberties, 2007.
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This work is a useful compilation of interviews of veterans of the war. Assembled in categories, the information is linked by narrative from the author.
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Sheehan, William. British Voices from the Irish War of Independence, 1918–1921: The Words of British Servicemen Who Were There. Cork, Ireland: Collins, 2007.
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As one will note from the preceding entries, the republicans were skilled in maintaining their recollections of the conflict. The same is not true of the other side. This volume contains nothing that is not available already, but Sheehan has edited out the less relevant material and retained that which is focused on the Irish situation; thus, it is a time saver.
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Newspapers

Newspapers are an invaluable source generally for the historian. This is particularly true in Ireland during this era as the republicans were skillful in both propaganda and manipulation of newspapers for propaganda purposes. The Times provides the overall “official” view of events for the era. The London Gazette provides official information about appointments of all types. The Irish Newspaper Archives furnishes local viewpoints on the events, while the New York Times provides excellent coverage from outside the British Empire.

Irish Newspaper Archives.
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A useful, for fee, website containing more than twenty Irish newspapers of the era.
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London Gazette.
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The London Gazette is the official paper of the government of the United Kingdom. One may search it online and either purchase printed copies or save the relevant document in pdf format.
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New York Times.
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This is their online, searchable archive. The New York Times is particularly useful to acquire an understanding of what was published globally about the situation in Ireland at the time.
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The Times.
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The Times is available online and is searchable with archives going back to 1785. This is the newspaper of record of the world; thus, it serves as an excellent resource for researchers.
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Journals

Only those journals that are substantially dedicated to Irish history are included here. However, many other journals publish articles on Irish history. Irish Historical Studies provides historical research on most Irish topics, much of it related to this era. The Journal of British Studies takes a wider view of the empire, but frequently includes material on the revolutionary era. Economic and Social History of Ireland likewise examines topics of interest that include social issues of the period under examination, while the Irish Sword provides a look at the military history of Ireland with a heavy emphasis on the same era. Éire-Ireland is a general studies journal that frequently includes material relevant to this topic, and History Ireland is a magazine that provides a common ground for popular and academic Irish history generally, again with a particular interest in the War of Independence era.

Economic and Social History of Ireland. 1974–.
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This is the journal of the Economic and Social History Society of Ireland. It is published annually.
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Éire-Ireland: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Irish Studies. 1966–.
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Founded by the Irish American Cultural Institute, this journal includes many historical articles on topics in the arts, humanities, and social sciences dealing with Ireland and Irish America.
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History Ireland. 1999–.
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Although not a peer-reviewed journal, this popular history magazine published in Ireland acts as a public forum for all historians, academic, public, and amateur. One could say the “peer review” comes after publication with the debates that follow. The serious researcher into Irish history would do well to consult this magazine.
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Irish Historical Studies. 1938–.
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The joint journal of the Irish Historical Society and the Ulster Society for Irish Historical Studies. It is the premier Irish history journal and is published biannually.
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Journal of British Studies. 1962–.
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The journal of the North American Conference on British Studies, published quarterly.
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The Irish Sword: The Journal of the Military History Society of Ireland. 1949–.
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The Sword is published biannually.
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Michael Collins

Michael Collins is a legendary figure in Irish revolutionary history. It is safe to say there no other figure in Irish history has held such a powerful hold on the people; even his mortal enemies prayed for him after being told of his death. The abundance of biographies of the man attests to this fact. The problem for the researcher is that much of the legend surrounding Collins is true; he was truly an organizational genius with demonstrated skills in finance, intelligence, military affairs, arms smuggling, and other activities. This makes separating fact from the great amount of fiction difficult. Forester 1971 is one of the first objective biographies of Collins, and this work has long been the standard by which others are judged. That said, Hart 2005 constitutes a laudable work updating Forester 1971 and many other works that followed. The earliest two biographies suffer as a result of their close proximity to the era. Talbot 1923 is more deficient in this respect than Béaslaí 1926, but only just. These two volumes remain valuable works regardless of their lack of objectivity. Doherty and Keogh 1998 and O’Connor 1996 are excellent works with regard to that objectivity. Dwyer 1990 looks more at the influence of Collins on the war, while Coogan 1992 looks at him with Eamon (or Éamon) de Valera in the background.

Béaslaí, Piaras. Michael Collins and the Making of a New Ireland. Dublin, Ireland: Phoenix, 1926.
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Written in two volumes by this Irish Republican Army (IRA) propagandist, this is really the first biography as Béaslaí was somewhat less political than Talbot. He benefited from knowing Collins personally, having worked for him and having received assistance from the Collins family. That said, Béaslaí essentially wrote himself into the story, giving himself more credit than is due. The result is still a useful and readable account that does not overly praise its subject.
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Coogan, Tim Pat. The Man Who Made Ireland: The Life and Death of Michael Collins. Niwot, CO: Roberts Rinehart, 1992.
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This is a workmanlike biography containing a journalist’s view of events. It is best read in tandem with Coogan 1993 (cited under Eamon de Valera).
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Doherty, Gabriel and Dermot Keogh, eds. Michael Collins and the Making of the Irish State. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 1998.
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One of the more comprehensive of the biographies. It constitutes a series of essays examining different aspects of his life. Rejecting the simplistic view of his character, the editors and contributors look to his real personality in action. In the process, they assess his actual contributions to intelligence, finance, the Irish Volunteers, his policy toward the North, and other issues.
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Dwyer, T. Ryle. Michael Collins: “The Man Who Won the War.” Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 1990.
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The estimable historian takes the view that Collins could be classified as a type of the urban terrorist and views him as the “real architect of the Black and Tan War” (p. 58).
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Forester, Margery. Michael Collins: The Lost Leader. London: Sidgewick & Jackson, 1971.
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Although not an academic historian, Forester produced an excellent biography from the information available at the time that she wrote.
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Hart, Peter. Mick: The Real Michael Collins. New York: Penguin, 2005.
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This is the natural follow-up to Forester 1971. It updates the accounts of Collins’s life with new evidence, asking what made him such a leader. Also, Hart covered Collins’s early life, usually ignored by biographers. The result is a more grounded version of his life.
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O’Connor, Ulick. Michael Collins and the Troubles: The Struggle for Irish Freedom, 1912–1922. New York: W. W. Norton, 1996.
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This balanced biography was based on many newly available sources, including interviews with Mulcahy and papers in his collection. Thus, the reader obtains better insight to Collins’s accomplishments, they having been put into context by the one who probably knew him best during that period.
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Ryan, Desmond. Michael Collins and the Invisible Army. London: Arthur Baker, 1932.
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Written by one of the Irish Volunteers who fought at the General Post Office (GPO) in 1916 and who fought in the next war, this work is considerably more personal than most of the biographies. It is a great example of what those who loved Collins thought of him. It is available in reprints.
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Talbot, Hayden. Michael Collins’ Own Story: Told to Hayden Talbot. London: Hutchison, 1923.
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This was the earliest biography published about Collins, but Talbot was pro-treaty and this work served as a platform for his bias against the anti-treaty forces, de Valera in particular. It is readily available through reprints online.
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Eamon de Valera

De Valera’s reputation has suffered over the past eighty years, some say deservedly so. The plethora of biographies generally falls into two camps, those for and those against him. These camps generally coincide with political leanings, the more republican anti-treaty camp usually regards him more favorably while the pro-treaty camp, some might say pro-Collins, is more restrained in its admiration. Later works, such as Coogan 1993, did not hold back; indeed, one reviewer called Coogan’s biography a “character assassination.” Part of the problem with researching de Valera is the tight hold maintained on information about him during his life and shortly after. Early biographies tended to favor him strongly, including McManus 1944 and Longford and O’Neill 1974. Thus, it is only in recent years that researchers have been able to examine more closely both the man and his involvement in the events of the era; Ferriter 2007 is a good example. Dwyer 1998 takes a comparative approach.

Coogan, Tim Pat. De Valera: Long Fellow, Long Shadow. London: Hutchinson, 1993.
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Probably the biography of de Valera that is most readily available and best known; it is best read in tandem with Coogan 1992 (cited under Michael Collins). One must be careful as it is clear Coogan took Collins’s side against de Valera. Note that this work was published in the USA as Eamon de Valera: The Man Who Was Ireland (New York: Harper, 1993).
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Dwyer, T. Ryle. Big Fellow, Long Fellow. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan, 1998.
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A joint biography of Collins and de Valera in which Dwyer compares and contrasts their personalities, beliefs, desires, and methods.
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Ferriter, Diarmaid. Judging Dev: A Reassessment of the Life and Legacy of Eamon de Valera. Dublin, Ireland: Royal Irish Academy, 2007.
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Based on recently released archival sources, this is a new interpretation of de Valera. It generally casts him in a good light. The book also includes many original documents and photographs.
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Longford, Frank Pakenham, and Thomas P. O’Neill. Eamon de Valera. London: Arrow, 1974.
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Given special access, the biographers wrote a highly favorable biography of his political career.
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McManus, M. J. Eamon de Valera: A Biography. London: Victor Gollancz, 1944.
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McManus tells de Valera’s story from a contemporary perspective. De Valera was approaching the height of his power and that alone made the telling of his story difficult; thus, this work is largely supportive of him.
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1916 Easter Rising

The Easter Rising of 1916 was a pivotal event in Irish history. It marked the end of the “classic” style of rebellion in Ireland in which large groups of men would rise up to wage a mostly conventional-style conflict. It also marked the beginning of the new struggle for Irish independence, during which a heretofore mostly apathetic public began to provide support for separation rather than just home rule. Its aftermath is rightly counted as the commencement of the guerrilla struggle that typified the War of Independence and, later, the Civil War. Doherty and Keogh 2007 provides a comprehensive view of the rising, while Edwards and Pyle 1968 gives a popular view of it. Jeffery 2006 examines the importance of the General Post Office. Townshend 2006 examines the rising in its entirety, and McGarry 2010 uses the Bureau of Military History witness statements extensively to provide a comprehensive examination. Taillon 1996 provides one of the only works on the role played by women in the Easter Rising.

Doherty, G., and D. Keogh, eds. 1916: The Long Revolution. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2007.
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What makes this work different is the wealth of material and the breadth of the contributors. The essays cover just about every point of view in their analyses of the event.
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Edwards, O. Dudley, and Fergus Pyle, eds. 1916: The Easter Rising. London: MacGibbon & Kee, 1968.
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This is a work that draws on essays that appeared in the Irish Times in 1966 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Easter Rising. They are valuable in that they represent the popular views of the era. They must also, therefore, be read with caution.
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Jeffery, Keith. The GPO and the Easter Rising. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 2006.
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An excellent work that uses new archival sources to examine the critical role of the GPO in the Easter Rising.
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Jeffery, Keith, ed. The Sinn Féin Rebellion as They Saw It. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 1999.
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Jeffery edits and introduces two works by observers of the Easter Rising. The first is Mary Louise Hamilton Norway, The Sinn Féin Rebellion as I Saw It (London: Smith, Elder, 1916). The second is “Irish Experiences in War,” the unpublished reminiscences of her husband, Arthur Hamilton Norway, who served as secretary at the GPO. They provide a useful civilian view of the events.
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McGarry, Fearghal. The Rising: Ireland—Easter 1916. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.
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This is an excellent and highly detailed examination of the Easter Rising using the latest available sources. McGarry recounts the history as if telling a story but without losing his academic perspective or objectivity.
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Taillon, Ruth. When History Was Made: The Women of 1916. Belfast, Northern Ireland: Beyond the Pale Publications, 1996.
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This is the first account of the women who participated in the Easter Rising. Usually mentioned only in passing, this work focuses on women and their contributions beyond mere patronization.
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Townshend, Charles. Easter 1916: The Irish Rebellion. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2006.
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This is one of the first re-examinations of the Easter Rising after the release of the Bureau of Military History witness statements. Townshend takes the leaders of the rising to task for their poor planning.
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Geopolitical Environment

The Anglo-Irish War had its peculiar cultural distinctions among the Unionists, the republicans, and the government; it also had a larger overarching framework. Without appreciating the British situation, the context of British decision making, as well as rebel influences on those decisions and their counteractions, the logic is lost. Trying to understand the war without understanding the role of World War I is somewhat fruitless. Crucial to the backdrop of the Great War is not so much the war itself but the position into which it placed Great Britain at its conclusion. Jeffery 2000 goes into detail about how groups in Ireland were affected by the war, as do several essays in Gregory and Pašeta 2002. Certainly the Easter Rising played a major role in Britain’s wartime efforts, but World War I proved of greater importance to the War of Independence. So while Ireland was changed by the war, Fitzpatrick 1977 provides the connection between Irish nationalism, the war, and the following revolution. Jeffery 1984 gives the overarching imperial situation, Matthews 2004 explains the political issues, while aan de Wiel 2010 places the whole into a European context. Finally, Bowden 1977 provides a comparative view of the conflict.

aan de Wiel, Jérôme. The Irish Factor, 1899–1919: Ireland’s Strategic and Diplomatic Importance for Foreign Powers. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 2010.
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An examination of the importance of Ireland, not just to Great Britain or to the empire, but also to Europe, this work bring the situation into a new light. Using extensive research in European archives, the author sets the geopolitical stage for the revolutionary era in a way that no previous writer has done.
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Bowden, Tom. The Breakdown of Public Security: The Case of Ireland, 1916–1921, and Palestine, 1936–1939. Sage Studies in 20th Century History 8. London: SAGE, 1977.
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A comparative study between the independence movements in two countries both under British rule at the time of their struggles.
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Fitzpatrick, David. Politics and Irish Life, 1913–1921: Provincial Experiences of War and Revolution. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan, 1977.
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Fitzpatrick bridges the gap between the prewar and postwar environments through his masterful and critical examination of County Clare.
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Gregory, Adrian, and Senía Pašeta. Ireland and the Great War: “A War to Unite Us All”? Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 2002.
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This edited volume takes both a short-term and a long-term view of the influence of the war on Ireland through examination of many different aspects of that influence. By looking at cultural, political, sexual, and many other elements, the authors provide a unique view into Ireland at that time.
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Jeffery, Keith. The British Army and the Crisis of Empire, 1918–1922. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1984.
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This work discusses the postwar environment of the British Empire by examining the conditions of the colonies and the League of Nations mandates as well as the practical policing of these territories, thus providing a review of the contemporary scene confronting the British as well as the decision making that was required in dealing with events.
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Jeffery, Keith. Ireland and the Great War. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
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This book proceeds from the view that the Great War constituted the greatest influence on Ireland in the 20th century. By looking at a virtual cross-section of Ireland cultural and political life, Jeffery provides much of the context.
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Matthews, Kevin. Fatal Influences: The Impact of Ireland on British Politics, 1920–1925. Dublin, Ireland: University College Dublin Press, 2004.
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Matthews takes the unusual view of the influence of the Anglo-Irish situation on British politics, especially the negotiation of the treaty and the fallout from it.
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Strategies, Operations, and Tactics of the Conflict

Several points of view exist as to the conduct of both the rebel war and the counterrevolutionary effort. The landmark study of the latter is Townshend 1975. Smith 1995 takes the longer view of republican warfare. The military actions in Ireland were quite small by most military standards. At the same time, considering the relatively small population, this is hardly surprising. Raiding tactics typified the early part of the war, which gave way to ambushes and, eventually, “flying columns.” Deasy 1973 provides the internal view of an IRA brigade. Kautt 2010 examines the development of ambush and counter-ambush doctrine during the war. Maher 1988 examines the columns. Military history is about more than battle narration; indeed, military historians tend to look down on these accounts as being unsophisticated. At times, however, battle analyses are more than appropriate, for instance, when they help to explain tactics, operational concepts, and strategy. Buckley 2008 and O’Neill 2006 are honest attempts to discover the truth in an impartial manner. Fitzpatrick 2012 includes essays from leading historians on the use of terror in the conflict, while Sheehan 2011 argues that the British enjoyed less support in Cork than previously believed.

Buckley, Donal. The Battle of Tourmakeady, Fact or Fiction: A Study of the IRA Ambush and Its Aftermath. Dublin, Ireland: Nonsuch, 2008.
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The author, a professional soldier, uses his professional knowledge to make sense of the ambush that claimed three lives and touched off a running fight that lasted several hours with additional casualties. Buckley does an excellent job of cutting through the confusing and conflicting information.
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Deasy, Liam. Towards Ireland Free: The West Cork Brigade in the War of Independence, 1917–1923. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 1973.
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Deasy details the activities of his West Cork Brigade during the war.
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Fitzpatrick, David, ed. Terror in Ireland, 1916–1923. Dublin, Ireland: Lilliput, 2012.
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The product of Trinity College Dublin’s Trinity History Workshop, this work includes a series of essays addressing various aspects of violence in Ireland. Some of the essays have been controversial, especially Eve Morrison’s on Kilmichael. These are all valuable works.
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Kautt, W. H. Ambushes and Armour: The Irish Rebellion, 1919–1921. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 2010.
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The author examines the doctrinal development of motor vehicle ambushes in Ireland as well as the development of the counter-ambush tactics, finding that although vehicle ambushes began to dominate the war by mid-1920, they tapered off as British forces developed effective countertactics and other different operational concepts.
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Maher, Jim. The Flying Column: West Kilkenny, 1916–21. Dublin, Ireland: Geography Publications, 1988.
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This discussion examines the use of flying columns, primarily in Kilkenny.
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O’Neill, Tom. The Battle of Clonmult and the IRA’s Worst Defeat. Dublin, Ireland: Nonsuch, 2006.
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This slim volume started as a master’s thesis at University College Cork; the author has done a good job in demonstrating the IRA’s weaknesses as well as its strengths.
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Sheehan, William. A Hard Local War: The British Army and the Guerrilla War in Cork, 1919–1921. Stroud, UK: Sutton, 2011.
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A provocative and slightly controversial book that argues that the IRA was not as well supported by the people of County Cork, especially, the city of Cork, as has traditionally been assumed. Sheehan has launched an important debate.
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Smith, M. L. R. Fighting for Ireland: The Military Strategy of the Irish Republican Movement. New York: Routledge, 1995.
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This is one of the few studies to focus on long-term development of republican military strategy.
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Townshend, Charles. The British Campaign in Ireland, 1919–1921: The Development of Political and Military Policies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1975.
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Foremost among the studies on the strategies of the conflict is Townshend’s British Campaign. Although written some forty years ago, it has yet to be surpassed in its depth of analysis or insight.
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Nationalist Political Groups

The nationalists constituted a broad category in that it encompassed all who wanted a separate government from the United Kingdom. Yet, wide variances existed between many of these groups. O’Broin 1976 is the standard work on the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), but McGee 2007 has done an admirable job in updating knowledge of it. Laffan 1999 comprehensively examines Sinn Féin. Garvin 2005 and English 2006 take a long-term view of nationalism, and Boyce 1995 looks at nationalism’s failures.

Boyce, D. George. Nationalism in Ireland. London: Routledge, 1995.
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This important work examines why nationalistic principles have failed to produce the society promised and have proved unsuccessful in ending conflict in Ireland.
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English, Richard. Irish Freedom: The History of Nationalism in Ireland. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan, 2006.
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This prize-winning book examines nationalism in Ireland from its beginnings to the present. English argues nationalism is the most important force in Ireland’s development and that it has shaped most of what is found in Ireland today. This work gives the critical long view of the causes and results of Irish nationalism.
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Garvin, Tom. The Evolution of Irish Nationalist Politics. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan, 2005.
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This outstanding study traces the rise of nationalism in Ireland.
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Laffan, Michael. The Resurrection of Ireland: The Sinn Féin Party, 1916–1923. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
DOI: 10.1017/CBO9781139106849Save Citation »Export Citation »E-mail Citation »
This examination details the takeover of Sinn Féin after the Easter Rising in 1916 and its transformation into the republican revolutionary party. It looks at the relationship between Sinn Féin and the IRA.
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McGee, Owen. The IRB: The Irish Republican Brotherhood, from the Land League to Sinn Féin. Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts, 2007.
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This is an important study of the “revolutionary underground” of secret revolutionary societies. It examines more clearly, and in light of new evidence, the interplay among home rule, the IRB, and the foundation of new political organizations in Ireland, such as Sinn Féin.
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O’Broin, Leon. Revolutionary Underground: The Story of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, 1858–1824. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan, 1976.
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This is the standard work on the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Although several decades old, it still is the authoritative work on the topic.
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Home Rule

Home rule was the most powerful policy in Irish politics until after the Easter Rising, when the rebels swung popular opinion in favor of independence. Wide variance of opinions could be found within the nationalist community, and all home rulers agreed; O’Day 1998 constitutes one of the most important works on home rule in providing explanations of these groups. Jackson 2004 takes the long view of home rule. Garvin 1987 finds that religion played a major role in the leaders’ thinking. Smith 2000 gives a lucid explanation of the transition away from home rule, and Boyce and O’Day 2004 includes a series of essays that trace the ascent of home rule through its replacement by Sinn Féin. Wheatley 2005 challenges the popular view of the decline of home rule; McDonnell 1908 is a political tract about the goals of the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP). Finally, Duffy 2009 looks at conservatives and moderates in the movement.

Boyce, D. George, and Alan O’Day. Ireland in Transition, 1867–1921. New York: Routledge, 2004.
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This group of essays examines most aspects of the rise and fall of home rule and the ideas that replaced it.
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Duffy, Stephen M. The Integrity of Ireland: Home Rule, Nationalism, and Partition, 1912–1922. Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2009.
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This book examines the role of conservative and moderate nationalists in the home rule movement, arguing they were the key to Irish independence.
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Garvin, Tom. Nationalist Revolutions in Ireland, 1858–1928. Oxford: Clarendon, 1987.
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Garvin examines the origins and outcomes of nationalist thought in Ireland, looking especially at the Catholic worldview of the time of the revolution.
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Jackson, Alvin. Home Rule: An Irish History, 1800–2000. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.
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Although it goes somewhat outside the scope of this article, Jackson’s view of home rule is critical. The timeframe of this book is actually its great strength as it places home rule into context over time.
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McDonnell, Michael F. J. Ireland and the Home Rule Movement. Dublin, Ireland: Maunsel, 1908.
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A historical piece that lays out simply what the Irish Parliamentary Party wanted to achieve. It is available electronically or in reprints.
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O’Day, Alan. Irish Home Rule, 1867–1921. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
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Probably the most thorough book on home rule in that it examines and explains all the varying and competing plans.
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Smith, Jeremy. Britain and Ireland: From Home Rule to Independence. Harlow, UK: Longman, 2000.
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This account provides one of the best and clearest explanations of the issues involved in, and the efforts made to secure, home rule.
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Wheatley, Michael. Nationalism and the Irish Party: Provincial Ireland, 1910–1916. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199273577.001.0001Save Citation »Export Citation »E-mail Citation »
A valuable study that challenges the long-held belief that the home rule movement was decaying by the time of the home rule crisis of 1912 to 1914. Wheatley demonstrates quite readily that the Irish Party was representative of the people.
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Unionism

The academic study of Unionism has been sparse, probably due to contemporary political reasons. Yet, the 1918 General Election indicated large minorities voted for Unionist candidates, thus proving that the Unionist bloc was powerful. Their concentration in the North tended to amplify that power, which they maintained to recent times. Stewart 1999 is the masterful standard work on the rise of Unionism and has yet to be surpassed. McDowell 1997 finds that southern Unionists generally fared poorly in the war and afterward. Vaughan 2010 includes works by several authors examining the era fully. Jackson 1989 is the classic Unionist parliamentary study. Finally, Loughlin 1995 examines the nature of Unionist British nationality, and McGaughey 2012 looks at the increasing militarization of the crisis. Walker 2004 traces the development of Unionist political organizations.

English, Richard, and Graham S. Walker, eds. Unionism in Modern Ireland. Basingstoke, UK: Macmillan, 1996.
DOI: 10.1057/9780230509849Save Citation »Export Citation »E-mail Citation »
This essential study is a series of essays covering various aspects of Unionism using new information.
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Jackson, Alvin. The Ulster Party: Irish Unionists in the House of Commons, 1884–1911. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.
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This classic study examines the Unionist Party rise against home rule during the time leading up to the Ulster crisis of 1912 to 1914.
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Loughlin, James. Ulster Unionism and the British National Identity since 1885. London: Frances Pinter, 1995.
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Argues that the assumption of British identity, namely, monarchism led to utter rejection of Irish nationalism by the Unionists. Further, it argues the Unionists had contradictory views of their “British nationality.”
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McDowell, R. B. Crisis and Decline: The Fate of the Southern Unionists. Dublin, Ireland: Lilliput, 1997.
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This is an examination of what happened to Unionists in the South during the war and its aftermath.
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McGaughey, Jane G. V. Ulster’s Men: Protestant Unionist Masculinities and Militarization in the North of Ireland, 1912–1923. Montreal: McGill-Queens University Press, 2012.
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This is an examination of the issues of Unionism and manhood during the revolutionary era.
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Stewart, A. T. Q. The Ulster Crisis: Resistance to Home Rule, 1912–14. Belfast, Northern Ireland: Blackstaff, 1999.
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Originally published in 1967. This seminal work is the starting point for most researchers on the North. It examines the political, economic, and cultural issues on the Unionist side.
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Vaughan, W. E. A New History of Ireland. Vol. 6, Ireland under the Union, II: 1870–1921. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.
DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199583744.001.0001Save Citation »Export Citation »E-mail Citation »
This is a comprehensive multidisciplinary look at the period.
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Walker, Graham. A History of the Ulster Unionist Party: Protest, Pragmatism and Pessimism. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 2004.
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This history of the Unionist Party traces its development from initial resistance to home rule to the present. It provides new insights into the entire period.
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Women in Ireland

Women in the revolutionary era have been neglected. Few have been given their due. Those who have are still treated somewhat as oddities rather than revolutionaries or leaders. Only a few historians have worked to fix this misperception. Ward 2001 is based on access to documents. McCoole 2003 examines the roles of women in the war. Matthews 2010 examines women’s issues that have not been studied thoroughly. Ryan and Ward 2004 takes a longer view of women’s topics, while Woodcock 2012 provides views from British women. Ward 1995 and McCarthy 2007 examine Cumann na mBan comprehensively. Finally, Cowell 2005 provides a unique biography.

Cowell, John. A Noontide Blazing: Brigid Lyons Thornton—Rebel, Soldier, Doctor. Dublin, Ireland: Curragh, 2005.
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This is a rare biography of a woman in a category different from any other. Thornton served as a spy for Collins during the War of Independence and then became the only female officer in the National Army.
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Matthews, Ann. Renegades: Irish Republican Women, 1900–1922. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2010.
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Matthews has written a groundbreaking work that focuses on the revolutionary era. Decrying the lack of analysis of women’s roles during the period, she sets out on a systematic and comprehensive examination of the topic from 1900 to the end of the war. One chapter in particular stands out: In “The War on Women,” she examines women’s issues from both sides, looking specifically at sexual crimes by revolutionary and counterrevolutionary forces.
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McCarthy, Cal. Cumann na mBan and the Irish Revolution. Cork, Ireland: Collins, 2007.
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This is a history of the organization from its ideological underpinnings to its foundation and operation throughout the revolutionary era.
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McCoole, Sinéad. No Ordinary Women: Irish Female Activists in the Revolutionary Years, 1900–1923. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2003.
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McCoole notes that the women who participated in the revolution were not “ordinary.” In many capacities, they fought, nursed, spied, carried dispatches, and so on. Their critical roles have not been forgotten, but certainly they have not been recognized as well as they should.
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Ryan, Louise, and Margaret Ward, eds. Irish Women and Nationalism: Soldiers, New Women and Hags. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 2004.
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Decrying the absence of women from Irish revolutionary history, the editors sought to secure contributions to help remedy that failure. This work includes twelve essays about various aspects of women’s involvement in the revolutionary arena from Cromwell to the Troubles of recent decades.
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Ward, Margaret. Unmanageable Revolutionaries: Women and Irish Nationalism. London: Pluto, 1995.
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This examination of the role women have played in Irish nationalism mostly looks at the Cumann na mBan from the foundation of the Ladies Land League to the foundation of the Inghinidhe na hÉireann to the beginning of the Cumann. Ward crucially looks at the subordination of women’s desire to fight to the need by the Irish Volunteers not for them to do so.
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Ward, Margaret. In Their Own Voice: Women and Irish Nationalism. Cork, Ireland: Attic, 2001.
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This is a book of documents dealing with the most prominent women in the revolutionary movement, covering all aspects of women’s organizations during that period. It is invaluable and Ward gives good introductions to each.
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Woodcock, Caroline. Experiences of an Officer’s Wife in Ireland. Miami, FL: HardPress, 2012.
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Originally published in Blackwood’s Magazine 209, 1267 (May 1921): 553–598. Although not an Irish woman or a republican, Woodcock provides a vivid and telling account.
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Intelligence

Few comprehensive studies of intelligence in Ireland during the revolutionary era are available, and the topic is usually mentioned only in passing. The two best works on intelligence during the conflict, McMahon 2011 and Foy 2006, give comprehensive views of the intelligence war. Foy 2006 provides an overall focus, while McMahon 2011 takes a longer view.

Foy, Michael. Michael Collins’s Intelligence War. Stroud, UK: Sutton, 2006.
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Foy provides one of the few more comprehensive studies, but it revolves around Collins’s efforts and networks. That said, Foy provides great detail about the British effort.
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McMahon, Paul. British Spies and Irish Rebels: British Intelligence and Ireland, 1916–1945. Rochester, NY: Boydell, 2011.
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The sections on the War of Independence era are comprehensive and superb. This is, to date, the best single source on the intelligence war. It is the only work that includes study of both sides rather than merely talking about what Collins did to the other side.
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Republican Intelligence

Most discussions on republican intelligence focus on two categories, spies and counterintelligence, whether they are in-depth studies or cursory examinations. Spying, usually centers on Collins’s network and tends to revolve around David Nelligan (Nelligan 1999) and Eamon Broy, the two police spies. Rarely mentioned are the lesser-known agents, such as Siobhán Lankford of County Cork, who provided police telegraph cyphers to the republicans (Lankford 1980). The difference between Nelligan’s and Lankford’s memoirs is that Lankford focuses on the entirety of her revolutionary activities, while Nelligan concentrates on his spying. Many left accounts of their espionage exploits in the Bureau of Military History witness statements. Interestingly, Lankford was not asked to provide a statement, although she was mentioned by name in the statements of four men, who commended her for her actions. Eamon Broy gave three statements totaling some 215 typed pages and is mentioned in another twenty-eight statements. Nelligan’s single statement is twenty-one pages. Walsh 2010 casts a professional soldier’s eyes on the issue, while Borgonovo 2006 provides an operational intelligence viewpoint.

Borgonovo, John, ed. Florence and Josephine O’Donoghue’s War of Independence: A Destiny That Shapes Our Ends. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 2006.
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Having seen service in Cork as an IRA intelligence officer, O’Donoghue was uniquely placed to provide a history of that side of the conflict.
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Lankford, Siobhán. The Hope and the Sadness: Personal Recollections of Troubled Times in Ireland. Cork, Ireland: Tower, 1980.
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While Lankford does not focus solely on intelligence in her memoir, many accounts are given of her activities and references to her intelligence work during the war.
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Nelligan, David. The Spy in the Castle. London: Prendeville, 1999.
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This is an account of Nelligan’s time working as an agent for Collins within the RIC.
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Walsh, Maurice. G2: In Defence of Ireland: Irish Military Intelligence, 1918–45. Cork, Ireland: Collins, 2010.
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Although this book covers areas after the period in question, nearly one-third of the text examines the war and its aftermath. More importantly, it is an account given through the lens of a professional military officer who has retired and taken up academic history.
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British Intelligence

Several group collected British intelligence in Ireland, including the police (Royal Irish Constabulary and the Dublin Metropolitan Police [DMP]) and the army (Irish Command and subordinate units). Although the inefficiency of efforts, including excessive duplication, was recognized, intelligence was then too new a discipline for officials to streamline the process. For this reason, in 1920, the government appointed Brigadier-General Ormonde Winter to head intelligence for the police in Ireland. In Winter 1955, he details what he attempted to do and why he felt his efforts were proving successful. In contrast to this account, Hart 2002 presents the army’s official record of its view of intelligence during the conflict, placed alongside Winter’s report of his activities just before leaving Ireland.

Hart, Peter. British Intelligence in Ireland, 1920–21: The Final Reports. Cork, Ireland: Cork University Press, 2002.
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In this edited volume on intelligence from the “official” history of the war, together with Brigadier-General Winter’s report from 1922, Hart adopts the position of the British army, namely, that Winter was part of the problem and that the army, rather than Winter, should have been placed in charge of intelligence.
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Winter, Ormonde, Sir. Winter’s Tale: An Autobiography. London: Richards, 1955.
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Although this is a biography, it is more appropriately placed in this section as it details Winter’s view of events, what he tried to accomplish, and the results. It juxtaposes nicely with Hart 2002.
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Counterintelligence

The other category most common to intelligence studies is counterintelligence, of which the Bloody Sunday killings of 21 November 1920 take precedent. Works on the events are few, just Gleeson 2004 and Murphy 2011. Most discussion occurs as part of a larger study, many of which are cited here. The other source is Dwyer 2005, a work on Collins’s “Squad.” Dalton 1929 is an autobiography of a Squad member, and Ambrose 2006 and Ambrose 2007 are biographies of two important Squad affiliates. Murphy 2011 argues that the IRA murdered innocent people, mostly men and young boys. Finally, Borgonovo 2007 argues against the belief that the IRA in Cork murdered innocent police, veterans, and Protestants during the war. The author’s detailed analysis seeks to show that the victims were working as intelligence agents. It is likely that this debate will continue for some time to come.

Ambrose, Joe. Dan Breen and the IRA. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2006.
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Although not officially part of the Squad, Breen and Treacy participated in many of their operations throughout 1920 until the latter’s death in October.
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Ambrose, Joe. Seán Treacy and the Tan War. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2007.
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Although he died in October 1920, Treacy has become the stuff of republican legend. He was critical to the operations in which he took part and his loss was felt by all his comrades, not the least being Breen.
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Borgonovo, John. Spies, Informers and the “Anti-Sinn Féin Society”: The Intelligence War in Cork City, 1919–1921. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 2007.
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Although somewhat repetitive at times, Borgonovo builds a strong case that there was indeed an intelligence threat against the IRA in Cork.
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Dalton, Charles. With the Dublin Brigade, 1917–1921. London: Peter Davies, 1929.
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This is a rare book because it is one of the only autobiographies of a member of Collins’s Squad.
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Dwyer, T. Ryle. The Squad: The Intelligence Operations of Michael Collins. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2005.
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This is a well-written book on the counterintelligence unit Collins created to conduct his campaigns in Dublin. The Squad’s operations are examined, with special emphasis on their larger operations on “Bloody Sunday” and the Custom House burning.
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Gleeson, James. Bloody Sunday: How Michael Collins’s Agents Assassinated Britain’s Secret Service in Dublin on November 21, 1920. Guilford, CT: Lyons, 2004.
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A largely polemical account of the attacks against suspected British Secret Service and military intelligence agents in Dublin in late 1920. It accepts the republican account wholeheartedly and somewhat triumphantly. With that caveat, it is a useful study. Originally published as Blood Sunday: This Was the Day on Which Irish Patriots Practically Wiped out British Secret Agents in Dublin (London: Four Square Books, 1963).
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Murphy, Gerard. The Year of Disappearances: Political Killings in Cork, 1921–1922. 2d ed. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan, 2011.
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A quite controversial book when it came out, The Year of Disappearances has not lost any of its impact. It examines the murder of people in County Cork by the IRA during the war and comes to the provocative and contentious conclusion that many were innocent of constituting any threat to the republicans.
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“The Cairo Gang.”
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A nonscholarly website, but one that provides much information of use to those new to the study of IRA counterintelligence operations during the war.
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Military and Paramilitary Organizations

Multiple “armies” operated in Ireland during the revolutionary era. Bowman 2007 provides one of the more comprehensive examinations of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) since Stewart 1999 (cited under Unionism). Martin 1963 gives many primary documents about the foundation of the Irish Volunteer movement. Bell 1983 is one of the comprehensive works on the IRA. Hart 2003 includes a series of essays examining different aspects of the IRA. Browne 2007 provides a look into the workings of a small IRA unit. Haines 2009 provides a similar account of the early UVF arms smuggling efforts to 1914.

Bell, J. Bowyer. The Secret Army: The IRA, 1916–1979. 4th ed. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1983.
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This is one of the standard works on the development of the IRA over the sixty years examined.
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Bowman, Timothy. Carson’s Army: The Ulster Volunteer Force, 1910–22. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 2007.
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This book is an excellent study of the UVF in its most important aspects. It is really the first book of its kind as most historians treat the UVF as a side topic hardly to be mentioned. Bowman examines the UVF’s organization, leadership, training, planning, and preparedness. It has no equal.
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Browne, Charlie. The Story of the 7th: A Concise History of the 7th Battalion, Cork No.1 Brigade, Irish Republican Army from 1915 to 1921. Cork, Ireland: Schull, 2007.
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This is a reprint of a privately published book from 1972. It is an account of the unit by its commandant from the beginning of the era to the end of the war. He gives valuable insights into his thinking and the operation of an IRA battalion at war.
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Haines, Keith. Fred Crawford: Carson’s Gunrunner. Donaghadee, Northern Ireland: Cottage, 2009.
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This biography examines the life of the primary arms smuggler for the Ulster Volunteer Force. It looks at how and why Crawford was successful and, although ultimately a pro-Unionist work, what it meant for the future of Northern Ireland.
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Hart, Peter. The IRA at War, 1916–1923. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.
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This is a series of articles published by Hart in various fora during his all-too-brief career. He looked at many aspects of the IRA’s war, including the Volunteers’ demographics, their operations in Britain and America, and what he says they did to their religious “enemies.” His work remains controversial, but his views have not been critically refuted and they remain influential.
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Martin, Francis X. The Irish Volunteers, 1913–1915: Recollections and Documents. Dublin, Ireland: James Duffy, 1963.
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This early work provides many documents about the founding, training, arming, equipping, and organizing of the Irish Volunteers, especially in the formative early years. It is indispensable.
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Police

Two police forces existed in Ireland during the revolutionary era, the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP). The former was a favorite target of the IRA during the war and the latter was known for its intelligence capabilities until Collins’s intelligence organization nullified it. Few scholarly studies of the regular police in Ireland exist. Malcolm 2006 provides a comprehensive view of the police in Ireland. While Bennett 2002 is the work that endeavors to examine the influence of the Black and Tans, Leeson 2011 gives the first scholarly look at the Black and Tans and the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary (ADRIC). McCall 2010 gives much basic information about the ADRIC, and the Auxiliary Division of the RIC is also an excellent resource.

Bennett, Richard. The Black and Tans: The British Special Police in Ireland. New York: MetroBooks, 2002.
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Originally published in 1959. This was the first study of the Black and Tans, but it suffers from a dearth of sources as well as the lack of their citation. First written at a time when many of these men were still alive, no attempt appears to have made to use interviews as a source.
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Farrell, Michael. Arming the Protestants: The Formation of the Ulster Special Constabulary and the Royal Ulster Constabulary, 1920–7. London: Pluto, 1983.
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Farrell studies the formation of the Ulster Special Constabulary during the war and carries through to the establishment of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
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Lawlor, Pearse. The Outrages 1920–1922: The IRA and the Ulster Special Constabulary in the Border Campaign. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2011.
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This is not a history as much as it is a chronology of events and atrocities committed by both sides. It gives useful background for further research into the war in the North.
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Leeson, David M. The Black and Tans: British Police and Auxiliaries in the Irish War of Independence, 1920–1921. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199598991.001.0001Save Citation »Export Citation »E-mail Citation »
A masterful recent study of the Black and Tans and the Auxiliary Division of the RIC (ADRIC). It has quickly become the standard reference on the topic.
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Malcolm, Elizabeth. The Irish Policeman, 1822–1922: A Life. Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts, 2006.
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This is one of the few studies of the RIC. It focuses on the force over time, but it also includes some insights for the revolutionary era.
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McCall, Ernest. The Auxiliaries: Tudor’s Toughs: A Study of the Auxiliary Division Royal Irish Constabulary, 1920–1922. Newtownards, Northern Ireland: Red Coat, 2010.
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Although not a scholarly source, this self-published book contains a wealth of information and is sufficiently accurate to warrant mention. It is the only other book in addition to Leeson 2011 published on the ADRIC.
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The Auxiliary Division of the RIC.
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This is a nonscholarly but useful online source containing personal information for many members of the ADRIC. Although one should be careful to cross-reference information from this site, it is a useful tool for commencing research.
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Police Memoirs

The police were the primary IRA target from January 1919 to the end of 1920. Their experiences and the information available about them provide the chief view into the early part of the conflict. Augusteijn 2007, Ball 1999, and Gaughan 2012 constitute memoirs of policemen in Ireland. Duff 1937 and Crozier 1930 are works by the only Black and Tans and Auxiliary Division men to leave autobiographies. Brewer 1990 gives interviews with former policemen.

Augusteijn, Joost, ed. The Memoirs of John M. Regan: A Catholic Officer in the RIC and the RUC, 1909–1948. Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts, 2007.
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This fascinating memoir covers Regan’s time as an officer in the RIC and his experiences during the revolutionary era.
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Ball, Stephen, ed. A Policeman’s Ireland: Recollections of Samuel Waters, RIC. Irish Narratives. Cork, Ireland: Cork University Press, 1999.
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Waters was an enlisted RIC member and left a valuable narrative of his time on the force.
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Brewer, John D. The Royal Irish Constabulary: An Oral History. Belfast, Northern Ireland: Institute of Irish Studies, Queen’s University of Belfast, 1990.
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This work consists of a series of statements from former policemen in Ireland during the war. It is useful as the narratives provide details about police largely not available in the general histories of the conflict. It is also a cross-over piece that examines both regular police and the so-called Black and Tans, who were former British military men recruited into the RIC for the conflict. Their conduct has become legendary.
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Crozier, Frank P. Impressions and Recollections. London: T. Werner Laurie, 1930.
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Frank Crozier commanded the Auxiliary Division of the RIC from its founding to his resignation in protest some nine months later. His story is problematic as he was opportunistic, writing three memoirs about his time in the Ulster Volunteer Force, the British army in World War I, and as the ADRIC commander.
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Duff, Douglas V. Sword for Hire: The Saga of a Modern Free-Companion. London: John Murray, 1937.
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This rare volume is the only autobiography of a “Black and Tan” published, although his service in Ireland was brief.
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Gaughan, J. Anthony. The Memoirs of Constable Jeremiah Mee, RIC. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2012.
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Mee’s memoirs are useful in demonstrating the political problems faced by the RIC. Clearly, he supported the nationalists, but not entirely. The memoir is a little problematic as he used his story to try, unsuccessfully, to get the Irish Republic to pay him a pension.
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British Government

Several studies recount the activities of the British government during the war. Of these, Jones 1971 provides a view into the Cabinet. Mansergh 1965 examines the reaction of British politicians to the phenomenon of Irish nationalism. O’Halpin 1987 examines civil service and Grob-Fitzgibbon 2007 looks at the interplay between government and effective action. McColgan 1983 looks at the ordinary transfer of power from British to Free State administration. Fanning 2013 gives a new view to the inner workings of the Cabinet during the era.

Fanning, Ronan. Fatal Path: British Government and Irish Revolution, 1910–1922. London: Faber & Faber, 2013.
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Fanning examines the conflict anew in arguing that not only was the threatened violence of the Ulster Unionists real, but also that it served as the driving force behind the creation of the Northern Ireland state. In short, violence worked.
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Grob-Fitzgibbon, Benjamin J. Turning Points of the Irish Revolution: The British Government, Intelligence, and the Cost of Indifference, 1912–1921. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.
DOI: 10.1057/9780230604322Save Citation »Export Citation »E-mail Citation »
Examines the failure of government to maintain security in Ireland by failing to address the paramilitary threat posed by the various groups there.
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Jones, Thomas. Whitehall Diary. Vol. 3, Ireland, 1918–1925. Edited by Keith Middlemas. London: Oxford University Press, 1971.
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This is an account of the deputy secretary to the Cabinet and what he viewed from his position inside the British government during the war.
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Mansergh, Nicholas. The Irish Question 1840–1921. London: Allen & Unwin, 1965.
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Mansergh examines growth of Irish nationalism and the reaction of the British government to it. He notes the confusion this new Irish nationalism engendered among British politicians.
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McColgan, John. British Policy and the Irish Administration, 1920–22. London: Allen & Unwin, 1983.
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This is the definitive study of the ordinary transfer of power from the British administration in Ireland to the Free State.
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O’Halpin, E. The Decline of the Union: British Government in Ireland, 1892–1920. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan, 1987.
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This study was the first to document cultural bias inculcated into the regular British civil service, leading to the inflexibility that typified government actions in dealing with Ireland. The author also raises the interesting question of why the republicans created a governmental system so similar to that of Britain.
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Dublin Castle

The government of Ireland under the British was housed mainly at Dublin Castle. McBride 1991 is an account about the changes that occurred among the officials there, and Hopkinson 1999 and Magill 2003 provide interesting memoirs. Finally, Street 1921 is an interesting monograph, which served essentially as a propaganda piece.

Hopkinson, Michael, ed. The Last Days of Dublin Castle: The Mark Sturgis Diaries. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 1999.
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These diaries, transcribed from the originals housed in the UK National Archives, provide much information about the inner workings of Dublin Castle during the war.
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Magill, Charles W., ed. From Dublin Castle to Stormont: The Memoirs of Andrew Philip Magill, 1913–1925. Cork, Ireland: Cork University Press, 2003.
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These are the memoirs of one of the more important officials to come into Dublin Castle in the spring 1920 influx of new personnel. This account should be read in conjunction with Hopkinson 1999.
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McBride, Lawrence W. The Greening of Dublin Castle: The Transformation of Bureaucratic and Judicial Personnel in Ireland, 1892–1922. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1991.
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McBride discusses the introduction of increasing numbers of Roman Catholics into the Dublin Castle administration.
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Street, Cecil John Charles. The Administration of Ireland, 1920. London: Philip Allan, 1921.
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This is a polemic written by a British army officer serving in Dublin Castle. It is interesting to read this alongside Magill 2003 and Hopkinson 1999.
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Dáil Éireann

The Dáil Éireann first met in January 1919 in Dublin, beginning the new era of resistance to British rule in Ireland by replacement that government with self-rule. Farrell 1971 is the standard reference on Dáil Éireann. Mitchell 1995 and Farrell 1994 are updated accounts, but studies remain limited. Of course, the Dáil Éireann Debates are available online.

Farrell, Brian. The Founding of Dáil Éireann: Parliament and Nation Building. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan, 1971.
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This is the seminal work on the Dáil Éireann. It has yet to be surpassed.
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Farrell, Brian, ed. The Creation of the Dail: A Volume of Essays from the Thomas Davis Lectures. Dublin, Ireland: Blackwater, 1994.
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This work includes a group of essays examining the creation of the Dáil Éireann.
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Mitchell, Arthur. Revolutionary Government in Ireland: Dáil Éireann, 1919–22. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan, 1995.
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This is an account of the Dáil’s activities during the war, how the members established a fully functioning rebel government.
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Oireachtas. Dáil Éireann Debates.
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The extant debate papers are available online and are searchable.
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The Anglo-Irish Treaty

The Anglo-Irish Treaty was probably the most important event in Irish history since the Flight of the Earls. It established the Irish Free State, which eventually led to the establishment of the Irish Republic. Costello 2003 gives a good account of the treaty. Dwyer 1981 examines the split between Collins and de Valera. Gallagher 1965 is an anti-treaty view of the treaty, while Longford 1992 is the standard reference work on the treaty. Knirck 2006 gives a view into the treaty negotiations, while Dwyer 2006 provides the pro-treaty view. Murphy 1995 examines the role of one of the republican negotiators.

Costello, Francis. The Irish Revolution and Its Aftermath, 1916–1923: Years of Revolt. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 2003.
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Despite its length, this gives a comprehensive view of the establishment of the treaty. Costello seems to favor the pro-treaty side.
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Dwyer, T. Ryle. Michael Collins and the Treaty: His Differences with de Valera. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 1981.
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This work is an examination of the issues that caused the rift between Collins and de Valera leading to civil war.
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Dwyer, T. Ryle. “I Signed My Death Warrant”: Michael Collins and the Treaty. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2006.
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Dwyer deals well with issues surrounding the treaty, arguing Collins’s point that it would serve as a stepping stone to a republic and that the British counteroffensive in the making would cost all the gains the republicans had made.
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Gallagher, Frank. The Anglo-Irish Treaty. London: Hutchinson, 1965.
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Gallagher was a journalist who worked for Childers during the war. His look at the treaty is jaundiced by his overt support of de Valera and the Civil War. But if read with that in mind, it provides a useful view into the anti-treaty side.
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Knirck, Jason K. Imagining Ireland’s Independence: The Debates over the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006.
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An examination of the latest view of the Dáil debates in 1922, giving a glimpse into the process of drafting the treaty and the divisions the treaty caused.
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Longford, Frank Pakenham. Peace by Ordeal: The Negotiation of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, 1921. London: Pimlico, 1992.
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Originally published in 1967. This is the classic study of the negotiation of the treaty.
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Murphy, Brian P. John Chartres: Mystery Man of the Treaty. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 1995.
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Murphy examines the story of a British intelligence agent who ended up on the republican side working as the secretary to the republican committee in the treaty negotiations.
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Legal Affairs and Courts

The Dáil Éireann established arbitration courts and, later, criminal courts to replace the government courts as part of its nonrecognition campaign. O’Broin 1989 provides a view into the legal issues. Kotsonouris 1994 looks at the Dáil courts. Campbell 1994 provides an excellent account of the laws available to the British to respond to these crises. When the courts stopped working, the British courts-martial took over and tried cases in martial law areas. Barton 2002 provides court-martial records in the Easter Rising. Enright 2012 examines the courts-martial critically.

Barton, Brian. From Behind a Closed Door: Secret Court Martial Records of the 1916 Easter Rising. Belfast, Northern Ireland: Blackstaff, 2002.
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This is a group of the courts-martial records during the Easter Rising. These documents have hitherto not been available to the general public.
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Campbell, Colm. Emergency Law in Ireland, 1918–1925. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
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Campbell examines the laws available to the British during the conflict. More importantly, he looks at the legal arguments for the use of the powers granted.
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Enright, Seán. The Trial of Civilians by Military Courts. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 2012.
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This is the first critical study of monograph length to examine the courts-martial during the war.
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Kotsonouris, Mary. Retreat from Revolution: The Dáil Courts, 1920–1924. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 1994.
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This is first monograph-length account of the Dáil courts. It provides a useful view into the actual functioning of the courts.
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O’Broin, Leon. W. E. Wylie and the Irish Revolution, 1916–1921. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan, 1989.
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O’Broin provides an interesting view from the legal perspective of one of the prosecutors of the leaders of the Easter Rising, who eventually served as a High Court justice in the Free State.
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Prisons and Prisoners

Thousands of individuals were arrested and imprisoned during the wars. After the Easter Rising, thousands were sent to prisons in Britain; many of these individuals ended up at Fron-Goch in Wales. Brennan-Whitmore 2013 is a reprint of a 1917 book, the first published about Fron-Goch. Ebenezer 2006 and O’Mahoney 1987 provide glimpses into what these men endured and how they responded. During the later war, most went to internment camps without trial in Ireland. Walsh 1921 provides the earliest account of internment, but it is heavily biased. Ó Duibhir 2013 is a history of an internment camp. McConville 2003 examines rebel prisoners generally. Finally, Walsh 1921 constitutes a propaganda piece about the author’s experiences as a prisoner.

Brennan-Whitmore, W. J. With the Irish in Frongoch. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2013.
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First published in 1917, this is one of the first accounts of what occurred in the prison camp at Fron-Goch. This work established the narrative that has been maintained ever since.
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Ebenezer, Lyn. Fron-Goch and the Birth of the IRA. Llanrwst, Wales: Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 2006.
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This is a more recent examination of Fron-Goch and includes new sources.
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McConville, Seán. Irish Political Prisoners, 1848–1922: Theatres of War. New York: Routledge, 2003.
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This is a more general view of the treatment of various rebels from the Young Ireland rebellion to the War of Independence.
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Ó Duibhir, Liam. Prisoners of War: Ballykinlar Internment Camp, 1920–1921. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2013.
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This is the first critical examination of internment generally during the war and at Ballykinlar Camp specifically.
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O’Mahoney, Sean. Frongoch: University of Revolution. Dublin, Ireland: FDR Teoranta, 1987.
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This study accepts the legend that the new war was born in Fron-Goch.
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Walsh, Louis J. “On My Keeping” and in Theirs: A Record of Experiences “on the Run,” in Derry Gaol, and in Ballykinlar Internment Camp. Dublin, Ireland: Talbot, 1921.
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This is an eyewitness account of a republican fugitive during the war, detailing his capture and confinement.
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Popular Opinion

In any revolutionary movement popular opinion is critical to success; the same is also true for the counterrevolutionary forces. One of the earliest studies of these issues is Boyce 1972. Augusteijn 1998 looks at the radicalization process, and Kostick 1996 brings in class issues. Curtis 1984 and Murphy 2006 look at the issues surrounding “spin” and propaganda. Kenneally 2008 and Walsh 2008 look at the role of newspapers in the war.

Augusteijn, Joost. From Public Defiance to Guerrilla Warfare: The Experience of Ordinary Volunteers in the Irish War of Independence, 1916–1921. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 1998.
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Using only primary sources, the author examines the motivation of the Irish Volunteer movement, why people joined, what they intended to do, and what they expected to happen. Moreover, he examines why the movement moved from confrontation to outright violence.
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Boyce, D. George. Englishmen and Irish Troubles: British Public Opinion and the Making of Irish Policy, 1918–1922. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1972.
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This groundbreaking study examines the influence of public opinion on policy formulation.
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Curtis, Liz. Ireland, the Propaganda War: The Media and the “Battle for Hearts and Minds.” London: Pluto, 1984.
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The standard study of propaganda in Ireland during the war, Curtis examines efforts by the British to “spin” information and to get their message out to Ireland and the people.
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Kenneally, Ian. The Paper Wall: Newspapers and Propaganda in Ireland, 1919–1921. Cork, Ireland: Collins, 2008.
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Kenneally gives a critical study of the reporting in newspapers in Ireland during the revolutionary era. The first study of its kind on the war, it examines the reporting undertaken by five major papers, surveying the authors, their political beliefs, the attempts to manipulate them, propaganda, and so forth.
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Kostick, Conor. Revolution in Ireland: Popular Militancy, 1917 to 1923. London: Pluto, 1996.
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Although not technically a scholarly work, this book looks at the hitherto unexamined elements of the revolution from a socialist perspective. Kostick analyzes the influences of World War I and the Bolshevik revolutionaries in Europe, and he also studies the role of the working class on all sides during this the turbulent period.
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Murphy, Brian P. The Origins and Organisation of British Propaganda in Ireland, 1920. Aubane, Ireland: Aubane Historical Society, 2006.
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This is an admirable attempt to examine propaganda and its effects in Ireland during the conflict. Murphy updates the research of earlier works and is essential to anyone studying the topic.
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Walsh, Maurice. The News from Ireland: Foreign Correspondents and the Irish Revolution. London: I. B. Tauris, 2008.
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Walsh looks at the republican victory with respect to public opinion, particularly at the manipulation of information to political advantage.
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Counties and Regions

Many regional studies by historians have appeared since the 1970s, and the first among them is Fitzpatrick 1977. To be sure, the so-called “Fighting Story” series appeared in 1947, which were reedited and rereleased 2009, but, although valuable, these are recollections, not histories. Fitzpatrick launched what Alvin Jackson has termed the “Trinity School,” which holds, at its core, that local events and activities drove the revolution. The work of (the late) Peter Hart, a former student of Fitzpatrick, is representative of this school as is that of Joost Augusteijn (see Augusteijn 1998).

Augusteijn, Joost. From Public Defiance to Guerrilla Warfare: The Experience of Ordinary Volunteers in the Irish War of Independence, 1916–1921. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 1998.
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Using only primary sources, Augusteijn examines the motivation of the Irish Volunteer movement, why people joined, what they intended to do, and what they expected to happen. He does not examine the whole of the movement but concentrates his study on five counties: Dublin, Derry, Mayo, Tipperary, and Wexford in looking at why the movement moved from confrontation to outright violence.
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Fitzpatrick, David. Politics and Irish Life, 1913–1921. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan, 1977.
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This study was groundbreaking. Using the latest sources available at the time, Fitzpatrick used various techniques, including statistical analysis, to examine the war at the county level.
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The Fighting Story

Foremost among the regional works is the four-part Fighting Story series commissioned by The Kerryman, a newspaper publisher, in 1947. These four county recollections of the war were reissued in 2009, but the new versions have been edited with some of the original entries removed. In each instance, the titles have been modified. Others in the same genre have also been produced. While not histories, they are valuable statements by witnesses and participants. Hart 2009 retells what the IRA did in Cork during the war. Ferriter 2009 is the story of the militants in Dublin in the same period. Lee 2009 and O’Donnell 2009, likewise, recount the IRA’s activity in County Kerry and County Limerick, respectively. Doherty 2010 is in the same genre, but more generalized. National Association of the Old IRA 1939 is the first such book to be published, while O’Reilly 2009 includes accounts from the IRA magazine.

Doherty, Gabriel, ed. With the IRA in the Fight for Freedom: 1919 to the Truce. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2010.
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Although not formally part of the Fighting Story series, this is a more general version of the same that includes other areas of Ireland. This work was completed around the same time as the Fighting Story series and has been reissued.
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Ferriter, Diarmaid, ed. Dublin’s Fighting Story, 1916–21: Told by the Men Who Made It. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2009.
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This volume has thirty-one accounts, although three have multiple subheadings, of the situation the IRA faced in Dublin from the beginning of the Volunteer movement through the Easter Rising to the end of the war. Many of the authors were prominent in the movement. An account of the critical roles played by women in the war is included.
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Hart, Peter, ed. Rebel Cork’s Fighting Story, from 1916–21: Told by the Men Who Made It. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2009.
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This is a selection of thirty accounts given by the various members of the Cork brigades, arranged chronologically from the foundation of the Volunteers to the end of the war. Topics vary widely, but they give a good impression of what the IRA thought was important to remember. It ends with an entry on the Cumann na mBan in Dublin.
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Lee, J. J., ed. Kerry’s Fighting Story, 1916–21: Told by the Men Who Made It. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2009.
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This volume includes thirty-three entries, fourteen with subheadings, that give accounts of the conflict from the foundation of the Volunteers. Thirteen of the accounts cover the Easter Rising and its aftermath. It includes many accounts of ambushes and assassinations and ends with an account of the Cumann na mBan in Kerry.
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National Association of the Old IRA. Dublin Brigade Review. Dublin, Ireland: Cahill, 1939.
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This work is another in this genre published separately by republicans in the 1930s. This book has not been reprinted.
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O’Donnell, Ruán, ed. Limerick’s Fighting Story, 1916–21: Told by the Men Who Made It. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2009.
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The last of the Fighting Story series includes thirty-four entries, several of which have multiple subheadings. Like the others, it begins with an account of the pre-Easter Rising Volunteers in Limerick, goes through the rising and finishes with the end of the conflict and an article about the Cumann na mBan.
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O’Reilly, Terence. Our Struggle for Independence: Eye-Witness Accounts from the Pages of An Cosantóir. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2009.
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This is a selection of accounts from the IRA’s magazine. These read like the Bureau of Military History witness statements and constitute an important depository of the contemporary recollections.
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Munster

When the author of Hart 1998 began his doctoral research that became his award-winning book, he found the generalized view of the war, namely, that the southern counties were more militant in the revolution, was statistically provable. Hart determined to find out why this was so. In a similar vein, but not in the same school of thought, the author of Dwyer 2001 looks into Kerry’s history during the war. Joy 2006 resembles Hart 1998 in that it examines the people involved. O’Callaghan 2010 challenges local myths, and Ó Ruairc 2009 gives the republican view.

Dwyer, T. Ryle. Tans, Terror and Troubles: Kerry’s Real Fighting Story, 1913–23. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2001.
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This is the first examination by an academically trained historian focusing on the war in County Kerry. He found that it was far bloodier than admitted by many of the official sources.
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Hart, Peter. The IRA & Its Enemies: Violence and Community in Cork, 1916–1923. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
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Hart found that while Munster was the most violent province during the war, Cork was the most violent county. Focusing on why, he examined the demographics and determined that the war was ethnic sectarian and murderous. Hart has been attacked considerably by mostly local historians, who raise important questions about his work. A study of monograph length to dispute his findings has yet to appear.
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Joy, Sinéad. The IRA in Kerry, 1916–1921. Cork, Ireland: Collins, 2006.
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This work derives from the author’s master’s thesis in which she examines the motivations for joining the IRA movement. Part of this study includes how they fought the war.
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O’Callaghan, John. Revolutionary Limerick: The Republican Campaign for Independence in Limerick, 1913–1921. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 2010.
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This is an exceptional study in that it examines Limerick; O’Callaghan questions not just the favored local myths, he also places them in context with the other studies of this type. It is most helpful.
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Ó Ruairc, Pádraig Óg. Blood on the Banner: The Republican Struggle in Clare. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2009.
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This is the first major work on the revolutionary era in Clare. The author examines the Volunteer struggle from the Easter Rising to the end of the Civil War. It is told from a pro-republican point of view but that should not be taken as a disqualification.
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Connaught

“The west’s asleep” was a common refrain throughout the revolutionary history of Ireland, but recent researchers have begun to question that view. Coleman 2003 looks at what brought Longford into revolution. Campbell 2008 examines the role of western Ireland generally; Farry 2012, O’Callaghan 2012 and Price 2012 look at Sligo, Roscommon, and Mayo, respectively.

Campbell, Fergus J. M. Land and Revolution: Nationalist Politics in the West of Ireland, 1891–1921. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
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This work studies the agrarian aspects during the struggle for independence. Campbell notes that the situation changed dramatically and argues that the authorities frequently responded with land reform in response to discontent in the West. In so doing, he has reintroduced the critical agrarian issue into the revolutionary historiography.
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Coleman, Marie. County Longford and the Irish Revolution, 1910–1923. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 2003.
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Coleman’s work is methodical and painstaking in its analysis and documentation. In a vein similar to Hart 1998 (cited under Munster), but without grandiose statements, she looks at the cause and causes of the war, its conduct and its conclusions.
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Farry, Michael. Sligo: The Irish Revolution, 1917–1921. Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts, 2012.
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One of a series of planned county histories of the revolution; this work examines the shift of the county from home rule to republican, the beginning of the war and its conduct locally, and finally, the Civil War.
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O’Callaghan, Miceál. For Ireland and Freedom: Roscommon’s Contribution in the Fight for Independence. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2012.
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Another useful local study of the war in County Roscommon, it views the war from the republican point of view.
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Price, Dominic. The Flame and the Candle: War in Mayo, 1919–1924. Cork, Ireland: Collins, 2012.
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The author in this pro-republican examination of the War of Independence and Civil War in County Mayo analyzes many aspects, including intelligence, police, tactics, and other topics. It also contains valuable appendixes filled with reports, lists, and tables.
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Ulster

The war in Ulster has long been neglected by historians who, naturally enough, assumed there was little to examine. What is frequently lost is that the conflict in the north was considerably more complex, but in many ways, considerably more dangerous than in most parts of Ireland due to the surrounding majority Unionist population. But with the release of more contemporaneous records, especially the Bureau of Military History witness statements, research on the northern conflict has enjoyed a resurgence. This section is divided into Nationalists in Ulster, Unionists and Loyalism, and Partition.

Nationalists in Ulster

Few studies of the IRA in Ulster exist, primarily because their operations in the heavily Unionist areas were somewhat stymied by the presence and active opposition of the Unionist forces against them. Further, the concentration of nationalists among the Catholic populations in Belfast and Londonderry tended to limit their abilities to operate effectively. The geography of Ulster considerably divides this category as the two Ulster counties that did not become part of the Northern Ireland state, Donegal and Monaghan, had different experiences in the War of Independence. Ó Duibhir 2009 is an admirable history of the former. Staunton 2001 looks at all the various nationalist groups in the North of Ireland. Kenna 1922 began the recording and propagandizing about the anti-Catholic situation in the North, and McDermott 2001 and Gallagher 2003 continues this examination, but in a scholarly way. Harris 1993 examines the role of the Roman Catholic Church in the North, Glennon 2013 examines the conduct of the northern war, while Lynch 2006 looks at what happened to the northern units at the time of, and after, partition. Phoenix 1994 examines the northern republican reactions to the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

Gallagher, Ronan. Violence and Nationalist Politics in Derry City, 1920–1923. Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts, 2003.
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This is a study of the general violence by both sides in Derry during the war. It takes a more pro-republican tone, but since works on the North remain limited, it is most useful.
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Glennon, Kieran. From Pogrom to Civil War: Tom Glennon and the Belfast IRA. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2013.
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An account of the war in the North along with the fallout from it, this work examines how and why that part of the war was so different. Finally, it looks at the pogrom legends and their veracity.
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Harris, Mary. The Catholic Church and the Foundation of the Northern Ireland State. Cork, Ireland: Cork University Press, 1993.
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While many republicans denied the War of Independence was a sectarian conflict, it is impossible to deny the essential sectarian nature of the conflict in the North; indeed, the British government understood there was a considerable religious element; Lord Fitzallen was chosen Lord Lieutenant of Ireland especially because he was a Catholic.
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Kenna, G. B. Facts & Figures of the Belfast Pogrom, 1920–1922. Dublin, Ireland: O’Connell, 1922.
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This polemic details the plight of the northern nationalists, mainly Catholic, during the war. It provides details that are hard to refute since they are mainly taken from newspaper accounts.
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Lynch, R. The Northern IRA and the Early Years of Partition, 1920–1922. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 2006.
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This is a general study of the North during the war and looks at the effects of the Unionists’ counters to the republicans.
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McDermott, Jim. Northern Divisions: The Old IRA and the Belfast Pogroms 1920–22. Belfast, Northern Ireland: Beyond the Pale Publications, 2001.
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This is one of the few attempts to deal with the situation in the North during the war. It is well written but requires care since McDermott, like so many authors, is personally involved in the topic.
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Ó Duibhir, Liam. The Donegal Awakening: Donegal & the War of Independence. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2009.
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The northern counties were consistently accused of not participating fully in the war. This is an examination of Donegal’s activity.
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Phoenix, Eamon. Northern Nationalism: Nationalist Politics, Partition and the Catholic Minority in Northern Ireland, 1890–1940. Belfast, Northern Ireland: Ulster Historical Foundation, 1994.
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Examines the northern nationalists’ reactions to the treaty and partition, demonstrating they were as divided as was the public in the South.
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Staunton, Enda. The Nationalists of Northern Ireland, 1918–1973. Dublin, Ireland: Columba, 2001.
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This is a comprehensive examination of all nationalist groups in Northern Ireland.
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Unionists and Loyalism

Several threads within this category include the issues in Ulster surrounding home rule before World War I, which Stewart 1997 handles ably, while Muenger 1991 examines some of the wider issues, especially the army’s reaction. Bew 1998 looks at the home rule side for other options, and Fitzpatrick 1998 examines the similar processes experienced in both the North and the South as a result. Parkinson 2004 challenges the belief that sectarian violence in the North during the war was a one-sided affair.

Bew, Paul. Ideology and the Irish Question: Ulster Unionism and Irish Nationalism, 1912–1916. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998.
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This work examines the home rule crisis of 1912 to 1914, arguing that John Redmond had alternatives that would have kept the home rule debate open and, perhaps, prevented the war.
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Fitzpatrick, David. The Two Irelands, 1912–1939. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
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This well-balanced book examines how the North of Ireland and the South experienced similar revolutionary events, albeit from different ends of the political spectrum, and worked along similar lines. It is an excellent comparative study.
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Muenger, Elizabeth A. The British Military Dilemma in Ireland. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1991.
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Muenger analyzes the military situation in Ireland in the events leading up to the home rule crisis of 1912 to 1914 and the Curragh “Mutiny.”
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Parkinson, Alan F. Belfast’s Unholy War: The Troubles of the 1920s. Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts, 2004.
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Parkinson’s book is the first scholarly examination of the Belfast pogroms and challenges the commonly held view that the sectarian violence during the war was a one-sided affair.
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Stewart, A. T. Q. The Ulster Crisis: Resistance to Home Rule, 1912–1914. Belfast, Northern Ireland: Blackstaff, 1997.
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Originally published in 1967. Few objective histories of the situation in Ulster at the time are available and Stewart’s work is among the best. He examines the rise of the militant political movement that became the Ulster Volunteer Force and its attendant political organizations as well as their effect on the situation generally in Ireland.
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Partition

The partitioning of Northern Ireland from the rest of the island in June 1921 and the subsequent ratification of the split with enactment of the Anglo-Irish Treaty caused rifts within the republican camp that ultimately led to the Civil War. Hennessey 1998 looks at the influence of World War I on the Ulster situation, and Laffan 1994 provides a general account. Mansergh 1991 gives a good account of the necessity of the treaty, which contrasts nicely with Gallagher 1957, which presents the opposite view. Bowman 1989 is a wide-ranging, complete study. Fitzpatrick 1998 is critical to understanding the situation at the time.

Bowman, John. De Valera and the Ulster Question, 1917–1973. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.
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This comprehensive study examines de Valera’s fixation with partition throughout the remainder of his life.
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Fitzpatrick, David. The Two Irelands 1912–1939. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
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Fitzpatrick examines the two revolutions in Ireland, the one in the South as well as that of the Unionists. It is critical because it demonstrates that both the nationalists and the Unionists were rebelling, albeit with different goals.
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Gallagher, Frank. The Indivisible Island: The Story of the Partition of Ireland. London: Victor Gollancz, 1957.
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This work provides the standard pro-treaty version of the issue of partition. Essentially, they believed that the treaty and partition would lead to unification later.
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Hennessey, Thomas. Dividing Ireland: World War One and Partition. Milton Park, UK: Routledge, 1998.
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In this examination, Hennessey looks at the influence exerted by World War I on the issue of partition, especially in the North. This work takes a holistic approach and helps to explain the views of the various groups in Ireland on the union as well as the fate of the rest of Ireland.
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Laffan, Michael. The Partition of Ireland, 1911–1925. Dundalk, Ireland: Dundalgan, 1994.
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This is a useful, good, and basic overview of the situation, arguments, and outcomes from the partition debate.
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Mansergh, Nicholas. The Unresolved Question: The Anglo-Irish Settlement and Its Undoing, 1912–1972. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1991.
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In this his last book, Mansergh, who lived through the revolution, examines the settlement reached and then how it was destroyed. Based solidly on research, the author also benefited from knowing many of the people involved and brought this wealth of information to his writing.
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Irish Diaspora and Expatriate

The Irish became a worldwide “race” in the mid-18th and 19th centuries and as a result, large groups of foreign-born Irish could be found in far-flung places across the globe in the early 20th century. How “Irish” these people were depends largely on the criteria used. What is indisputable, however, is that the expatriate and foreign-born Irish were willing to assist in the republican struggle in large numbers, although they do so curiously, mostly with funding. Carroll 1978 looks directly at the influence of America on the Irish situation, while Golway 1998 examines the role of John Devoy, who also left his memoir (Devoy 1929). Tansill 1957 gives the Clan na Gael viewpoint of the situation. McCartan 1932 provides an account of the author’s mission with de Valera while in America. Hannigan 2010 focuses on the politics of de Valera’s trip. McLaughlin 2013 examines Canada’s participation. Ward 1969 provides an examination of the importance of the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Carroll, Francis M. American Opinion and the Irish Question, 1910–23. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan, 1978.
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Carroll looks at the issue of the large Irish diaspora in America.
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Devoy, John. Recollections of an Irish Rebel. New York: Young, 1929.
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Devoy tells his story of what he attempted to achieve. He was pro-treaty and supported the Free State.
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Golway, Terry. Irish Rebel: John Devoy and America’s Fight for Ireland’s Freedom. New York: St. Martin’s, 1998.
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This work gives an account of one of the most important Irish-American figures in the last one hundred years.
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Hannigan, Dave. De Valera in America: The Rebel President and the Making of Irish Independence. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.
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Although not a scholarly work, this work is a good treatment of de Valera’s trip to America. It looks at the complicated politics between the American Fenians and the Irish rebels.
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McCartan, Patrick. With De Valera in America: An Account of Irish Republican Propaganda in the United States, 1918–21. New York: Brentano, 1932.
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McCartan provides his account of de Valera’s activities on his long trip to the United States of America.
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McLaughlin, Robert. Irish Canadian Conflict and the Struggle for Irish Independence, 1912–1925. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2013.
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This is an examination of Canada’s participation with respect to both sides during the revolution.
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Tansill, Charles C. America and the Fight for Irish Freedom, 1866–1922. New York: Devin-Adair, 1957.
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This is a pro-Clan na Gael account of America’s, primarily Clan na Gael’s, influence on the war. As such, it is quite biased, but it is most useful in providing the Clan na Gael point of view. It is available in reprint.
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Ward, Alan J. Ireland and Anglo-American Relations, 1899–1921. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1969.
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Ward gives a critical examination of the linkage of the Irish situation to the important relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States.
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Smuggling and Gunrunning

No books are available that examine arms dealing, except the present author’s forthcoming book. However, several biographies deal with the individuals involved in the arms trade for Ireland. The first to deal with this topic extensively are Figgis 1927 and McGuinness 1935, which are autobiographies. Briscoe 1958, Greaves 1971, and Pinkman 1998 follow suit.

Briscoe, Robert. For the Life of Me. Boston: Little, Brown, 1958.
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Briscoe was the IRB’s purchasing agent in Germany toward the end of the conflict. Although a Jew, Briscoe worked well with the Freikorps and other extreme nationalist groups in Germany at the time. Later in life he served as lord mayor of Dublin.
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Figgis, Darrell. Recollections of the Irish War. London: Ernest Benn, 1927.
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Figgis was involved in a great many enterprises, but one of the more important was the Howth gunrunning in 1914. The work is available in reprint.
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Greaves, C. Desmond. Liam Mellows and the Irish Revolution. London: Lawrence & Wishart, 1971.
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The director of Purchases, Mellows worked closely with Collins to bring in the “stuff.” As with so many of the IRA leaders, he did not survive the revolution; he was executed in 1922 by the Irish Free State.
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McGuinness, Charles John. Sailor of Fortune: Adventures of an Irish Sailor, Soldier, Pirate, Pearl-Fisher, Gun-Runner, Rebel, and Antarctic Explorer. Philadelphia: Macrae-Smith, 1935.
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See also Charles John McGuiness, Nomad: Memoirs of an Irish Sailor, Soldier, Pearl-Fisher, Pirate, Gun-Runner, Run-Runner, Rebel, and Antarctic Explorer (London: Methuen, 1934). These two works are the same book under different titles; Nomad was released in the United States. This autobiography is self-serving and fantastical, but much of what he claimed is verifiable. McGuinness worked for Briscoe in Germany and was intimately involved in the smuggling end of the business.
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Pinkman, John A. In the Legion of the Vanguard. Dublin, Ireland: Mercier, 1998.
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This work is the account of an Irish Volunteer from Liverpool, who worked mainly in the arms smuggling from Britain to Ireland. He provides not only an excellent view into the confused nature of the business, but also how those involved eventually got it to work.
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Civil War, 1922–1923

The Irish revolutionary period culminated with the Civil War between the Irish nationalists, who accepted the decree of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921, the ratification of that treaty by the Dáil Éireann, and the further confirmation of it by national vote of the Irish people, and the so-called advanced nationalists, who called themselves republicans and who rejected all of the above developments. Neeson 1989 is one of the first modern histories of the Civil War, while Hopkinson 2004 is the work that made the study of the Civil War acceptable. Garvin 1996 and Kissane 2005 argue opposing viewpoints of the war, both blaming either one or the other side. Regan 2001 sees fault in both sides. Farry 2000 and Ó Duibhir 2011 both examine a county during the conflict. O’Halpin 2000 looks at developments emanating from the Civil War. Finally, Clark 2014 looks at the use of violence during the war itself.

Clark, Gemma. Everyday Violence in the Irish Civil War. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2014.
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An examination of the mechanics of violence at the lowest levels, Clark looks to answer why it happened and comes up with the controversial answer that frequently it was religious and political persecution fueled the violence.
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Farry, Michael. The Aftermath of Revolution: Sligo, 1921–23. Dublin, Ireland: University College Dublin Press, 2000.
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Frequently left out of the histories, Sligo was considerably more violent in the Civil War than in the previous War of Independence. This is a comprehensive study of the county and what happened there.
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Garvin, Tom. 1922: The Birth of Irish Democracy. New York: St. Martin’s, 1996.
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Garvin argues the Civil War was fundamentally concerned with the will of the people in face of the threat of a violent minority that rejected the right of the people to decide.
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Hopkinson, Michael. Green against Green: The Irish Civil War. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan, 2004.
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Originally published in 1988. One of the first and one of the best histories of the Irish Civil War. Hopkinson broke new ground with his use of archival sources. Prior to this, the topic was somewhat neglected.
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Kissane, Bill. The Politics of the Irish Civil War. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199273553.001.0001Save Citation »Export Citation »E-mail Citation »
Focusing on the political issues of the war, Kissane affirms that it should be read alongside Garvin “since it argues that the democracy question has to be related to that of imperial control.” It is critical to understanding the overall situation during the Civil War.
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Neeson, Eoin. The Civil War, 1922–1923. Dublin, Ireland: Poolbeg, 1989.
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One of the earliest studies on the Civil War, it was praised by many anti-treaty veterans. It is an essential anti-treaty view of the Civil War.
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Ó Duibhir, Liam. Donegal & the Civil War: The Untold Story. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2011.
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This is an account of the fighting in Donegal during the Civil War and the subsequent executions by the Free State forces.
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O’Halpin, Eunan. Defending Ireland: The Irish State and Its Enemies since 1922. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.
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Focusing on the issues of internal security and national defense, O’Halpin examines their development in light of the retreat from revolution that typified the postwar governments.
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Regan, John M. The Irish Counter-Revolution, 1921–1936: Treatyite Politics and Settlement in Independent Ireland. Dublin, Ireland: Gill & Macmillan, 2001.
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This study looks at the underlying assumptions of the Irish Free State, asserting the anti-treaty IRA were not the only undemocratic forces involved in the fight. It is an intriguing look at the Civil War and its aftermath.
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Military History of the Irish Civil War Series

Mercier Press has planned a series of ten books on the military history of the Irish Civil War. Ó Ruairc 2010 looks at Limerick, Gillis 2011 at Dublin, Borgonovo 2012 at Cork, and O’Callaghan 2011 at Kilmallock, County Limerick.

Borgonovo, John. The Battle for Cork: July–August 1922. Military History of the Irish Civil War. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2012.
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The battle for Cork lasted three days before the republicans were defeated. Borgonovo tells the tale of what happened in quite a bit of detail.
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Gillis, Liz. The Fall of Dublin. Military History of the Irish Civil War. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2011.
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The Civil War officially began in Dublin with the Free State forces firing on the anti-treaty forces holding Four Courts in July 1922. Gills looks at leadership, legends surrounding the fighting, and the experiences of ordinary people involved.
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O’Callaghan, John. The Battle for Kilmallock. Military History of the Irish Civil War. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2011.
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Frequently seen as the pivotal battle of the Civil War, this work is an examination one of the largest and longest battles of the war.
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Ó Ruairc, Pádraig. Battle for Limerick City. Military History of the Irish Civil War. Cork, Ireland: Mercier, 2010.
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This first of the series examines how the fighting began slowly in Limerick but eventually grew vicious. Ultimately, the anti-treaty forces lost control of the city.
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Commemoration, Interpretation, and Memory

With the approach of the centenary of the events of this era, historians have been focusing increasingly greater attention on the memory and commemoration of them. Since commemoration in Ireland, especially public commemoration, is so linked to politics and political violence, its study becomes considerably more important than might otherwise be the case. McBride 2001 is one of the first of recent works to focus on memory, while Dolan 2003 provides a view into how the war was commemorated from just after it ended to the present. Switzer 2007 examines the influence of Unionist Great War commemorations on republican remembrances. McCarthy 2012 looks at the Easter Rising commemorations and their influence on politics. Ní Dhonnchadha and Dorgan 1991 provides multiple views on the issues of remembering and assigning meaning to the Easter Rising, while Boyce and O’Day 1996 looks at the remembrance issue from the historiographical perspective. Regan 2013 examines historical revisionism in a political context. Brady 1999 provides perspective into the historical process and Irish history.

Boyce, D. George, and Alan O’Day, eds. The Making of Modern Irish History: Revisionism and the Revisionist Controversy. London: Routledge, 1996.
DOI: 10.4324/9780203292419Save Citation »Export Citation »E-mail Citation »
The formidable pair brought together several leading Irish historians and examined aspects of the interpretation of the events of primarily the 20th century.
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Brady, Ciaran, ed. Interpreting Irish History: The Debate on Historical Revisionism, 1938–1994. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 1999.
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Another collection of essays from leading Irish historians who examine the progression of Irish historiography. Although dated, it is still valuable in the points the authors raise about the uses and abuses of history and their relationship to the national narrative.
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Dolan, Anne. Commemorating the Irish Civil War: History and Memory, 1923–2000. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
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In this groundbreaking study, Dolan examines the public and private methods of commemoration in the Irish Civil War as well as the Irish War of Independence. In so doing, she elucidated the conglomeration of political thought about Irish independence at the time.
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McBride, Ian. History and memory in modern Ireland. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
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In a series of essays, written by many of the leading historians of Ireland, the book firmly establishes the links among memory, commemoration, and political development. Although it covers a wider scope, several essays are related to the Irish revolution.
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McCarthy, Mark. Ireland’s 1916 Rising: Explorations of History-Making, Commemoration & Heritage in Modern Times. Heritage, Culture and Identity. Farnham, UK: Ashgate, 2012.
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Focusing on the Easter Rising, McCarthy examines commemoration and its importance to the political arena, establishing firmly the influence of this event on the rest of the revolutionary era.
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Ní Dhonnchadha, Máirín, and Theo Dorgan, eds. Revising the Rising. Derry, Northern Ireland: Field Day, 1991.
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In a collection of essays about the Easter Rising, eight prominent academics tackle various issues about the rising and, more especially, its interpretations by generations since. Members of the group find little on which to agree, except that they reject simplistic explanations.
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Regan, John M. Myth and the Irish State: Historical Problems and Other Essays. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 2013.
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A partisan, in the author’s words, look at the state of Irish historiography and its relationship to politics in Ireland, encompassing popular memory and history, commemoration, academic history, and the relation of all these to politics in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
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Switzer, Catherine. Unionists and Great War Commemoration in the North of Ireland, 1914–1939: People, Places and Politics. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic, 2007.
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Using a diverse selection of sources, such as actual practice, Switzer examines what World War I commemorations were like in Northern Ireland, which, in many cases, continue today. This established a baseline for the later republican commemorations.