The Irish War of Independence was a huge conflict in Irish
history that took place from 1919 to 1921. It was a guerrilla
war fought between Irish republican forces and the British
government. The war was a response to centuries of British
rule in Ireland and the desire for Irish independence. The
conflict led to the formation of the Irish Republic and
eventually, the establishment of the Irish Free State.
The Irish used many guerrilla warfare tactics, including
ambushes, assassinations, and attacks on British forces and
infrastructure. This was because of how outnumbered the
Irish were against the British. The Irish Republican Army (IRA)
played a crucial role in the fight for independence, employing
guerrilla warfare strategies against the British military. The
main members of the IRA include Michael Collins, Eamonn de
Valera, Arthur Griffith, Richard Mulcahy and Cathal Brugha.
Eamonn de Valera was the president of Sinn Féin, the
Republican Party that led the campaign for full
independence. Arthur Griffith was vice president and acted as
head of the Dáil during de Valera’s absence from 1919-1920.
Michael Collins was a huge figure in the war and was Minister
for Finance in Sinn Féin and Director of Intellligence for the
IRA. He was most famously known for his ‘Squad’, a group of
12 assassins, for his network of spies and for his unknown
identity all throughout the war.
Sinn Féin essentially started the idea of full independence
from Britain in 1917 and 1918. They led several campaigns
and began to grow in popularity. In the December elections
of 1918, they won 73 seats out of 105. However, they
refused to take their seats in Westminster and instead
formed the Dáil, the Irish government. The war began on the
21st of January, 1919 which was coincidentally the same date
as the first Dáil in Ireland. An RIC patrol was ambushed and
two constables were killed by a group of volunteers led by
Dan Breen and Sean Tracy. After this, the war was fought
locally with ambushes on tax offices, lines of communication
and RIC barracks to get badly needed guns and ammunition.
To fund the war, Michael Collins organised a public loan of
£300,000 and Eamon de Valera raised £5 million from the
Irish emigrants in the US. The British were unsure of what to
do with the Irish. They introduced the Government of Ireland
Act 1920 to try and appease them. However, this majorly
backfired as it only gave Home Rule to Ireland which was
now forgotten. The Irish wanted independence from Britain
and this attempt at political settlement only angered them.
So, the British decided to bring in the Black and Tans to fight
against the IRA. This was an army that consisted of savage
ex-soldiers deployed with little training and no clear
objectives. They quickly gained a reputation for their
viciousness. Throughout the war, they committed many
atrocities, including torture, unauthorised killings and the
burning of houses and businesses owned by nationalist
sympathisers. If anybody had been unsure of who to support,
the Black and Tans actions confirmed their decision.
The main events of the war of independence include the 20th
of March, 1920 when the British murdered the Lord Mayor of
Cork, Thomas MacCurtain. The 1st of November 1920 when
18 year old Kevin Barry was executed for participating in an
ambush where a British soldier was killed. Finally, the most
famous and tragic event, Bloody Sunday. It occurred on the
21st of November, 1920 after Collins’ Squad killed 14 British
intelligence and army officers early that morning. In
retaliation, the Auxiliaries entered Croke Park during a Dublin
vs Tipperary match and fired into the crowd, killing 14
people, including Tipperary player, Michael Hogan, and
injuring many more.
The war ended in the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in
December 1921, which led to the establishment of the Irish
Free State as a self-governing dominion within the British
Empire. While the treaty marked a step towards Irish
independence, it also resulted in the partition of Ireland,
leading to the creation of Northern Ireland. The Irish War of
Independence laid the groundwork for the Irish Civil War,
which came right after the signing of the Anglo-Irish treaty.
Irish War of Independence Timeline
1916:
• Easter Rising staged by the IRA.
• Over 400 people are killed, establishing a strong desire for
independence from the British.
1917:
• No major events listed.
1918:
• The 1918 General Election proves that 90% of the Irish
population disagreed with British policy.
1919:
• January 21, 1919: IRA forces led by Dan Breen ambush
British police in an attempt to start a war.
• The IRA adopts a declaration of independence, demanding
separation from the British.
1920:
• The British administration collapses and the RIC falls back,
allowing the IRA to take back control of most of Ireland.
• Britain sends special police forces to help the RIC retake
the ground they lost. Martial law is imposed.
1921:
• War violence hits its peak, with fighting breaking out all
over the nation.
1922:
• A truce is finally met between the IRA and the British.
• The war is over on the condition that the British get the
northern counties of Ireland.
