Ireland’s War of Independence 1919-21: The IRA’s Guerrilla Campaign

An accessible overview of Ireland's War of Independence, 1919-21. From the first shooting of RIC constables in Soloheadbeg, Co Tipperary, on 21 January 1919 to the truce in July 1921, the IRA carried out a huge range of attacks on all levels of British rule in Ireland. There are stories of humanity, such as the British soldiers who helped three IRA men escape from prison or the members of the British Army who mutinied in India after hearing about the reprisals being carried out by the Black and Tans in Ireland.

The hundreds of thousands of people who celebrated the Centenary of the 1916 Rising with pride and joy are the same people who will appreciate the story of the Irish Republicans who battled against all odds in the next phase of the fight for Ireland between 1919 and 1921.

Table of Contents

Introduction page 7

Administrators in Dublin Castle 12

Timeline of the War of Independence 15

Chapter One Proclaiming a Republic 24

Chapter Two Discontent and Rebellious Intentions 39

Chapter Three True Faith and Allegiance 65

Chapter Four Low-Down Lot of Scoundrels 86

Chapter Five Thrown Out in the Gutter 104

Chapter Six A More Defiant Attitude 124

Chapter Seven Trench Coat, Bandolier and Leggings 138

Chapter Eight They Who Can Suffer Most 151

Chapter Nine Kill Or Be Killed 172

Chapter Ten The Demesne Walls Were Tumbling 187

Chapter Eleven Broke in All Directions 215

Chapter Twelve Irish National Aspirations 234

Conclusion 251

Notes 255

Index 265