Civil War
Image of The Four Courts from 'The Cork Examiner' July 5th 1922, page 3 (image courtesy of www.irishnewsarchives.com)
The Civil War, which went on well into 1922, had two distinct phases. “The Irregulars” had control of several key urban areas, especially in Munster, at the start of the outbreak and the struggle to retake them was initially top priority for the Free State Government who were gradually gaining ground as the year progressed. Eventually the “Irregulars” would have to switch over to the type of guerrilla tactics used in the War of Independence but this time against an enemy who had learned their trade in the same school and thus anticipated their every move and with decreasing popular support. There was also a significant intervention by the Catholic hierarchy calling for the recognition of the Free State and the end of resistance to it.
The “Irregulars” did not hold the major urban centres for long. The loss of Limerick, Waterford and Tralee, soon followed by the retaking of Cork city in August following a naval landing at Passage West. The insurgents then reverted to attacks on the new state’s infrastructure. The rail system was particularly badly hit, a case in point being the Great Southern & Railway Company which reported damage to 375 lines, the derailing of 42 engines and the destruction of 258 bridges. The tough state security response and the deaths of key personalities then moved the Civil War to an especially dark phase.
The sudden death on August 12th of Arthur Griffith at the early age of 51, was followed ten days later by the shooting dead of Michael Collins in an ambush at Béal na mBláth in County Cork. William T. Cosgrave, who succeeded Collins as Chairman of the Provisional Government, introduced martial law with a key provision introducing military courts that had the power to impose the death penalty for a wide category of offences. Significant events such as the ratification of the new constitution by both the British and Irish parliaments were virtually overlooked in the attendant turmoil.
One of the first big name casualties from the anti-Treaty side was Erskine Childers, a non-voting attendee at the Treaty who was one of the earliest of the 77 from his side to be executed. None of this deterred the “Irregulars” who extended their campaign by targeting pro-Treaty members of parliament. Quite a number of homes owned by senators were burned down and eventually Cosgrave’s own residence would be torched. The most significant escalation came in early December when the government TD from West Cork Seán Hales was shot dead, followed by the wounding of the Deputy Speaker of the Dáil, Pádraig Ó Máille. On December 8th in an act of reprisal, four senior anti- Treatyites, Liam Mellows, Rory O’Connor, Dick Barrett and Joseph McKelvey were executed at Mount Joy jail.
A traumatic year for all concerned came to an end, over a week after the Oireachtas (the name of the combined houses of parliament under the new constitution) passed a vote of thanks to King George V for an address delivered on the King's behalf by the new Governor General Tim Healy. Tim Healy was the Royal designate to Ireland under the new set-up.