Ireland in Civil War

Posted by Jim on March 3, 2021

Objectivity in historical essays is difficult; in a historical analysis of the Civil War, virtually impossible. To concentrate on the facts leads only to improbabilities while to ignore the facts indicates bias. Perhaps the Civil War is just too recent. Who was neutral at the time and who can be neutral even now? So many people took sides, so much havoc was caused, so many lost their lives, so much bitterness, in the nature of things, will linger on and on. The debate on the Treaty took place in January, 1922, but it could be said that the debate continues.

It is not intended to attempt to give the inside story of the negotiations which ended in the signing of the midnight Treaty on 6th December. The agreement which the Irish delegation signed surrendered the sovereignty of the Irish Nation and accepted British domination. It was signed under duress and without referring back to the Cabinet in Dublin, although they had explicit instructions three days previously not to sign anything which entailed Partition or allegiance to the Crown until they had consulted with the President and their Cabinet colleagues. Nevertheless, Dail Eireann ratified the Treaty and so this compromise solution to the Irish problem, already divisive, triggered off a series of events which pitted Irishmen against Irishmen. The drift towards Civil War continued. From the moment that the Four Courts was occupied by that section of the Irish Republican Army which opposed the Treaty it was clear that men would die to maintain the Treaty Settlement and men would die to maintain the Republic. Between March and June several conferences were held for the express purpose of preventing any outbreak of hostilities between brother Irishmen. There had already been shooting incidents in Limerick and elsewhere between the opposing sections of the Army but these had been settled very quickly and a truce arranged in every instance. Throughout the South and in a large section of the West, all military barracks evacuated by the British Army were occupied by anti-Treaty I.R.A. men. A Pact was made. The Pact was broken. With grim determination and certainly with utter frustration, the opposing factions finally blasted away at each other across the River Liffey. The standard for the enforcement of ideals was set. Throughout the country it was Pro-Treaty against Anti-Treaty, the I.R.A. against the Free State Army, family against family, brother against brother, and dare we say, father against son. There was to be no middle course. At the very outset of hostilities this statement was issued. It was an attempt to cut through to the heart of the matter. It was an attempt to explain why so many Irishmen were to die in 1922 and in the years to follow:

“At the last meeting of Dail Eireann an agreement was ratified which if faithfully observed would have given us an opportunity of working for internal peace and of taking steps which would make this nation strong against the only enemy it had to fear — the enemy from outside.

At the bidding of the English this agreement was broken and at the bidding of the English Irishmen are today shooting down on the streets of our capital brother Irishmen — old comrades in arms—companions of the recent struggle for Ireland’s independence and its embodiment — the Republic. English propaganda will strive to lay the blame for this war on an Irishman but the world outside must not be deceived. England’s threat of war, that, and that alone, is responsible for the present situation.

In the face of England’s threat of war some of our countrymen yielded. The men who are now being attacked by the forces of the Provisional Government are those who refuse to obey the order to yield, preferring to die. They are the best and bravest of our nation, and would most loyally have obeyed the will of the Irish people freely expressed, but are not willing that Ireland’s independence should be abandoned under the lash of an alien government.”