The Irish War of Independence

The Irish War of Independence was a sporadic guerrilla campaign that lasted from January 1919 until July 1921. Michael Hopkinson makes full use of the recently opened files of the Bureau of Military Archives in Dublin, which contain valuable first-hand contemporary accounts of the war, meticulously piecing together the many disperate local actions to create a coherent narrative. He stresses the importance of local and contingent issues over the idea of a master plan developed by the Dublin-based republican leadership. Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Chronology Introduction PART I: GATHERING STORM 1 British Rule in Ireland 2 Background to the Irish Revolution PART II: BEGINNING 3 Outline of the War January 1919–June 1920 4 British Administration 1919–April 1920 5 The Dáil and the Dáil Government 6 British Security Forces 7 British Policy at the Crossroads: April–August 1920 PART III: APOGEE 8 The Irish Intelligence System and the Development of Guerrilla Warfare up to the Truce 9 The War July–December 1920 10 From the Imposition of Martial Law to the Truce: the British Perspective 11 Guerrilla Warfare in Dublin 12 The War in Cork 13 The War in Tipperary, Limerick, Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny 14 The War in Kerry and Clare 15 The War in the West and North-West Counties 16 The Irish Midlands, some Surrounding Counties and IRA Activity in Britain PART IV: CONSEQUENCES 17 The North-East and the War of Independence 18 The American Dimension 19 The Peace Process 20 The Path to the Truce Conclusion Appendices Notes Bibliography Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y The war was prosecuted ruthlessly by the Irish Republican Army which, paralleling the political efforts of Sinn Féin, hoped to break Britain's will to rule Ireland and create an independent Irish republic. The British retaliated by introducing two new irregular forces into Ireland, the Black and Tans and the Auxiliaries. Fighting took place principally in counties Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Monaghan, Armagh, Clare, Kerry, and Longford. It was sporadic but vicious, with fewer than 2,000 IRA volunteers facing over 50,000 crown forces. The IRA depended upon energetic local leaders -- where there were none, there was little fighting.