The Irish Civil War in Kildare

The Civil War left a more violent mark on Kildare than the War of Independence had. As a garrison county with military barracks situated on the main Cork and.
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Similarly, a number of Free State soldiers and civilians probably succumbed to wounds later and are listed here as wounded rather killed. Dublin has a comparable casualty rate to Cork and Kerry but has a much higher number of wounded due to fighting taking place in densely populated area and civilians being hit in the crossfire, both in the street battle in July at the start of the war and in subsequent street ambushes.

Some 50 civilians were killed and several hundred wounded by one or other combatant side during armed engagements in the city. However, despite the relatively high proportion of civilian casualties,Dublin were much more rarely targeted deliberately in this phase of the conflict than in that against the British in There probably were some cases that I have missed, but the practice was not widespread. The anti-Treatyites also killed another 9 civilians at least, mostly in raids on houses and shops where civilians resisted their taking money or supplies.

For instance on March 11, , a civilian, Hugh Haughton, whose brother was a known anti-Treatyite was shot dead by Intelligence officer from Wellington barracks on Donore Avenue. Whereas elsewhere, the National Army tended to lose more men than the IRA, in Dublin they lost less, primarily due to the effect of assassinations and executions by their forces, which accounted for 44 of the 82 IRA dead I have counted. Though if we count accidents the Free State forces lost slightly more — If deaths and wounded caused in combat only are counted the National Army suffered considerably more 58 killed in action compared to 30 combat deaths on the other side.

This is consistent with a pattern seen elsewhere — as guerrillas could choose the time and place of their attacks and then melt away. In Dublin therefore, the Free State forces carried out considerably more assassinations 25 to 7 than did their opponents. Some were on-the spot-killings, such as the shooting of anti-Treatyites James Spain and Patrick Mannion September and November respectively who were found wounded after attacking Free State troops and finished off.

But many were targeted assassinations such as, for instance the killing of Frank Lawlor on December 29 , who was arrested at his home, driven out to Milltkilling own, south of the city and shot. Taken together with other studies this puts us some way towards a final casualty figure for the conflict. There were also fairly high casualties in counties such as Mayo, Limerick and Clare, but nowhere near the amount that would make up the difference.

However it is still likely to be below 2, The figure for wounded is harder to determine but in Dublin at least it is higher than in the preceding period. Leave a Reply Cancel reply. Irish Hunger Strikes — The Fall of Dublin: The Civil War in Dublin.

Battle for Limerick City: Military History of the Irish Civil War. Rebel Cork's Fighting Story - Intro. Kerry's Fighting Story - Intro. According to their Lights. The GPO Staff in Living through the Easter Rising of The Importance of Being Earnest.

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Grimsby in the Great War. The Intelligence Operations of Michael Collins. The Irish War of Independence. M R D Foot. Dublin's Fighting Story - Intro. A History of Ireland and Her People. The Men Will Talk to Me: The Flight of the Heron. West Sussex County Council. Liffey Ships and Shipbuilding: A history of Dublin's shipbuilding yards. Boer War Victoria Crosses. Voices from the Great Houses of Ireland: Life in the Big House: A Call to Arms. Ireland Within the Union By imposing capital punishment for anyone found in possession of either firearms or ammunition, the Free State effectively prevented Republican sympathizers from storing any arms or ammunition that could be used by Republican forces; anyone in possession of even a single sporting or civilian firearm or cartridge could be executed by firing squad.

Offences covered under the law not only included attacks on state policy or military forces, but also publishing "seditious publications" as well as membership of either the Republican Army or the Communist Party.

The Republican, or Anti-Treaty, members had refused to take their seats in the Parliament and the opposition to the measures was provided by the Labour Party , who likened the legislation to a military dictatorship. On 3 October, the Free State had offered an amnesty to any Anti-Treaty fighters who surrendered their arms and recognised the government.

The Order was strengthened in January to allow execution for many other categories of offence, including non-combatant Republican supporters carrying messages, assisting in escapes or using army or police uniforms; and also deserters from the National Army.

Towards a civil war casualty figure

After the Civil War the government also felt the need to pass the Indemnity Act, , which stipulated that all sentences passed on military prisoners taken by the Provisional Government's forces, before the passing of the Act, were retrospectively "valid". Soon after the passage of the resolution, several other pressures were brought to bear on Republican fighters.

On 10 October, the Catholic Hierarchy issued a statement condemning the Anti-Treaty fighters, ending with: The Anti-Treaty side were to be called "Irregulars" and were not to be referred to as "Republicans", "IRA", "forces", or "troops", nor were the ranks of their officers allowed to be given. From now on, the Free State, equipped with legislation, the support of the Church and of much of the Press, was prepared to treat the Republican fighters as criminals rather than as combatants.

The first four executions occurred shortly after the Republicans rejected the amnesty in mid-October They were followed by three more on 19 November. The next to be executed was Erskine Childers , who had been secretary to the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Childers was a well-known Republican - it was on his boat, the Asgard , that the guns had been brought in during the Howth gun-running - he was a renowned columnist, novelist, and a member of the Anglo-Irish , Protestant landowning family of Glendalough House, Annamoe , County Wicklow.

He had been captured on 10 November in possession of a Spanish-made. He considered the existence of a Provisional Government in Ireland and its authority to act as proposed and execute the nine. On 24 November Childers was executed by firing squad. He also ordered the killing of hostile judges and newspaper editors. On the same day, three more Republican prisoners were executed in Dublin.

Executions during the Irish Civil War - Wikipedia

After an emergency cabinet meeting, the Free State government decided on the retaliatory executions of four prominent Republicans one from each province. O'Connor and Mellows particularly were revered heroes of the War of Independence. Historian Michael Hopkinson reports that Richard Mulcahy had pressed for the executions and that Kevin O'Higgins was the last member of cabinet to give his consent. Sean Hales was the only TD to be killed in the war.

However, Republicans continued to burn the homes of elected representatives in reprisal for executions of their men. Homes of senators were among the houses burned or destroyed by the IRA in the war. Cosgrave 's home was burned and his uncle was assassinated.

Executions during the Irish Civil War

In all, the Free State formally sanctioned the execution of between 77 and 81 Anti-Treaty fighters during the war. Republican historian Dorothy Macardle popularised the number 77 in Republican consciousness, but she appears to have left out those executed for activities such as armed robbery. Those executed were tried by court-martial in a military court and had to be found guilty merely of bearing arms against the State. After the initial round of executions, the firing squads got under way again in earnest in late December Most of those executed were prisoners held in Kilmainham and Mountjoy Gaols in Dublin , but from January , Kevin O'Higgins argued that executions should be carried out in every county in order to maximise their impact.

From 8—18 February, the Free State suspended executions and offered an amnesty in the hope that Anti-Treaty fighters would surrender. However, the war dragged for another two months and witnessed at least 20 more official executions, [24] amongst them six men executed on 11 April in Tuam Military Barracks found guilty of the unlawful possession of arms on 21 February.

There is a commemorative plaque in Tuam on the site of the old Military Barracks. Several Republican leaders narrowly avoided execution. Ernie O'Malley , captured on 4 November , was not executed because he was too badly wounded when taken prisoner to face a court martial and possibly because the Free State was hesitant about executing an undisputed hero of the recent struggle against the British.

Liam Deasy , captured in January avoided execution by signing a surrender document calling on the Anti-Treaty forces to lay down their arms. The Anti-Treaty side called a ceasefire on 30 April and ordered their men to "dump arms", ending the war, on 24 May. Nevertheless, executions of Republican prisoners continued after this time.

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Four IRA men were executed in May after the ceasefire order and the final two executions took place on 20 November, months after the end of hostilities. It was not until November that a general amnesty was offered for any acts committed in the civil war. In highlighting the severity of the Free State's execution policy, however, it is important not to exaggerate its extent.

How those who were executed were chosen from the others captured in arms is unclear; however, many more men were sentenced to the death penalty than were actually shot. This was intended to act as a deterrent to anti-Treaty fighters in the field, who knew that their imprisoned comrades were likely to be executed if they kept up their armed campaign.

In addition to the judicial executions, Free State troops conducted many extrajudicial killings of captured anti-Treaty fighters.