THIS is a different view of the War of Independence, looking at how it started and recalling some of the incidents.
If we lean a little towards naming the RIC and Dublin Metropolitan Police casualties, it is only because many were just doing a job – albeit not a popular one. First, let us take a look at the lead-up to this conflict.
Most of us, whether interested in history or not, will be aware of our 800-year battles, rebellions, the sacking of our towns, the mass executions and the plain bloody murder of our people that took place over those years.
We also remember our famines, how our people were either forced to emigrate or left to starve to death.
The beginning of our freedom was under way from 1912, but it galls me to see Irish journalists belittle what happened during the Easter Rising of 1916 and the execution or imprisonment of 90 of its leaders.
This outrage that saw volunteers flock to Sinn Féin as the War of Independence took hold.
The general election of December 1918, known as the coupon election by some British, because the election was won by a coalition of Conservatives led by Andrew Boner Law, The Liberals under Lloyd George, and a few Independents and Labour members, with Lloyd George still prime minister.
Other Britons named it the ‘khaki election’ due to the military involvement at the end of the war.
Meanwhile, in Ireland, Sinn Féin, the party founded by Arthur Griffith in 1905, won 73 of the 105 seats contested, dislodging the moderate Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP), which up to then had been the dominant force in Ireland since the 1880s.
Ulster did not reflect Sinn Féin’s success, where the Unionist Party was the dominant force.
Sinn Féin refused to attend Westminster, instead setting up its own government known as Dáil Éireann (‘Assembly of Ireland’), which immediately set out to seek international recognition and build a free Ireland.
To this end, the War of Independence conducted under the auspices of the new Dáil government.
Before we move on, and so as not to confuse items we will include later, perhaps at this stage it would be useful to mention the Black and Tans and the Auxiliary division which would reinforce the RIC during this war.
Dealing with the latter first, the Auxiliaries were a force enlisted at the request of then commander-in-chief in Ireland, Sir Fredrick Shaw in September 1919.
At first, the request was turned down in May 1920; however, two months later it was on the agenda again, on the advice of the police advisor to the Dublin Castle administration, Major-General H Tudor, in a memo dated 6 July 1920, advised that it would take far too long to reinforce the RIC by recruitment and training.
Tudor suggested a one-year contract to ex-military who had fought in WW1, with pay set at £7 a week (double the current RIC wage), plus a sergeant’s allowance.
This force would be called ‘Temporary Cadets’. It would be recruited from the ex-officer class; most were English, but a considerable number of Irish also enlisted, along with some from other Commonwealth countries.
Many of these men were highly decorated, including three who were awarded the Victoria Cross during the First World War.
These were George Onions, James Leach and James Johnston.
This force was 1,900 strong and was far more effective than the Tans.
It had a hugely negative effect on the IRA, capturing many leaders, including Dick McKee and Peadar Clancy (who had military barracks named in their honour) in Dublin on the day prior to Bloody Sunday.
That evening, the commander of the IRA in Sligo, William Pilkington, was also taken. In his memoirs, War of Independence veteran Ernie O’Malley explains how he was reading a book in his room in Kilkenny when a cadet walked in; he was ‘as unexpected as death’, declared O’Malley.
For a while, the Auxiliaries were thought to be supermen and IRA morale took a hammering.
Things started to turn, however, as determined leaders decided to take on the threat.
They had some notable success which we have written of in previous articles, and most notable was the complete destruction of a platoon by an IRA flying column led by Commandant Tom Barry in what is known as the Kilmichael ambush on 28 November 1920.
A similar result was accomplished by Sean MacEoin in the Clonfin ambush in County Longford. From then on, the IRA was as much of a threat to the Auxiliaries as vice versa.
The Tans were a different kettle of fish, which we have dealt with comprehensively previously. I believe their history is well known to all.
It would be impossible to name all who died – and how – in this war, but I will call as many as I have room to include.
The war began in 1919 with the declaration of independence by the new Dáil, and continued up the agreement of a ceasefire in July 1921.
Peace talks took place which led to the signing of the AngloIrish treaty in December 1921.
Many would think that 1917-18, the years between the Rising and the war, were peaceful, but this was not the case and many atrocities took place during this period, also.
Hostilities began with a deliberate ambush at Soloheadbeg in Co Tipperary (described in detail in My Fight for Irish Freedom by Dan Breen).
The ambush was set by Breen, Sean Treacy, Sean Hogan and Seamus Robinson with the intention of starting a war. Two RIC constables, James McDonnell and Patrick O’Connell, were killed.
These could be classified as the first casualties of the War of Independence: it was 21 January 1919. Sean Hogan was arrested on 12 May, but was rescued the following day from a train on its way to Cork Prison by the rest of the party led by Breen and Treacy.
Two more RIC men would perish here. Constable Michael Enright (aged 35) died at the scene, while Sergeant Peter Wallace (47) succumbed to his wounds the following day.
Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP) detective sergeant Patrick Smith was shot five times in the back on 30 July 1919 in Drumcondra; he died in the Mater on 4 September. Constable Michael Murphy (20) and Sgt John Riordan (47) would die as a result of an ambush at Ennistymon, Co Clare on 4 August.
Fire was returned by the latter and evidence suggests one of the attackers was hit.
On 2 September at Lorrha, Co Tipperary, a three-man RIC patrol was ambushed. Sgt Patrick Smyth was killed, Constable Foley seriously injured, while the third member was unhurt.
On 12 September, Detective Dan Hoey was shot dead outside his office in Townsend Street, Dublin; seven days later, DMP constable Michael Downing was shot dead in High Street, Dublin. Kilbrittain, County Cork saw 40-year-old Constable Edward Bolger shot four times and killed as he made his way to his station on 15 December 1919.
The last death of this year was RIC constable Maurice Keogh, shot by another constable while trying to quell a row between British soldiers.
The first casualty of 1920 was Constable Luke Finnegan, shot dead in Thurles on 20 January. 27 February saw DMP constable John Walsh shot dead in Grafton Street.
A two day action in Ragg near Thurles saw two RIC men, Heany and Heanue, killed on 3-4 March, while four days later Waterford native and RIC man Thomas Ryan was killed in an attack on Higginstown (Kilkenny) Barracks.
16 March saw two RIC men killed as they left devotions at Toomevara Catholic Church: they were constables Healy and Roche.
The killing continued in this manner and I am now just selecting the more serious events.
On 25 April, Cork Con rugby player Sgt Cornelius Crean and Cavan man Patrick McGoldrick were killed at Ballinspittle.
On 10 May, three RIC men died at Timoleague, Co Cork in a gun battle: they were Sgt Flynn and constables Dunne and Brick, the later a Tralee man.
The next day in Cork city Sgt Dennis Garvey and Constable Daniel Harrington were shot dead boarding a tram. In Gorey, Co Wexford, Inspector Lee Wilson was shot dead returning to his home.
The number of deaths on Bloody Sunday, 21 November 1920, we have recounted extensively before, as we have with the Kilmichael ambush the following Sunday in which 17 Auxiliaries died.
On 15 May 1921, two British army officers, RIC Inspector Blake and his wife were shot dead at a tennis party in Ballyturn House, County Galway.
On 1 June, an ambush near Castlemaine, Co Kerry claimed the lives of Inspector McCaughey from Monaghan, Sgt Colleary from Sligo and constables Quirke (Cork), Cooney (Leitrim) and McCormack.
This was the last major ambush before the truce, but other atrocities were recorded up to the signing of the treaty.
However, this article covers the period to the truce.