Irish Republican Army and the Anglo-Irish Treaty facts for kids

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) was a special army that fought for Ireland's freedom from Britain. This fight, called the Irish War of Independence, happened from 1919 to 1921. The IRA saw itself as the official army of the Irish Republic, which was declared in 1919.

The war ended with something called the Anglo-Irish Treaty. This agreement was a compromise. It meant the Irish Republic wouldn't exist anymore, but it created a new, self-governing country called the Irish Free State. This new state was still part of the British Empire.

The Treaty caused a huge disagreement within the IRA. Some members agreed to it, thinking it was the best deal they could get. Others strongly rejected it, feeling it betrayed the idea of a fully independent Irish Republic. This deep split eventually led to the Irish Civil War in June 1922, where former comrades fought against each other.

The Treaty Divides the IRA

The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed on December 6, 1921. The Irish Parliament, called Dáil Éireann, voted to accept it on January 7, 1922.

Even though Michael Collins, a very important IRA leader, helped negotiate the Treaty, many senior IRA officers were divided. Some supported the Treaty, while others were strongly against it.

The main reason for the split was that the anti-Treaty side believed the IRA's loyalty was to the Irish Republic. They felt that by accepting the Treaty, the Dáil had abandoned the Republic. They wanted the IRA to stop following the Dáil's orders and instead be controlled by its own leaders.

Tensions Rise

On January 10, 1922, several anti-Treaty IRA leaders met. They decided that the IRA should no longer obey the Dáil. They wanted to hold a special meeting, called an Army Convention, to discuss their plans.

Richard Mulcahy, who was the IRA's Chief of Staff (a top leader), refused to call this meeting without the Dáil's permission. However, Rory O'Connor, a strong anti-Treaty leader, said they would hold the convention anyway.

Soon after, on January 16, the 2nd Southern Division of the IRA, a large group, announced they no longer recognized the authority of the IRA's main headquarters. This showed how serious the split was becoming.

A month later, on February 18, another IRA unit, the Mid-Limerick Brigade, also declared that they no longer recognized the current army leaders. They said they were still loyal to the Irish Republic.

On March 5, a tense situation happened in Limerick. Both pro-Treaty and anti-Treaty IRA forces faced off over who would control a military barracks that British troops were leaving. A compromise was reached to avoid fighting, but the situation remained very tense.

The Army Convention Meets

The Dáil government became worried about the growing tensions. On March 15, the Dáil decided to ban the Army Convention that was planned for March 26. Some believed this was because the government feared that most of the IRA was against the Treaty, and the convention might lead to a military takeover.

However, the anti-Treaty IRA leaders decided to go ahead with the convention anyway.

On March 22, Rory O'Connor held a press conference. He famously said that the army was "in a dilemma" because it had to choose between its oath to the Republic and obeying the Dáil, which he felt had "abandoned the Republic." He even suggested that the army might prevent elections from being held. When asked if this meant a "military dictatorship," O'Connor replied, "You can take it that way if you like."

Despite the ban, the Army Convention met on March 26 in Mansion House, Dublin. Over 220 delegates, mostly anti-Treaty, attended. They passed a resolution stating that the IRA would remain the army of the Irish Republic, controlled by a new group of leaders elected by the convention. This new group, called the Executive, was led by Liam Lynch.

On March 28, the anti-Treaty IRA Executive announced that the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Staff (who were pro-Treaty) no longer had control over the IRA. They also ordered an end to recruitment for the new Free State army and police forces.

On April 9, the anti-Treaty Army Convention met again. They adopted a new set of rules and elected a new 16-member Executive. Liam Lynch was chosen as the new IRA Chief of Staff.

The Four Courts and Civil War

On April 14, about 200 anti-Treaty IRA men in Dublin took over the Four Courts building and other buildings in the city center. They hoped this would make the remaining British troops in Ireland attack them. Their goal was to restart the war with Britain, which they believed would destroy the Treaty and reunite the IRA.

The new Irish Provisional Government, led by Michael Collins, was hesitant to attack the Four Courts. They wanted to wait for the results of the 1922 general election in June, which showed strong support for the Treaty.

However, the British government pressured the Provisional Government to deal with the Four Courts occupation. It wasn't until the Four Courts men kidnapped a pro-Treaty general in late June that Collins decided to act.

On June 28, 1922, Collins's Free State troops, using artillery borrowed from the British, opened fire on the Four Courts. Fighting broke out in Dublin, and the anti-Treaty IRA sided with the Four Courts men. This marked the beginning of the Irish Civil War.

Michael Collins was tragically killed on August 22, 1922. The Civil War continued until May 1923, when the anti-Treaty IRA called a ceasefire and gave up their weapons.