Seamus Woods facts for kids
Seamus Woods was an important leader in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during a time of big changes and fighting in Ireland. He also became a senior officer in the new army of the Irish Free State.
Early Life and IRA Leadership
Seamus Woods was born in Ballyhornan, a place in County Down, which is now part of Northern Ireland. Before he joined the fight for Irish independence, he was trained in accounting.
Woods became a key member of the Belfast Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1922). This war was fought to gain independence from British rule. Woods quickly rose through the ranks.
In 1920, he was already a Captain in a very active part of the Belfast Brigade. On April 5, 1920, Woods led IRA groups that successfully burned down the Customs House and two Income Tax offices in Belfast. These actions were meant to disrupt British control.
Woods was involved in several clashes with British forces. In 1921, he and Roger McCorley led a special unit of 32 men in Belfast. This unit focused on fighting against the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), which included groups like the Auxiliaries and Black and Tans. Woods was also a contact person for British forces during the truce that ended the War of Independence.
In March 1922, Seamus Woods was put in charge of the IRA's Third Northern Division. This division was very active in Belfast and the eastern part of Ulster. Woods took over from Joe McKelvey, who was removed because he disagreed with the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. This treaty created the Irish Free State but also divided Ireland.
Leading the IRA's Third Northern Division
Seamus Woods led the IRA's Third Northern Division, which had up to 1,000 members. This was a time of intense violence between different groups in Northern Ireland (often called The Troubles in Northern Ireland (1920–1922)).
Woods's friend, Roger McCorley, described him as "worthy of the greatest admiration." He said Woods was "very cool in action" and never avoided any operation. Woods believed that the Irish Catholic minority in Belfast supported the IRA. He felt they supported the army because it helped defend them against attacks.
Under Woods and McCorley, the Third Northern Division carried out many attacks on RIC police stations. One of the most daring attacks was on the RIC Belfast Headquarters on May 18, 1922. About 20 IRA volunteers entered the building, held officers, and tried to take weapons. One police officer was killed and another was hurt. Woods said that the attack shocked the pro-British population.
The IRA also carried out attacks in rural areas of Down and Antrim. However, when the Northern IRA killed a member of the new Northern Parliament, W.J. Twaddell, on May 22, 1922, many Irish Republicans were arrested. About 350 people were taken prisoner, and a policy called internment was started. This meant people could be held without trial.
By July 1922, Woods admitted that his division was very tired. He said the men were "practically starving" and wanted to join the regular army in Dublin. He felt it was becoming impossible to keep their military group going. He also noted that the spirit of the people was "practically dead."
Joining the Free State Army
The death of Michael Collins in August 1922 was a big blow to the northern IRA. Collins had been very interested in ending the Partition of Ireland, which divided the island. With his death, many northern IRA members felt their cause was hopeless. Roger McCorley said that when Collins was killed, the northern IRA "gave up all hope."
In August 1922, Woods gave a sad report about the situation in Northern Ireland. He said the "National Spirit among the people is practically dead." He admitted that the IRA had the active support of only about 10% of the Catholic population at that time.
In November 1923, Woods was arrested. He was held in harsh conditions on a prison ship called HMS Argenta in Belfast Lough. The prisoners on the Argenta faced very difficult conditions. They often got sick, and some went on hunger strikes.
Woods was later found innocent of the accusations against him. However, he was still held on the Argenta until April 17, 1924. He was the last prisoner to be released from the ship. After his release, he was told he could not return to Northern Ireland.
Woods then joined Roger McCorley in the newly formed Free State Army. He became a Colonel and Assistant Chief of Staff. Both Woods and McCorley were critical of how the new Irish government handled Northern Ireland. Because Ireland remained divided and due to the violence of the Irish Civil War, Woods resigned from the Free State Army in 1926. He then became a successful businessman in Dublin.
