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28-789: In May 1921 the Active Service Unit of the Irish Republican Army 's Dublin Brigade and the " Squad " assassination unit were amalgamated. The Guard was created due to the heavy losses sustained by the Dublin Brigade in their burning of the Custom House on May 25, 1921. Five IRA volunteers were killed in the operation and eighty-three captured. Paddy Daly , previously head of the Squad, was put in command of

56-645: A landmine which was then detonated. One of the prisoners survived to recount the incident. However, reprisals by the Dublin Guard against local civilians were rare. One recorded instance came in February 1923, when three individuals later identified as National Army officers shot dead two railway drivers whom they suspected of republican sympathies. Another feature of the Dublin Guard was the high number of combat injuries sustained by its senior officers. In December 1922, following Collins's death, Liam Tobin formed

84-639: A result, they acted with great severity in Kerry. Over 40 Republicans died in custody during the war or were summarily shot when captured . On at least three occasions in March 1923, Dublin Guard troops massacred republican prisoners after five of their men had been killed by booby-trap (trap mine) bomb at Knocknagoshel . Particularly notorious was the Ballyseedy massacre , where nine Republican prisoners were tied to

112-643: The British Army in World War I , who returned to Ireland to fight against Britain in the Irish War of Independence . In Irish law, this IRA was the army of the revolutionary Irish Republic as declared by its parliament, Dáil Éireann , in 1919. In the century that followed, the original IRA was reorganized, changed and split on multiple occasions, to such a degree that many subsequent paramilitary organisations have been known by that title – most notably

140-566: The Dublin Guard , whose members had personal ties to Michael Collins . They faced around 15,000 anti-Treaty IRA men and Collins recruited experienced soldiers from wherever he could. The army's size mushroomed to 55,000 men, many of whom were Irishmen with combat experience in World War I – 20,000 National Volunteers had joined the British Army on the urgings of Nationalist leader John Redmond . Likewise, Irishmen who had served in

168-657: The Irish Republican Army Organisation (IRAO) taking in Dublin Guard and other Irish Army officers who shared his view that "higher command...was not sufficiently patriotic ". President W. T. Cosgrave , head of the government met with the IRAO several times when difficulties arose with an opposing IRB faction of Generals under Richard Mulcahy . Following a reorganisation of the Free State Army in February 1923 (in early 1923, Paddy O Daly

196-759: The Official IRA and the Provisional IRA in 1969. The latter then had its own breakaways, namely the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA , each claiming to be the true successor of the Army of the Irish Republic . The IRA and its splinter groups include: Irish Army Mutiny The Army Mutiny was an Irish Army crisis in March 1924 provoked by a proposed reduction in army numbers in

224-547: The Provisional Irish Republican Army , which was a key participant during the Troubles in the north of Ireland. The contemporary IRA organisations each claim the sole right to the name, each insisting they are the original IRA's only legitimate descendant. The playwright and former IRA member Brendan Behan once said that the first issue on any Irish organisation's agenda was "the split". For

252-583: The 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to anti-imperialism through Irish republicanism , the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic free from British colonial rule. The original Irish Republican Army (1919–1922) , often now referred to as the "old IRA", was raised in 1917 from members of the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army later reinforced by Irishmen formerly in

280-713: The British forces accounted for over half of the 3,500 officers. W.R.E. Murphy , second-in-command (January–May 1923), had been a lieutenant colonel in the British Army, as had Emmet Dalton . Two more of the senior generals, John T. Prout and J.J. "Ginger" O'Connell , had served in the United States Army . Collins promoted fellow-members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood but was slow to put Squad members in high positions. In December 1922, following Collins's death, Liam Tobin formed

308-718: The IRA, that has often been the case. The first split came after the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921, with supporters of the Treaty forming the nucleus of the National Army of the newly created Irish Free State , while the anti-treaty forces continued to use the name Irish Republican Army . After the end of the Irish Civil War (1922–23), the IRA was around in one form or another for forty years, when it split into

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336-524: The Irish Republican Army Organisation (IRAO), taking in Dublin Guard and other Irish Army officers who shared his view that "higher command...was not sufficiently patriotic ". President W. T. Cosgrave , head of the government attempted to appease the IRAO. He met with them several times before the 1923 Irish general election and persuaded the opposing IRB faction of generals under Richard Mulcahy , to keep quiet. With

364-517: The army command. The cabinet demanded the resignation of the army council and the generals resigned. The crisis within the army was solved but the government was divided, Richard Mulcahy, the Minister for Defence, resigned and O'Higgins was victorious in a very public power struggle within Cumann na nGaedheal . However the events re-affirmed the subservience of the military to the civilian government of

392-513: The authority of the Army Council. On 7 March 1924 a representative of the IRAO handed a demand to end demobilisation to W. T. Cosgrave. The ultimatum was signed by senior Army officers, Major-General Liam Tobin and Colonel Charles Dalton . Tobin knew his own position was to be scrapped in the demobilisation. Frank Thornton and Tom Cullen were also involved. That morning 35 men of the 36th Infantry Battalion had refused to parade and

420-731: The authority of the Government. This is an outrageous departure from the spirit of the Army. It will not be tolerated...officers and men...will stand over their posts and do their duty today in this new threat of danger in the same wonderful determined spirit that has always been the spirit of the Army. Leader of the Opposition , Thomas Johnson issued a statement of support for the Government . In contrast Minister for Industry and Commerce , Joseph McGrath, whose home Mulcahy ordered to be searched, resigned because of dissatisfaction with

448-427: The ceremonial parties that took over barracks and installations from the British, wearing a dark green uniform with brown leather webbing. When the Free State Army was expanded to over sixty thousand men, most of its troops were equipped with dyed British uniforms and webbing. The Guard, however, retained its original distinctive uniform and was sometimes nicknamed the "Green and Tans" by hardline anti-Treaty IRA men. On

476-483: The election over, Mulcahy, as Minister of Defence , now ignored the IRAO as he started the process of demobilising 37,000 men. In November, 60 IRA officers mutinied and were dismissed without pay. The IRAO now pressured the Government into establishing a Committee to supervise future demobilisation. The committee, consisting of Eoin MacNeill , Ernest Blythe , and IRAO sympathiser Joseph McGrath , effectively undermined

504-546: The government's attitude to the IRAO officers and support for their perception that the Irish Army treated former British officers better than former IRA officers. Fearing an incendiary speech by McGrath, Cosgrave first offered the IRAO an inquiry and an amnesty before then taking sick leave thus making Minister for Justice, Kevin O’Higgins , de facto head of the Government. Observers at the time have provided insights into

532-551: The immediate post- Civil War period. A second grievance concerned the handling of the Northern Boundary problem . As the prelude to a coup d'état, the decisions made by influential politicians and soldiers at the time have continuing significance for the Government of Ireland . In the early weeks of the Civil War, the National Army comprised 7,000 men. These came mainly from pro-Treaty IRA brigades, especially

560-514: The motivations of Cosgrave and O'Higgins. Cosgrave was an "unpretentious and modest man", O'Higgins "redoubtable". Generals Costello and MacEoin recounted that Cosgrave feigned illness, hoping O’Higgins would talk himself into resigning. Mrs Mulcahy and Mrs Cosgrave agreed O'Higgins wanted Cosgrave to resign. On 18 March, 40 armed men assembled at Devlin's Hotel in Parnell Street , Dublin. Two lorry loads of troops were sent to surround

588-474: The new state. McGrath and eight other TDs resigned from Cumann na nGaedheal then resigned their seats to contest by-elections , running as the National Party . However, Cumann na nGaedheal won seven of these and Sinn Féin won the other two. Charlie Dalton had started as an assassin with The Squad along with his brother, Emmet . He followed Michael Collins joining the pro-Treaty side and now held

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616-535: The new unit. The Guard became part of the new National Army of the Irish Free State in January 1922. They were supportive of the Anglo-Irish Treaty which split the IRA, in large part because of their personal loyalty to Michael Collins . At this time, its numbers were greatly expanded from a core of IRA veterans to a battalion -sized unit, and eventually a brigade . The Dublin Guard provided most of

644-654: The outbreak of the Irish Civil War in June 1922, the Dublin Guard was heavily involved in securing Dublin for the Free State (see Battle of Dublin ). These troops were among the most experienced and motivated men possessed by the Irish Free State in the civil war. For this reason, they were to the forefront in the Free State offensive of July–August 1922 which took the Munster Republic and secured most of

672-468: The preceding week officers had absconded with arms from Templemore , Gormanstown , Baldonnel Aerodrome and Roscommon . The immediate response was an order for the arrest of the two men on a charge of mutiny; this caused alarm throughout Dublin when announced. On 8 March General Mulcahy made an announcement to the Army: Two Army officers have attempted to involve the Army in a challenge to

700-555: The premises and a standoff developed with the mutineers. McGrath and Daniel McCarthy were allowed access as intermediaries. O'Higgins moved to resolve the problem. Strong reinforcements were dispatched. Tobin and Dalton were able to escape using an old path of retreat across the roofs, known from the days when Devlin's had been a safehouse for Michael Collins The cabinet, already wary of the Free State Army , ordered an inquiry and appointed Garda Commissioner Eoin O'Duffy to

728-653: The territory of the new state for its government. Among the officers were Brigadier Paddy Daly , as well as David Neligan & James McNamara, both of whom had been spies for Collins in the G Division of the Dublin Metropolitan Police . They landed in Fenit in County Kerry in August 1922 and rapidly took Tralee on the same day, which culminated with the capture of Ballymullen Barracks which

756-559: Was burnt by the retreating anti-Treaty forces. Over the following days, it linked up with troops that landed in Tarbert , other forces moving towards Kerry from Limerick and captured other major towns in the county such as Killarney and Castleisland . The Guard was charged with putting down the guerrilla activities of the local anti-treaty IRA . They were perhaps embittered by the killing of their erstwhile commander in chief, Michael Collins , and of their comrades in several ambushes. As

784-574: Was promoted to Major General) the Kerry Command was divided into five battalions, effectively discontinuing the Dublin Guard. After the cessation of hostilities, each battalion was transferred and disbanded. Few members of the Dublin Guard remained in the Free State Army after 1924. New York Times [1] Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army ( IRA ) is a name used by various resistance organisations in Ireland throughout

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