Review
Russell Rees uncovers the complexities of a turbulent period in Irish history…
- Revolutionary Limerick: The Republican Campaign for Independence in Limerick, 1913-1921
- Irish Academic Press
Revolution in Limerick
David Fitzpatrick’s classic 1977 study of the Irish revolutionary period in Co. Clare set the template for a number of such works, and John O’Callaghan’s latest contribution on Co. Limerick adds another layer to our understanding of the forces at work in Ireland between 1913 and 1921.
A recurring theme of the book is the youthful, dynamic nature of both Sinn Fein and the Irish Volunteers which contrasted sharply with the ageing, out-of-touch Irish Parliamentary Party. Yet most of the author’s focus is on the violent confrontation between the Crown forces and the IRA during the War of Independence, rather than the meteoric rise of political separatism after the Easter Rising.
During the conflict O’Callaghan estimates that some 3,000 members of the Crown forces (police and army) faced only 150 active volunteers. This huge imbalance gives the reader some indication of the importance of public support for the republican cause. Clearly, the British government’s security policy, which increasingly came to reflect the view that the Crown forces had to carry the fight to the enemy, contributed greatly to popular support for the IRA.
In his assessment of the tit-for-tat cycle of attacks and reprisals, Dr O’Callaghan’s findings are at odds with the arguments advanced by the late Peter Hart and Gerard Murphy who highlight the large number of Protestants killed by the IRA during the conflict in the neighbouring county of Cork. O’Callaghan, by contrast, notes that sectarianism was not a feature of IRA operations in Limerick. In fact, all of the relatively small number of ‘spies’ executed by the IRA in Limerick were Catholics. Most of these were ex-soldiers, the most likely source of intelligence for the Crown forces. Moreover, by looking in detail at the incidents involving civilian casualties, the author reaches the conclusion that in Limerick lethal violence was employed more readily and less discriminately by the Crown forces than by the IRA.
The fact that most of the 150 volunteers in the county were aged around 27-28, unmarried and practising Catholics mirrors the evidence of others who have looked at the profile of IRA activists. Yet O’Callaghan’s work, based on extensive research, highlights the regional nuances in one of the most active theatres during the War of Independence. This, together with snippets such as Lord Dunraven’s success at the local republican court in respect of building plans for Adare Manor, now owned by J.P. McManus, make John O’Callaghan’s book required reading for anyone interested in discovering the complexities of this turbulent period in Irish history.
