Split in IRA
Introduction from Chronology
The split over the Treaty in the IRA GHQ staff is as
follows: Pro-Treaty were Richard Mulcahy (Chief-of-Staff); Eoin O'Duffy (Deputy Chief-of-Staff – possibly former); J J O'Connell (Assistant Chief-of-Staff); Gearoid
O'Sullivan (Adjutant General); Sean McMahon (Quarter-Master General); Michael
Collins (Director of Intelligence); Diarmaid Hegarty
(Director of Organisation); Emmet Dalton (Director of Training); Piaras Béaslai (Director of
Publicity). Anti- Treaty were Rory O'Connor (Director of
Engineering); Liam Mellows (Director of Purchases); Sean Russell (Director
of Munitions) and Seamus O'Donovan (Director of Chemicals). Curran gives
the same breakdown.
Macardle adds the
following to the anti-Treaty side: Cathal Brugha
as Minister of Defence; Austen Stack as (former?) Deputy Chief of Staff; and
Oscar Traynor as O/C of the Dublin Brigade.
However, with the possible exception of Austen Stack (whose
position on the GHQ staff was ambiguous after Brugha
tried to install him as Deputy Chief-of-Staff – a move which was resisted by
GHQ), the other two cannot be taken as members of GHQ. Macardle also leaves out O’Sullivan, McMahon and Dalton
from the pro-Treaty side.
Split
in IRA around the Country
1st and 2nd
Southern Divisions (under Lynch and O’Malley respectively) take anti-Treaty
position. 3rd Southern is
pro-Treaty.
2nd Western
Division, 3rd Western and 4th Western Division (under
Maguire, Pilkington and Kilroy respectively) take the anti-Treaty position
(with the exception of a small contingent under Joe Ring in Westport and a unit
in Kiltimagh under Thomas Ruane)
1st Western under
Brennan is pro-Treaty as is 1st Midlands under MacEoin
(latter includes South Leitrim Brigade).
1st, 3rd and 5th
Northern Division (under Sweeney, Woods and Hogan respectively) are
pro-Treaty. 4th Northern
(under Aiken) is neutral. For position
of 2nd Northern – see Feb-17-22/4.
1st Eastern under
Boylan is pro-Treaty. 2nd
Eastern is mostly anti-Treaty – especially the Dublin Brigade under Oscar
Traynor while the 3rd Eastern is divided.