Specials Commandeer St Mary's Hall

McDermott says that this marked the formal end of the Truce by the NI Government and the Provisional Government in Dublin issues a statement saying this action was a very serious breach of the truce.  

Parkinson says that a small arsenal was discovered and, more importantly, detailed information on IRA personnel in the city and through-out Ulster.    Parkinson notes that the “northern IRA was not to be the same after this raid” and McDermott says that “The damage done to the IRA by the raid is incalculable.  The names of prominent IRA men, not only in Belfast, but in the nine counties were now known.”  McDermott has a discussion on the subsequent break-up of the IRA in Belfast into pro- and anti-Treaty factions with most going pro-Treaty.  In reaction, Collins authorised a concerted offensive against the RIC and Specials in West Ulster in which six policemen are killed.  (Presumably, Mar 21, 22, 23 and 29.)  Ozseker says that documents were also found that embarrassed Collins.

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