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.