April
1922
|
Apr-1922/1 |
Around this time, British military
intelligence estimated that 75% of the IRA in Munster and Dublin were
anti-Treaty. |
Curran J M (1980), pg
172 |
|
Apr-01-22/1 |
An order in council of the British government
transfers control of the Revenue departments in Dublin Castle to the
Provisional Government and sets guidelines for the transfer of other
departments. |
Curran J M (1980), pg
180 |
|
Apr-01-22/2 |
Following the setting up of the anti-Treaty
Executive, the pro-Treaty GHQ in Beggar’s Bush, from this date, began to
re-organise the Divisions and Brigades of the IRA, paying a set number of
officers in each Division. This re-organisation took place over the
following period with Executive officers being replaced with officers loyal
to Beggar’s Bush. |
McDermott (2001), pgs
198-199 |
|
Apr-01-22/3 |
Collins attempts to give a speech to a large
crowd in Castlebar, Co. Mayo but it is disrupted by anti-Treaty men from the
West Mayo Brigade. At one point shooting breaks out and a
civilian, Mrs Fogarty, is wounded. One
of Collins’s men, Charlie Byrne, is arrested as is pro-Treaty Joe Ring from
Westport. Both are subsequently
released. |
Price (2012), pgs
207-209 |
|
Apr-01-22/4 |
In a case of severe agrarian unrest, the home
of the Horkan family is raided at Grallagh, near Straide, Co.
Mayo in an attempt to force them to sell land the family had recently
bought. Anne Horkan
is shot dead and her sister, Kate, is seriously wounded. One of the raiders, Patrick Gallagher, is
also killed. |
Price (2012), pg 212 |
|
Apr-01-22/5 |
Anti-Treaty men raid the post office in Ennis,
Co. Clare and take away £82. |
Power (2020), pg 25 |
|
Apr-02-22/1 |
Over 500 USC men carry out a major sweep of
the Cookstown, Greencastle and Draperstown area in
Co. Tyrone. They detain over 300 men
but only four are considered to be members of the IRA. |
Lawlor (2011), pg 256 |
|
Apr-02-22/2 |
De Valera makes a speech in Dundalk deriding
the 2nd Craig-Collins pact saying that it implies that northern
nationalists have to recognise the Belfast government. |
Phoenix (1994), pg 201 |
|
Apr-02-22/3 |
Limerick’s Protestant Young Men’s
Association’s premises on 97 O’Connell St, Limerick is damaged by a
bomb. Three day earlier (on March 30th)
it had been subjected to gunfire and on March 29th, the Association’s
pavilion at Farranshone was burned down. Liam Forde, O/C Mid-Limerick Brigade IRA,
condemned these attacks. See Apr-04-22/2. |
O’Callaghan (2018), pg
122 |
|
Apr-03-22/1 |
An RIC constable and a number of Special
Constables come under fire at the corner of Old Lodge Road and Lime Street in
Belfast resulting in the death of the RIC man (Constable George
Turner). Parkinson says that this killing took place on April 1st
and resulted in the Arnon St Affair – see Mar-31-22/4. He also says that considerable controversy surrounds the
killing of Constable Turner. |
Abbott (2000), pg
284; Parkinson
(2004), pg 245; Parkinson
(2020), pgs 168 |
|
Apr-03-22/2 |
Both the Belfast Newsletter and the Belfast
Telegraph condemn the Arnon St killings but
without attempting to ascertain who were the assailants or their
motivation. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 246 |
|
cApr-03-22/3 |
A meeting of the officers of the anti-Treaty 1st
Northern Division takes place in McCarry’s Hotel in Letterkenny, Co.
Donegal. Those present included Sean Lehane, O/C; Charlie Daly, V/C; Peadar
O’Donnell, Divisional Adjutant; Joe McGurk, Divisional QM and Mick
O’Donoghue, Divisional Engineer. They
decide to take over Glenveagh Castle as Divisional
HQ and also occupy and garrison the masonic hall in Raphoe. Both were occupied in the next few
days. They also decided to attack
Garrison in Co. Tyrone – See Apr-06-22/3. In the days that followed, Lehane
travelled throughout Donegal carrying out inspections and making new brigade
appointments including: Sean Hegarty as Derry O/C; Jack Fitzgerald as East
Donegal (Lagan) O/C; Brian Monaghan as south Donegal O/C and Frank O’Donnell
(brother of Peadar) as North-West Donegal O/C. |
Ó Duibhir (2011), pgs 87-88 |
|
Apr-03-22/4 |
At a meeting of the Irish Committee of the
British cabinet, it was agreed that the BA in Ireland could restart a limited
form of intelligence gathering.
Lieutenant-Colonel Charlie French was put in charge but they were,
according to McMahon, only to engage in unobtrusive intelligence gathering. See Apr-28-22/4. |
McMahon (2008), pg 67 |
|
Apr-04-22/1 |
In a telegram to Craig, Collins demands an
“immediate joint enquiry” to investigate the Arnon
St killings. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 247 |
|
Apr-04-22/2 |
A number of prominent Limerick Protestants
meet “to condemn the outrages which have been perpetrated in Belfast”. They
unanimously resolved that they “never suffered intolerance of any kind and
that they lived in perfect harmony with their Catholic neighbours.” See Apr-02-22/3. |
|
|
Apr-04-22/3 |
Harry Clark (a USC man from Magherafelt, Co.
Londonderry), writing to Colonel Moore Irvine (USC Co. Londonderry Commander)
says that ‘if there is another murder [of a USC man] although I have no
connection with it, I understand a body has been formed who will immediately
destroy hundreds of Roman Catholics homes.
About this there is no possible doubt.” |
Grant (2018), pg 133 |
|
Apr-05-22/1 |
Control of the Special Constabulary handed
over to the NI Government and Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) formally
set-up. |
Parkinson (2004), pg
235;McMahon (2008), pg 138
|
|
Apr-05-22/2 |
At Westminster, an anti-Coalition motion put
down by Conservative Party ‘Die-Hards’ is defeated by 288 to 95 after
Chamberlain (leader of the Conservatives) gave a strong pro-Coalition
speech. (However, Matthews says that
“Although justifiably proud of his victory, Chamberlain drew the wrong
conclusion from this episode. … It
would prove to be a costly mistake.”) |
Matthews (2004), pgs
76-77 |
|
Apr-05-22/3 |
In a review for the British Cabinet’s Irish
Situation Committee, Churchill makes plans in the event of anti-Treatyites staging a coup in Dublin or declaring a
republic in some part of the country. He says that “The [Provisional] Government is
feeble, apologetic, expostulatory: the conspirators, active, audacious and
utterly shameless”. He concluded that
“There is no doubt that the Irish have a genius for conspiracy rather than
government.” The next day the Military Sub-Committee of the
British Cabinet’s Irish Situation Committee is asked to bring “the latest
information as to the position of troops, ships, stores of arms, explosives
and equipment” in Ireland. |
Curran J M (1980), pgs
182-183; Ferriter (2021), pg
40; McMahon (2008), pg 74 |
|
Apr-06-22/1 |
In a letter in the Leinster Leader, the pro-Treaty O/C of the 5th
(Kildare) Brigade of the IRA, Thomas Lawler, states that he will not be
responsible for “debts contracted ... by any parties calling themselves the
IRA and not under my command”. His
anti-Treaty opposite is Thomas Harris who styles himself “OC 7th
Brigade, Acting under Army Council”. |
Durney
(2011), pgs 60-61 |
|
Apr-06-22/2 |
Two ex-RIC men are attacked in their homes in Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo - one was killed (ex-Constable
Cranny) and the other (ex-Constable Butler) was seriously wounded. A third
RIC man, called Flynn, is not at home when the assassins arrive – he leaves Ballyhaunis the next morning. |
Abbott (2000), pg
293; Price (2012), pg 204 |
|
Apr-06-22/3 |
A patrol of Special Constables is attacked
near Garrison, Co. Tyrone resulting in the wounding of four constables
and the death of one (S/Constable James Plumb). This attack was carried out by men from the
anti-Treaty 1st Northern Division based in Donegal. It was claimed that the Special
Constable’s body was mutilated after death but this is disputed by a Catholic
priest and Church of Ireland minister who attended the scene. |
Abbott (2000), pgs
284-285; Lawlor
(2011), pg 257; Ó Duibhir
(2011), pgs 88-89; McGarty
(2020), pg 112 |
|
Apr-06-22/4 |
A ‘monster pro-Treaty meeting’ due to be
addressed by Arthur Griffith in Sligo on Easter Sunday is proclaimed by local
anti-Treaty commander, Liam Pilkington (O/C of anti-Treaty 3rd
Western Division). His troops had taken over a number of buildings in
the town. However, on Holy Thursday night, pro-Treaty
troops under Alex McCabe entered the town and took over the jail. MacEoin brings
further Provisional Government troops from Athlone and on the day of the
meeting, he is joined by more troops led by J J
O'Connell. A tense situation ensues but, at the last
minute, under orders from anti-Treaty GHQ, Pilkington backs down and the
meeting goes ahead. Arthur
Griffith entered Sligo and the meeting went ahead attended by a large
crowd. It was a major publicity
victory for the pro-Treaty side. There were a lot of recriminations of the
anti-Treaty side in Sligo afterwards. Also, as the pro-Treaty forces had taken over
a number of buildings in the town, while anti-Treaty forces held others,
there was a considerable amount of sniping over the coming period. |
Hopkinson (1988), pg
76; Curran J M (1980), pg 182; Farry
(2012), pgs 94-95 |
|
Apr-06-22/5 |
A Catholic boy, Joseph Hannigan (9) is shot in
the head while playing in the street in Maralin St
in the New Lodge Rd area of Belfast. It is suspected that the shot came
from the BA. There are riots after
this killing. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 243 |
|
Apr-06-22/6 |
A patrol of Special Constables came under
attack at Roughlan's Cross, Co. Armagh on the road
between Keady and Monaghan resulting in the death of Special Head Constable
Alexander Compton. |
Abbott (2000), pg
285 |
|
Apr-06-22/7 |
A British Navy intelligence officer (Captain G
M Crick) based in Queenstown (Cobh) writing to Rear Admiral M.S. Fitzmaurice
says that the split in the IRA is “practically entirely bluff” and that they
will come together again and declare a republic as soon as British forces
have left the country. See also Apr-12-22/7. |
Ferriter
(2021), pg 34; McMahon (2008), pgs
71-72 |
|
Apr-07-22/1 |
The Northern Ireland Civil Authorities
(Special Powers) Bill – known as the flogging bill - receives royal
assent. It suspends habeas corpus; permits
search, arrest and detention without warrant; brings in the death penalty for
offences such as bomb throwing and flogging for offences such as possession
of arms. It also allowed for the banning of inquests and the seizure of
properties without warrant. |
Macardle
(1999), pg 704; Curran J M (1980), pg 177; Parkinson (2004), pg
235; McDermott (2001), pgs 185-185; McCluskey
(2014), pg 127; Ó Duibhir
(2011), pgs 72-73; Parkinson (2020), pgs 236-237 |
|
Apr-07-22/2 |
Abbott says that five recently retired members
of the RIC are shot and killed – three of those killed came from Co. Clare
and the others killed in Tralee, Co. Kerry.
He also says that another five or six are wounded. (Unusually for Abbott, he does not name
those killed.) Hart says that “On April 6, six were shot in
one day in Clare and Kerry”. Hart does
not make it clear if they were current or retired members of the RIC. He also does not make it clear if they died
from being shot. (The source which
Hart references in the Irish Times
on April 7th.) Other sources confirm that one ex-RIC man was killed in
Clare - see Apr-22-22/5. |
Hart (1998), pg 114;
Abbott (2000), pg 294; Abbott (2000), pg 277 |
|
Apr-08-22/1 |
The body of RIC Sgt Edward McConnell is found
in the Old Demesne, Templemore, Co. Tipperary. He had been shot six times. |
Abbott (2000), pgs
285-286 |
|
Apr-09-22/1 |
The anti-Treaty Army Convention reconvenes in
Dublin. The Convention adopts a constitution (given as
Appendix 8 in O’Donoghue (1986)). The convention votes narrowly against
setting up a military dictatorship but opposes any election on the Treaty in
the near future. See Apr-13-22/5 and Apr-14-22/1. The next Army Convention meets on June 18th
– see Jun-18-22/1. |
O’Donoghue (1986), pgs
224 & 230; Macardle (1999), pgs
693-694; Neeson (1989), pg
96; Townshend (2014), pg 392 |
|
Apr-09-22/2 |
William Blennerhasset,
a Protestant farmer, is evicted along with his wife and seven children from
their farm at Culleneghy, Beaufort, near Killarney,
Co. Kerry by a group of armed masked men including a man called John Murphy
who claimed that relatives were evicted from the farm prior to 1880. The following day, the local IRA Battalion
O/C, [Patrick?] Allman reinstates Blennerhasset on
his farm. See May-13-22/1. |
Doyle (2008), pg 102 |
|
Apr-10-22/1 |
The remaining members of the USC, detained
since Clones incident on 11th February, are released after Second
Collins-Craig pact. |
McDermott (2001), pg
207; Dooley (2017a), pg |
|
Apr-11-22/1 |
National Executive of the Irish Labour Party
condemns militarism on both sides. |
Macardle
(1999), pg 701 |
|
Apr-11-22/2 |
The Northern Advisory Committee to the
Provisional Government meets in Dublin and carries out extensive review of
Provisional Government policy towards Northern Ireland government. See Apr-12-22/1. |
Phoenix (1994), pgs 203-212; McDermott (2001), pgs 207-211 |
|
Apr-12-22/1 |
The Joint Conciliation Committee, set up under
the Collins-Craig pact, meets in Belfast (six nominees from each side).
They ask the NI Minister for Home Affairs for quasi-legal status but he
refuses and, by April 20th, the Catholic members resign. The
committee soon lapses. See Apr-20-22/2. |
McDermott (2001), pg
212; Phoenix |
|
Apr-12-22/2 |
Michael Sweeney (21) of the anti-Treaty IRA is
shot dead while in the custody of the pro-Treaty forces. He was being taken back to Mountjoy after
his trial in Beggars Bush. |
Dorney (2017), pg
42; Macardle (1999), pg
697 |
|
Apr-12-22/3 |
A British Army soldier, Private Taylor, is
shot in Dun Laoghaire and later dies of his wounds. |
Dorney (2017), pg
286 |
|
Apr-12-22/4 |
Writing to Collins, Churchill says that “Mr de
Valera may gradually come to personify not a cause but a catastrophe”. He goes on to say that the Provisional
Government must “assert itself or perish and be replaced by some other form
of control”. He puts to Collins the
following choice “the threat of civil war, or of a Republic followed by a
state of war with the British Empire”. |
Ferriter
(2021), pg 2; Kissane (2005), pg
153; Regan (2013), pg 116 |
|
Apr-12-22/5 |
Churchill states that 4,000 rifles; 2,200
revolvers, 6 machine guns and ammunition had been handed over to the
Provisional Government. He admitted that many rifles handed over to the
Provisional Government had now “passed out of its control”. |
O’Donoghue (1986), pg
226; Macardle (1999), pgs
702-703 |
|
Apr-12-22/6 |
Wellington Barracks on the South Circular Road
in Dublin is taken over by the pro-Treaty army under Tom Ennis. It was to become the HQ of the pro-Treaty 2nd
Eastern Division and, (with time) more notoriously, the base for pro-Treaty
Army Intelligence. |
Dorney (2017), pgs
38-39 |
|
Apr-12-22/7 |
A report by the British
Special branch states that rumours were rife in England that the anti-Treaty
army was “contemplating a big coup to dispose the Free State Government
during the Easter holidays”. The following day, the
BA’s Colonel Brind (Head of BA Intelligence in Ireland) says that at least 75
per cent of the IRA in Munster was anti-Treaty and warned of “an outburst in
the near future”. |
McMahon (2008), pg 73 |
|
Apr-13 to 29-22/1 |
According to Kissane, a conference is convened
in the Mansion House in Dublin with a view bringing together pro and
anti-Treaty forces. It us held at the prompting of the RC Archbishop of
Dublin, Edward Byrne, and the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Laurence O’Neill. The pro-Treaty side said that they wanted a
plebiscite on acceptance or rejection of the Treaty within a month but the
anti-Treaty side rejects this proposal.
Kissane also says that the Labour Party proposes that a Provisional
Government be replaced with a Council of State (with the Minister of Defence
chosen by the Army Convention). This
was rejected by the pro-Treaty side. Hopkinson says that the “Labour Party peace
attempts culminated in the Mansion House Conference of April 26-29” but talks
“broke down on Collins’s insistence that an election or plebiscite take place
on the Treaty issue. According to Macardle,
three representatives of the Irish Labour Party asked the conference on March
26th that representatives of the anti-Treaty Army Executive should
be added to the conference but Griffith and Collins refuse. Macardle elaborates on the Labour Party proposals
mentioned by Kissane but concludes “The Conference ended, in failure, on
April 29th.” Griffith refers to this conference in his
address to the Dáil on April 26th – see Apr-26-22/1. |
Kissane (2005), pgs
69-70; Hopkinson (2004), pg 93; Macardle
(1999), pgs 707-708; Ferriter (2021), pgs
37-38 |
|
Apr-13-22/1 |
Dundalk Military Barracks is evacuated by the
British Army and taken over by 50 IRA men of the 4th Northern
Division under Frank Aiken. |
Gavin and O’Donnell (1999), pg 31 |
|
Apr-13-22/2 |
An RIC man (Sgt John Bruin) is shot in Cosgroves public house on York St. in Belfast and later
dies from his wounds. |
Abbott (2000), pg
286; Parkinson
(2004), pg 245 |
|
Apr-13-22/3 |
A Special Constable (S/Constable Nathaniel McCoo) was shot while on a patrol in Joy St., Belfast and
later died of his wounds. |
Abbott (2000), pg
286; Parkinson
(2004), pg 244; McDermott
(2001), pg 212 |
|
Apr-13-22/4 |
A suspected informer (Patrick 'Cruxy' or ‘Croxy’ Connors) is
shot outside Central Park in Manhattan, New York. The Cork City IRA had sent three men to
execute him – Pa Murray, Dan Healy and Martin Donovan. Even though,
word went back to Cork that he had been killed, Connors survived the attack. |
Hart (1998), pg 114;
Borgonovo (2007), pgs 89-90 |
|
Apr-13-22/5 |
Anti-Treaty forces under Rory O'Connor (and
including Ernie O'Malley, Joe McKelvey and Liam Mellows) take over the Four
Courts in Dublin and set up their HQ there. There had been competition
for the taking over of BA barracks but all handed over in Dublin had been
taken over by pro-Treaty forces. The anti-Treaty forces barricaded the Four
Courts and the Public Records Office was turned into a munitions
factory. (Other buildings such as the
Fowler Hall, Kildare Street Club and, on May 2nd, the Ballast
Office were also taken over.) |
O'Farrell P (1997), pg
xx; Litton (1995), pgs 45-46; Hopkinson (1988), pg 72; Dorney (2017), pg 40;
Townshend (2014), pg 397 |
|
Apr-14-22/1 |
Liam Mellows, as Secretary to the Army Council
(Executive), writes to the Secretary of the Dáil, setting out the conditions
by which unity of the army might be attained. These include (a) the maintenance of the Irish
Republic; (2) Dáil Eireann to be the only government in Ireland; (3) a delay
to elections 'while the threat of war with England exists'; (4) the
disbandment of the new Civic Guard; (5) to maintain the army as the IRA under
an elected independent Executive and (6) that the Dáil discharge all current
and future financial liabilities of the army. See Apr-25-22/1. De Valera issues a statement says that
"In Rory O'Connor and his comrades lives the unbought indomitable soul
of Ireland" and appeals for support for them. With regards to Issue No. 5 above, the
previous day, Collins (when writing to Daly) says “no government in the world
could exist unless its Executive controlled the Army”. |
Macardle
(1999), pg 695; Kissane (2005), pgs 70 & 154 |
|
Apr-14-22/2 |
A group of men arrive at the house of John
Collins in Ramelton, Co. Donegal. Collins was an ex-British Army soldier and had
been suspected of spying for the British during the War of Independence. He had been arrested by the IRA but
released just after the Truce. On this
night, he was taken from his home and shot while making an ‘effort to
escape’. He later died of his wounds. It is not known if this killing was carried
out by pro- or anti-Treaty forces. |
Ó Duibhir (2011), pg 95 |
|
cApr-14-22/3 |
Two Protestant bakers, Matthew Carmichael (40)
and John Sloan, are shot dead in Belfast as are Catholics, Daniel Beattie
(22) and Thomas Gillan (51). |
Parkinson (2004), pg
241 |
|
Apr-15-22/1 |
Recruits to the new Civic Guard, who had been
housed in the RDS showgrounds in Dublin start to depart to the ex-Royal
Artillery Barracks in Kildare. Soon
there would be 900 recruits in the barracks under Camp Commandant, Joe Ring
and, by mid-May, there would be some 1,500.
See May-15-22/4. |
Durney
(2011), pgs 47-48 |
|
Apr-15-22/2 |
In the early hours of the morning, a
pro-Treaty patrol in Donegal Town encounters 10 anti-Treaty men getting ready
to break into the Ulster and Belfast banks.
A gun fight ensues with the RIC in the local barracks getting
involved. After some time, the
anti-Treaty men withdraw. (There are numerous bank robberies being
carried out by anti-Treaty men around this time after the pro-Treaty army
headquarters in Beggars Bush started to withdraw funding to IRA units which
had gone over to the anti-Treaty side.) |
Ó Duibhir (2011), pg 95 |
|
Apr-15-22/3 |
Macready writes to Churchill trying to get
Andy Cope removed from his position in Dublin Castle. He says that Cope is “out of place and a
danger to Ireland at the present moment”.
According to McMahon, this attempt was due to
their differing interpretations of the situation in Ireland. Cope was confident of the Provisional
Government winning out (see Apr-19-22/3) but Macready was predicting an
anti-Treaty victory by force or through elections. Macready failed in his attempt to get Cope
removed. (Ultimately, Cope proved to be correct – see
Jul-01-22/4 - but, in April 1922, it would have been very much in the balance
as to who had the ear of the British cabinet.) |
McMahon (2008), pg
70 |
|
Apr-17-22/1 |
A Catholic, James Green (67) is shot dead in
East Belfast. A lot of gunfire and house burning in the Marrowbone area
of Belfast with a number of people injured including James Fearon (56), a
Catholic, who dies the following day from his wounds. McDermott says the attack on the ‘Bone’ has
“every appearance of an organised pogrom”. Attacks continue on the
following day and spread to the Falls Road. |
Parkinson (2004), pg
241 & 253; McDermott (2001), pg 212 |
|
Apr-17-22/2 |
Noting increasing IRA activity in the border
area, the Belfast Newsletter warned that this would lead to Fermanagh
and Tyrone “for the sake of peace, agree[ing] to
inclusion in southern Ireland” which in turn would “render the position of
the other four counties perilous, if not untenable and would be a long step
in the direction of a united Ireland”. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 254 |
|
Apr-17-22/3 |
IRA Volunteer Michael McGreal from Co. Clare
dies in an accidental shooting. |
Ó Ruairc (2009), pg 326 |
|
cApr-18-22/1 |
A Catholic, Agnes McLarnon
(30), is shot by a sniper on the Crumlin Rd. in Belfast. |
Parkinson (2004), pg
241 |
|
Apr-18-22/2 |
During a gun fight in the Marrowbone area of
Belfast, S/Constable William Johnston is shot four times at the corner of
Walton Place and later dies of his wounds. |
Abbott (2019), pg
366 |
|
Apr-18-22/3 |
Frank Filey from Rahoey, Co. Tyrone is shot dead by a USC patrol when
returning from a cockfight in Glaslough, Co.
Monaghan. |
McCluskey (2014), pg
119 |
|
Apr-19-22/1 |
Craig reports to the NI cabinet that he made
it clear to Churchill the previous day that “Ulster could not afford to
postpone her organisation for defence”. |
Fanning (2013), pg
324 |
|
Apr-19-22/2 |
The Supreme Council of IRB along with division
and county centres meet in 41 Parnell Sq. They set a up committee of six: Diarmaid O'Hegarty, Sean O'Murthille and Martin Conlon (pro-Treaty) and Florence
O’Donoghue, Liam Lynch and Joe McKelvey (anti-Treaty) to try to find a basis
for Army re-unification. This committee meets five times but fails to
come up with a firm proposal. |
O’Donoghue (1986), pg
234-235; Hopkinson (1988), pg 94 |
|
Apr-19-22/3 |
After Andy Cope had written to Churchill on
April 17th saying, with regards to the anti-Treaty garrison in the
Four Courts, that “The PG [Provisional Government] want us to leave the whole
position to them. I agree with them.”,
Churchill on this day writes back to Cope saying “I do not understand why
they do not ring them round and starve them out” |
Ferriter
(2021), pg 36 |
|
Apr-19-22/4 |
Two Catholic children are playing in Marine
St. in the north of Belfast when a gunman approaches them and shoots both
children, mortally wounding Mary Keenan (13). In the east of the city, a sustained gunfight
takes place. Two Catholic women – Mary Berry and Rosie Duggan – are
killed by bullets coming through the front window of the room in which they
are taking refuge. A Catholic grocer, Patrick McGoldrick (27) is
shot in his shop and another Catholic, Francis Hobbs (36), is shot in the
stomach in Thompson St. A Protestant, James Greer (14), was shot in
the Short Strand during riots and died later. Earlier in the day, John
Wall (16), a Protestant, was shot by a sniper. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 243 &
251; McDermott (2001), pg
214 |
|
Apr-20-22/1 |
Three men, tarred and feathered by the IRA,
are paraded down the Falls Rd in Belfast. Also, Andrew McCartney, a Catholic, receives
an injury in Henry St and dies the following day. Around this time Thomas Best, a Protestant
teenager, is shot dead in the Oldpark area.
Also on this day, William Kerr (27), a Catholic, is badly beaten by a
loyalist mob before being shot. A Catholic teenager, John Quinn, was
shot in the Quinn St area and another Catholic, Dennis Diamond (25) was shot
by a sniper in the Short Strand area. James Johnson (50), a Protestant,
is shot in the Short Strand area and later dies of his injuries. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 249-252 |
|
Apr-20-22/2 |
In a letter to Churchill, Collins says that
the Collins-Craig pact was a “dead letter”. According to McMahon, that following the
collapse, “the British government sided with the representations of the
Belfast authorities, threw its full support behind their security policies …
- it no longer tried to be a neutral mediator between Collins and
Craig”. See Apr-21-22/1. |
McMahon
(2008), pg 142 |
|
Apr-20-22/3 |
Arthur Solly-Flood is given “supreme control
of all the Constabulary Forces in Northern Ireland for all purposes”. The NI Cabinet Secretary sends him a letter
stating that they would “stand over any action taken” by him, even if it was
not “strictly covered from a legal point of view”. |
McMahon
(2008), pg 151 |
|
Apr-20-22/4 |
Writing in The
Republic of Ireland, de Valera states that the IRA would be right to
prevent a new election taking place so as to ensure that Britain did not get
the “appearance of popular sanction for his usurped authority”. |
Kissane
(2005), pg 60 |
|
Apr-21-22/1 |
RC priest, Fr Bernard Laverty or Bishop MacRory (chair of the Belfast Catholic Protection
Committee) sends a telegram to Churchill saying that Belfast Catholics were
being “gradually but certainly exterminated by murder, assault, and
starvation, their homes burned, streets swept by snipers, life unbearable
military forces inactive, Special Police hostile; Northern Government either
culpable or inefficient. Your Government saved the Armenians and the Bulgarians. Belfast Catholics getting worse
treatment”. This leads to an angry exchange of letters between
Craig and Collins with both sides blaming the other for non-compliance with
various elements of their pact. See Apr-21-22/2. |
Phoenix (1994), pg 215; McDermott (2001), pg 215 |
|
Apr-21-22/2 |
The Provisional Government decided that
Collins should inform Craig that unless Craig shows good faith that they
would regard the agreement as broken. See Apr-21-22/3. |
Phoenix (1994), pg 216 |
|
Apr-21-22/3 |
Ulster Council of IRA meet in Clones and agree
that every division with territory inside the six counties would carry out
operations in about two weeks. McDermott says that Collins sanctioned this
policy after the breakdown in the relationship with Craig. He goes on
to say that “The aim of the new campaign was to make the government of the
six counties as difficult as possible, rather than the overthrow of the
state.” Woods informs the council of his 3rd
Northern Division the following day. See Apr-22-22/2. |
Phoenix (1994), pg 218; McDermott (2001), pg 215 |
|
Apr-21-22/4 |
The former RIC barracks in Broadford, Co.
Clare had been taken over by some of Michael Brennan’s pro-Treaty men. However, on this day, it is occupied by
anti-Treaty men under William O’Brien.
On April 23rd, the barracks is
surrounded by pro-Treaty men. After a
brief firefight, the anti-Treaty men agree to leave. However, as they are leaving, William
O’Brien is shot dead. [Power says
April 8th/9th.] |
Ó Ruairc (2009), pgs 294-295; Power (2020), pg
30 |
|
Apr-22-22/1 |
The Roscommon
Herald reports the arrest and subsequent release of Jim Gralton for organising land seizures and cattle drives at
Drumlion and Gowel in Co.
Leitrim. |
McGarty (2020), pg 108 |
|
Apr-22-22/2 |
O’Duffy
publicly accuses Lynch’s 1st Southern Division of retaining
Thompson machine guns intended for the northern IRA. An account of this accusation appears in
the Irish Independent on April 26th
“providing invaluable information for the British army … and, one may safely
wager, Collins’ fellow ministers”. See Apr-22-22/4. |
Regan (2013), pgs
90-91 |
|
Apr-22-22/3 |
Local anti-Treaty men proclaim meetings to be
held in Tralee and Killarney which are to be addressed by Collins.
However, last minute agreements, allow the meetings to go ahead. |
Hopkinson (1988), pg
576; Horgan (2018), pg 48; Doyle (2008), pgs
88-90 |
|
Apr-22-22/4 |
Collins writes to Churchill saying that Craig
had violated the second Collins-Craig pact in “practically every detail”. |
Kissane (2005), pg
82 |
|
Apr-22-22/5 |
Ex-RIC Sergeant Gunn is killed in Ennis, Co.
Clare. There is confusion as to who
carried out this killing. Power says
that he may have been shot because “he knew many people, including IRA
members, who spied for the British”.
Sgt Gunn was a Presbyterian. The following night the IRA try to kill ex-RIC William
Burns in Ennis but he escapes through a back window. In his claim for compensation to the Irish
Distress Committee (set up in 1924 by the British government), Burns states
“I narrowly escaped shooting on the night of the 23 April 1922, my house was
raided by armed men determined to murder me, having murdered my colleague,
Sergeant Gunn, on the previous evening I escaped by jumping out the window in
my shirt and trousers … I was a crime special constable and acted as a guide
to the Crown forces in all parts of Clare up to the time of disbandment”. Power also gives examples of ex-RIC men intimated into
leaving Clare by the IRA during this period and comments “Clearly, the ex-RIC
men were persona non grata in Clare
after the war was over, and they knew it”. |
Abbott (2000), pg
294; Ó Ruairc (2009), pg
295; Power
(2020), pgs 19 & 36-37 |
|
Apr-23-22/1 |
A blind Protestant man, Robert Miller (68), is
shot dead in his home in Beechfield St in Belfast. |
Parkinson (2004), pg
243 |
|
Apr-23-22/2 |
A hand grenade is thrown at the congregation
arriving at the much-targeted Catholic St Mathew’s Church in Ballymacarret in Belfast killing Lizzie McCabe (35). The grenade also seriously injures Catholic
RIC man John Moriarty. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 247; Parkinson (2020), pgs 159-160 |
|
Apr-23-22/3 |
Around this time, quite a few men from the 2nd
Northern Division IRA leave their home places in Derry and Tyrone and went to
Donegal as they were coming under pressure from raids by the Crown Forces,
especially the Specials. On this day a number of men from the Dungannon area crossed the border and reported to their
former O/C of the 2nd Northern Division, Charlie Daly, in
McCarry’s Hotel in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.
(Daly was now V/C of the anti-Treaty 1st Northern
Division.) |
|
|
Apr-24-22/4 |
A general strike takes place. It had been
called by the Labour Party (and supported by 75,000 workers) to protest
against militarism and the prospect of civil war. A rally held in O’Connell
St., Dublin and addressed by Thomas Johnson, Cathal O’Shannon
and Edward O’Carroll. |
Litton (1995), pg
56; Macardle (1999), pg
701; Curran J M (1980), pg 185; Dorney (2017), pg 46 |
|
Apr-24-22/5 |
During an angry exchange, Brigadier George
Adamson of the pro-Treaty forces (a pre-Truce Volunteer) is shot dead in
Athlone, Co. Westmeath. (He is buried beside the Tormey
brothers – James and Joseph – both killed during the War of Independence –
See Jan-14-21/3 and Feb-02-21/6.) |
Macardle
(1999), pg 697; O'Farrell P (1997), pg 141; Sheehan (2017), pg 362 |
|
Apr-24-22/6 |
In Belfast, the Irish News states that
the “full responsibility for all these hideous deeds of terrorism and blood
rests on the shoulders of the established Government of this city” and goes
on to suggest that “their failure to preserve a semblance of law and order is
apparently complete”. Four days earlier, the Irish News had
stated that “not a single honest official effort had been made to get at the
truth about these ghastly occurrences”. |
Parkinson (2. 004), pg 255. |
|
Apr-24-22/7 |
A Protestant, William Sibberson
(31), is shot dead while working at his desk at his place of work in the
Short Strand area of Belfast. |
Parkinson (2004), pg
241 |
|
Apr-25-22/1 |
Having received nothing beyond a formal acknowledgment
to the letter of April 14th (see Apr-14-22/1), the anti-Treaty
Army Executive writes again outlining the conditions saying that it was
probably the last opportunity “of saving the country from Civil War”. As noted, the anti-Treaty Army Executive had
decided that the Army was under the control of an “independent elected
Executive”. It also acknowledged that the Dáil was the government of the
Republic and called on it to pay the Army.
Dorney comments that the Executive’s approach
was “a mess of indecision and contradictory policies”. |
Macardle
(1999), pg 695; Dorney (2017), pg
43 |
|
Apr-25-22/2 |
Anti-Treaty Volunteers take over a number of
positions in Kilkenny City including two former RIC barracks and Kilkenny
jail. The former RIC barracks in
Thomastown is also taken over. In the
coming weeks, these positions are re-enforced by anti-Treaty men from
Tipperary. |
Walsh (2018), pgs 161-162 |
|
Apr-25-22/3 |
Anti-Treaty Volunteers set up in Mill St in Pettigo in Co. Donegal (on the border with Tyrone) – many
of these Volunteers are men fleeing from Tyrone and Fermanagh. There is also a pro-Treaty garrison under
Danny Gallagher. The population of Pettigo
is approximately 500. Of these, about
60% is Protestant and, soon afterwards, many leave their homes. Also
around this time, a joint pro- and anti-Treaty force occupy Belleek on the
Tyrone side of the Donegal-Tyrone border.
(Belleek is 90% Catholic.) |
Ozseker
(2019), pg 169 |
|
Apr-25-22/4 |
One of the two ex-RIC barracks in Letterkenny,
Co. Donegal comes under attack. (Both
barracks were held by pro-Treaty troops.) The attackers retreat after troops
from the second barracks arrive on the scene.
It is not known if the attack was carried out by anti-Treaty forces or
Specials coming across the border. |
Ó Duibhir (2011), pgs 97-98 |
|
Apr-25-22/5 |
At a meeting in Maynooth, the Catholic
hierarchy issue a statement saying “We think that the best and wisest course
for Ireland is to accept the Treaty and make the most of the freedom it
undoubtedly brings to us, freedom for the first time in 700 years”. They condemn the anti-Treaty men (who they
describe as “the young men connected with the military revolt”) saying that
“When they shoot their brothers on the opposite side
they are murderers; when they commandeer public and private property they are
robbers and brigands”. They also refer to the savage persecution of
northern Catholics and add that “The authorities cannot plead
helplessness. They have at their disposal tens of thousands of armed
men, paid for by the British government”. |
Phoenix (1994), pgs 216-217;
Power (2020), pg 29; Kissane
(2005), pg 153; Macardle
(1999), pg 701 |
|
Apr 26 to
28-22/1 |
In the early hours of
April 26th and the following nights, thirteen Protestants are
killed in the Dunmanway-Clonakilty-Bandon area of west Cork.
This became known as the Bandon Valley
Massacre. These killings became
highly controversial. They resulted in
many Protestants leaving Cork City and County. |
Hart (1998), pgs
273-279; Macardle (1999), pg
705; Hughes (2016), pg 128 |
|
Apr-26-22/1 |
The
Fifth Session of the Second Dáil – Day One – April 26th 1922 The Dáil reconvened on this day. It was to meet on eleven days between April
26th and May 20th. Griffith
summarised the current position as follows: “The Provisional Government, which came into existence as a
consequence of the approval of the Treaty, functions in complete harmony
with, and by the authority of Dáil Éireann. As
agreed at the Ard-Fheis of Sinn Féin, the constitution of Saorstát
Éireann is being drafted, and will be published
before the elections in June. In
accordance with the principles of freedom and democracy, on which the Dáil
was founded, whatever measures are necessary will be taken to ensure that the
electorate of Ireland, which created Dáil Éireann,
shall be free to vote for or against the Treaty which the plenipotentiaries
of Dáil Éireann signed and which Dáil Éireann has approved. At the invitation of the Archbishop
of Dublin, the Minister of Finance and myself have met members of the
opposition with the object of securing a peaceful election. There is, so far,
no result.” Thereafter,
the Dáil dealt with a number of reports from Ministers. The Dáil is informed that between March 23rd
and April 19th there had been 331 raids on post offices. The proceedings of Day One of the Fifth
Session of the Second Dáil are available here: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1922-04-26/
The second day of the Fifth Session of the
Second Dáil takes place on April 27th 1922 – see Apr-27-22/1. |
Ferriter
(2021), pg 25 |
|
Apr-26-22/2 |
The Provisional Government’s Northern Advisory
Committee meets and urges Collins to start IRA operations by May 2nd
if Craig does not accede to his three demands. (For the three demands – see Apr-11-22/2.) At this time, Collins is involved in
preparations for a major Northern offensive by pro- and anti-Treaty forces
(without the knowledge, it would seem, of some of his cabinet colleagues). See May-15-22/1. |
Phoenix (1994), pgs 217 &
218; O’Donoghue (1986), pgs 249-250 |
|
Apr-26-22/3 |
Three British Intelligence Officers and their
driver are kidnapped and later shot as spies in Macroom,
Co. Cork. They were Lieutenant R. A. Harry or Hendy of
the BA’s Royal Warwickshire Regiment; Lieutenant R. A. Dove of the 2nd
Hampshire; Lieutenant K. R. Henderson of the 2nd Green
Howards. The driver was Private J.
Brooks of the RASC. Sheehan says that only two of the officers
were involved in intelligence (and that Dove had been at Clonmult). According to McMahon, this intelligence
gathering mission arose from the British decision to re-start an intelligence
service in Ireland (see Apr-03-33/4) and led to the withdrawal of the final
BA troops in Cork on May 17th. |
Hart (1999), pg 280;
Sheehan (2017), pg
163; McMahon (2008), pg 67 |
|
Apr-26-22/4 |
Mulcahy reckons that only 1,900 of the 4,400
men in the Dublin Brigade are reliably pro-Treaty with most of the Brigade
staff – along with battalion and company officers – have gone anti-Treaty. |
Dorney (2017), pg 36 |
|
Apr-26-22/5 |
The Irish
Times reports the killing of Conor O’Malley in the Skehana
region of North Galway. He was driving
an egg delivery van when it is attacked by five masked men. The reason for the killing is unclear. |
McNamara (2018), pg
175 |
|
Apr-27-22/1 |
The
Fifth Session of the Second Dáil – Day Two – April 27th 1922 There is a long debate in which both the pro-
and anti-Treaty sides restate their positions. Further reports from Ministers are taken. The proceedings of Day Two of the Fifth Session
of the Second Dáil are available here: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1922-04-27/
The third day of the Fifth Session of the
Second Dáil takes place on April 28th 1922 – see Apr-28-22/3. |
|
|
Apr-27-22/2 |
The London Times reports James Craig as
saying that the degree of [Belfast] boycott activity is greater than it was
during the official boycott. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 78 |
|
Apr-28-22/1 |
Dáil cabinet meets for last time as a separate
body. |
Hopkinson (1988), pg
56 |
|
Apr-28-22/2 |
As part of their ‘Belfast Boycott’ campaign,
anti-Treaty IRA men in Kilkenny raid a bonded whiskey store in Chapel Lane in
Kilkenny City and remove 40 casks of whiskey to Kilkenny Jail (which they had
previously occupied). The local pro-Treaty commander, John Prout, issues an ultimatum the following morning that the
whiskey be returned and the jail evacuated.
(It transpired that the whiskey was not from Belfast but was from
Power’s distillery in Dublin.) After a
stand-off, and some mediation, the anti-Treaty men leave the jail. |
Walsh (2018), pgs 161-163 |
|
Apr-28-22/3 |
The
Fifth Session of the Second Dáil – Day Three – April 28th 1922 Questions are put to a number of Ministers. Kate O’Callaghan puts down a motion that the
report of the Minister of Defence (Mulcahy) should not be accepted. Referring to Mulcahy she says that she “cannot see how he has maintained the Army as the
Army of the Irish Republic [see Jan-10-22/1]. Under his management, it has split into two
camps”. Seconding the motion, Liam
Mellows says that “the Army is not concerned with majorities or minorities”
but with “a question of honour, a question of principle and a question of right”. The motion is adjourned. The proceedings of Day Three of the Fifth
Session of the Second Dáil are available here: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1922-04-28/
The fourth day of the Fifth Session of the
Second Dáil takes place on May 3rd 1922 – see May-03-22/1. |
Ferriter
(2021), pg 23 |
|
Apr-29-22/1 |
The Roscommon
Herald reports on the burning of the Parke Masonic Hall in Carrick-on-Shannon,
Co. Leitrim |
McGarty (2020), pg 115 |
|
Apr-29-22/2 |
The Clare
Champion reports that 91-year-old James McGuane
has been taken from his bed in Coolmeen, Co. Clare
and shot. He subsequently dies from his wounds. This shooting arose from an agrarian
dispute. |
Power (2020), pg 20 |
|
Apr-30-22/1 |
Lord Midleton
complains to King George V about the 'hasty withdrawal of British troops,
against which your Majesty's Government was repeatedly warned'. He says that this has led to an 'extremely
grave' situation. |
Hopkinson (1988), pg
90 |
|
Apr-30-22/2 |
Speaking in Mullingar, de Valera condemns the
killings of Protestants in Cork. |
Macardle
(1999), pg 705 |
|
Apr-30-22/3 |
A RIC man (Con Benjamin - or Archibald - Bently) is ambushed and killed at Staneen
near Drogheda, Co. Louth. He had been on his way to collect a clergyman
from Drogheda to conduct a service at Gormanstown
(where some RIC men were stationed awaiting demobilisation). The ambush was carried out by anti-Treaty
volunteers stationed at Millmount barracks in
Drogheda. In retaliation, twelve loads of RIC men from Gormanstown
arrived in Drogheda just after midnight on May 2nd and shoot up
the town centre. Constable Bently was
from London and had one year’s service with the RIC. |
Abbott (2000), pg 286;
Hall (2019), pg 93; Abbott (2019), pg 267 |
|
Apr-1920/2 |
About 100 IRA men enter a bonded store in
Dublin and, as part of the on-going Belfast Boycott being carried out by the
anti-Treaty side, proceed to destroy half a million gallons of Dunville whiskey. (James Craig is the owner
or a director of Dunville.) |
Parkinson (2004), pgs 75 &
332; Parkinson (2020), pg
125 |
|
Apr-1920/3 |
In late April, the Special Branch of the
London Metropolitan Police break up an anti-Treaty gun running operation in England. Six men are caught “re-handed” with a
considerable amount of ammunition in Birmingham; another six men were
arrested shortly afterwards. There was
also a find of documents in Liverpool which disclosed attempts to obtain arms
and explosives for the “mutinous section of the I.R.A.”. However, McMahon comments that “the Special
Branch was under no illusions about its limited ability to prevent
gunrunning”. |
McMahon (2008), pg
103 |
|
Apr-1920/4 |
In Dublin, anti-Treaty forces carry out a
series of bank robberies to fund their operations for which they issue
receipts. They also requisitioned food from shops for which they also issue
receipts. Also, there is regular
sniping of pro-Treaty barracks such as Wellington and Beggars Bush. In Mayo, nearly £10,000 is taken from Bank of
Ireland branches in Ballina, Ballinrobe,
Claremorris and Westport. Receipts are also issued. Durney
says that, in raids on the Bank of Ireland all over the country by
anti-Treaty forces, £250,000 was taken.
See also May-01-22/2. |
Price (2012), pgs
211-212; Durney (2011), pg64 |