February
1922
|
Feb-01-22/1 |
The cabinet of the Provisional Government.
Collins reports on his meeting with Devlin. They decide on ‘peace policy’
towards government of NI i.e. continuation of what
Craig and Collins agreed in London. Proviso is that Craig reprieves a
number of prisoners under sentence of death in Derry jail and releases the
‘Monaghan footballers’ – see Jan-14-22/2. Later, Collins and Griffith meet a delegation
from Newry and re-assures them on the boundary issue. Collins says to
the anxious Northerners that they “we’re only trying to force an open door,
and were using unnecessary energy in doing so." See Feb-02-22/3. |
Phoenix (1994), pg 179; McDermott (2001), pg 162 |
|
Feb-02-22/1 |
First full edition of James Joyce's Ulysses
published in Paris by Shakespeare & Co. It was Joyce's 40th
birthday. Ulysses had been serialised in the Little Review
between March 1918 and December 1920. |
Ulysses (Oxford Edition 1993)
Jeri Johnson - Ed., Appendix B, pgs 740-741 |
|
Feb-02-22/2 |
The Irish Times states that the
Provisional Government "is established in office but not in power.
Its machinery for the enforcement of law and order does not yet exist on any
adequate scale." |
Hopkinson (1988), pg
89 |
|
Feb-02-22/3 |
Follow-up to January 21st London
meeting with another meeting between Craig and Collins in Dublin
Castle. Their talks breakdown on the issue of amount of territory to be
called into question with Boundary Commission. See Feb-02-22/4. |
Hopkinson (1988), pgs
81-82; Curran J M (1980), pg 165; Phoenix
(1994), pgs 179-180; Parkinson (2004), pg 201; Fanning (2013), pg 319;
Matthews (2004), pg 69 |
|
Feb-02-22/4 |
At a Provisional Government cabinet meeting
after the Collins-Craig meeting, they decide on a policy of non-recognition
and non-cooperation towards the NI government and that it “should be hampered
in every possible way”. See Feb-10-22/3. Collins also gets agreement to a statement
(issued the following day) saying that on the principle of “majorities must
rule” the South would “secure immense anti-partition areas” in five of the
six counties. The statement also denies that the “boundary clause”
in the Treaty smacks of any ambiguity (which is a direct contradiction of the
fact that it does). After Collins’s statement is issued (on 3rd
or 4th), Craig moves to protect his flank in London by writing to
Llyod George saying that he had “striven for peace but in view of the fact
that the response of the leaders in the South to me is to threaten Ulster and
to express the desire to rob her of territory guaranteed to her by Great
Britain, my response to them is that what Ulster has she will hold”. In his letter, he ominously calls for
support from the “great Conservative Party”.
See Feb-09-22/4. |
Phoenix (1994), pg 181; Fanning
(2013), pg 319 |
|
cFeb-02-22/5 |
Provisional Government sets up a committee to
draft a Constitution. Collins is chair and
Darrell Figgis is deputy Chair. It includes Hugh Kennedy, K.C.; James
MacNeill, Prof Alfred O’Rahilly; James Douglas,
John O’Byrne, Kevin O’Sheil; C.P. France and
Prof James A. Murnaghan. (Curran gives considerable detail on the
working of the committee.) |
Macardle
(1999), pg 664; Curran J M (1980), pg 200 |
|
Feb-02-22/6 |
In a clash between IRA and RIC in Killarney,
Co. Kerry, an RIC man (Constable Charles Ednie) is
killed. Constable Ednie was
from Edinburgh and had one year’s service with the RIC. |
Abbott (2000), pg
275; Abbott (2019), pg 352 |
|
Feb-02-22/7 |
British army evacuate Sligo military barracks
and local anti-Treaty IRA take possession. |
Farry
(2012), pg 91 |
|
cFeb-03-22/1 |
Over £10,000 taken in raids on two banks in
Sligo Town. The local IRA deny
involvement. |
Farry
(2012), pg 92 |
|
Feb-03-22/2 |
Two RIC men (Constable William Gourlay and Constable Frank Kershaw) are shot dead after
leaving Green’s public house in Lisdoonvarna, Co.
Clare. (On February 1st a
bomb was thrown from the window of the RIC barracks in Ennistymon
injuring four people.) Constable Gourlay
was from Lanark in Scotland and Constable Kershaw was from Lancashire in
England with eight months’ and twelve months’ service with the RIC
respectively. |
Abbott (2000), pg
275; Ó Ruairc (2009), pg
291; Abbott (2019), pg 352 |
|
Feb-05-22/1 |
Cumman-na-mBan
register a large vote of 419 to 63 against the Treaty at its Convention. (Dorney
says the vote was 413 to 62.) Countess Markievicz was elected President and
the pro-Treaty members were asked to resign. They form their own group
called Cumman na Saoirse.
The inaugural meeting of Cumman ns Saoirse had 700
women in attendance. |
O’Donoghue (1986), pg
231; Litton (1995) pg 88; Macardle
(1999), pg 658; Dorney (2017), pg
31; Townshend (2014), pg 363-364; Ferriter (2021), pgs 23 & 36 |
|
Feb-05 to
06-22/1 |
British and Irish representatives meet in
London again to discuss procedural matters. They agree that Westminster’s Irish
Free State Agreement Bill would legalise the Treaty and transfer of powers to
the Provisional Government who would authorise an election to a Provisional
Parliament which would enact a constitution. The British would confirm
the constitution as the final ratification of the Treaty. Only then
would the ‘Ulster Month’ commence and the Northern Ireland would have to
decide if it wanted to exclude itself. Collins pointed out that the Treaty was signed
on the basis that Ulster would have a month to decide if it wanted to join
the Free State and if, as expected, they decided to exclude themselves then
the South could expect to gain “two whole and two half counties”. However, the now “found the Treaty working
out on different lines”. |
Curran J M (1980), pg
166; Matthews (2004), pg 67 |
|
Feb-06-22/1 |
A Catholic barman, Thomas Gray, is shot in the
back by loyalists as he serves in O’Boyle’s pub in central Belfast and dies
the following day. Parkinson says that
Gray “had links with paramilitary organisations” and was given a paramilitary
funeral. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 211; McDermott (2001), pg 163;
Parkinson (2020), pg 158 |
|
Feb-07-22/1 |
British Army evacuate Kilkenny Military
Barracks. It is taken over by the IRA. |
Walsh (2018), pg 151 |
|
Feb-07 to 08-22/1 |
The
February Kidnappings The IRA kidnap a number of prominent loyalists
and ‘B’ Specials in Fermanagh and Tyrone and take them across the border.
(Hopkinson says 42; Phoenix says 70; McDermott says some 40 persons, Parkinson
says 42, Fanning says 43 and Dooley says 60) They are to be held as hostages for the
‘Monaghan footballers’ arrested on January 14th (see Jan-14-22/2)
and the three men due to hung in Derry on February 9th (see
Jan-12-22/6). |
Hopkinson (1988), pg
80; Phoenix
(1994), pg 183; Parkinson (2004), pg 211; McDermott (2001), pgs 164-165; Dooley (2017a), pgs
103-104; Lawlor (2011), pgs 204-210; Ó Duibhir (2011), pg 61; Fanning
(2013), pgs 319-320; Parkinson
(2020), pg 193 |
|
Feb-08-22/1 |
A Catholic ex-BA soldier, John McDonagh, is
shot dead in York St., Belfast. |
McDermott (2001), pg
165 |
|
Feb-09-22/1 |
At a meeting with the British Chancellor of
the Exchequer, Craig said that he “could not take responsibility what might
happen in NI during the next six months if the special constabulary was not
maintained”. He was warned that his
stance would “place in jeopardy the lives of southern unionists … Craig said
that he would confess that this was a point which had not occurred to him”. Concern for southern unionists did not stop
the British Government from funding the Specials - see Mar-06 to 07-22/1. |
Ferriter
(2021), pgs 25-26 |
|
Feb-09-22/2 |
Catholic teenager, Patrick Hannigan, is shot
dead in Cuper St., Belfast. (Parkinson says 9th
but McDermott gives the date as February 7th.) |
Parkinson (2004), pg 211; McDermott (2001), pg 163 |
|
Feb-09-22/3 |
Meeting held in the Gresham Hotel Dublin
attended by among others Michael Collins, Richard Mulcahy, Michael Staines
and Michael Ring to discuss the setting up of the new Civic Guard force for
the fledgling Free State. As Collins knew that he would need the help of
former members of the RIC in setting up the new force, he invited a number of
ex-RIC men who had helped him during the War of Independence to the meeting.
At the meeting, a number of committees were set up and tasked with various
elements required for the setting up of the new force. See Feb-21-22/3. |
Durney (2011), pgs 44-45 |
|
Feb-09-22/4 |
Austen Chamberlain tells Griffith that unless
the Provisional Government took steps to release the kidnapped unionists and
end the border disturbances then he would consider himself absolved from the
Treaty. |
Matthews (2004), pg
69 |
|
Feb-09-22/5 |
British military evacuate Ballymullen Barracks
in Tralee and it is handed over to the IRA led by Humphrey Murphy, O/C, Kerry
No. 1 Brigade. |
Doyle (2008), pg 68 |
|
Feb-09-22/6 |
Both RIC barracks in Sligo Town are evacuated
and took over by local anti-Treaty IRA |
Farry
(2012), pg 91 |
|
Feb-09-22/7 |
The Impartial
Reporter states that Ethel Peacocke or Peacock, mother of Warren Peacocke
or Peacock (who had been killed by the IRA – see May-31-21/5) and whose house
had been burnt in June 1921, had received a rates demand. She writes to Dáil Éireann
stating that “your armies have already murdered my son, burned down the house
on which the rates were assessed and sold for your own purposes all my
property in the gardens”. She
continues “I always understood taxes were levied for the protection and
enjoyment of life and property”. |
Hughes (2016), pg 57 |
|
Feb-09-22/8 |
Robert Sadlier, a blacksmith in the village of
Butlersbridge, Co Cavan, is killed during a raid
for arms on his home by the IRA. |
Lawlor (2011), pgs 210-211 |
|
Feb-09-22/9 |
After the winding down of BA intelligence
operations in Ireland, Macready complains to Wilson that “I need not
emphasise the point that I am now like a man who has lost his sight, as my
Intelligence Service is completely scrapped, and I am entirely dependent on
anything I may get either from the Ulster Government or from the funny men in
Dublin”. See Apr-03-22/4. |
McMahon (2008), pg
66 |
|
Feb-10-22/1 |
An Ulster Special Constabulary patrol is
attacked in the village of Clady, Co. Tyrone resulting in the death of S/Con
Charles McFadden. The attack is carried out by the Donegal IRA. The USC retaliate by attacking nationalist
houses in Castlederg. |
Abbott (2000), pg
276; McDermott (2001), pg 167; McCluskey (2014), pg 119; Lawlor (2011), pgs 202-204 |
|
Feb-10-22/2 |
An attempt is made to rob Lieutenant John
Hubert Wogan Browne of the BA’s Royal Field
Artillery at Infirmary Road outside Kildare Town. He had just been to the Hibernian Bank in
the town to collect the pay for the British troops in the nearby Kildare
barracks. A struggle ensued and
Lieutenant Wogan Browne is shot dead. (The lieutenant was unarmed.) Members of
the IRA attended his funeral.
According to McMahon, this robbery and killing was purely criminal in
nature. |
Durney
(2011), pgs 37-38; Sheehan (2009), pg 113; McMahon (2008), pg 65 |
|
Feb-10-22/3 |
The Irish cabinet discuss the payment of
salaries to teachers in Catholic schools in the six counties. Patrick
Bradley (CEO of National Education) is sent north to gauge support among
Catholic secondary schools for a policy of non-recognition of the NI Ministry
of Education and getting paid by the Provisional Government. 23
secondary schools agreed to refuse to recognise the NI Government along with
270 elementary schools. The latter, however, was only one-third of the
elementary schools under Catholic management. From January to October
1922 these schools were paid for by the Provisional Government. Many
priests disagreed with this policy. |
Phoenix (1994), pgs 189-190 |
|
Feb-10-22/4 |
Writing from the Riviera to her husband,
Winston Churchill, Clementine Churchill says “Michael Collins does not appear
to be able to control his wild men”. |
Dolan and Murphy (2018), pg
119 |
|
Feb-11-22/1 |
The
Clones Affray A 16 or 18 man party
of ‘A’ Special Constables is stopped in a train in Clones, Co Monaghan by the
local IRA led by Matt Fitzpatrick. The
Specials had not applied for a special permit which they would have required
to travel through Clones. Shooting
breaks out and four Special Constables are killed (S/Sgt William Dougherty,
S/Constable James Lewis, S/Constable William McFarland and S/ Constable
Robert McMahon) and nine wounded. A number of Special Constables are
captured. Fitzpatrick is also killed. The incident is condemned in the British and
Unionist press but the Irish Independent blames it on the arrest of
the Monaghan ‘football team’ on January 14th. Craig wants to send 5,000 Specials across
the border to rescue the prisoners but this is vetoed by
Churchill. However, this incident leads to the suspension
of the evacuation of British troops from the 26-counties (on February 13th).
It also leads to serious rioting in Belfast – see February 12th to
15th – see Feb-12 to 15-22/3. Some of the captured Specials are released on
February 22nd with the last released on April 10th. |
Abbott (2000), pgs
276-277; Hopkinson (1988), pg 80; Macardle (1999), pg 660; Curran
J M (1980), pg 166; Dooley (2000), pg 45; Phoenix (1994), pg 183;
Parkinson (2004), pgs 211-212; McDermott (2001), pgs 165-166;
Dooley (2017a), pg 104; Lawlor (2011), pgs 212-246 & 328; Abbott
(2019), pgs 353-354; Fanning (2013), pg 320; Parkinson (2020), pgs
194-196 |
|
Feb-11-22/2 |
RIC District Inspector Michael Keany is shot and killed in Clonakilty, Co. Cork.
(DI Keany had led the RIC in the defence of Rosscarbery barracks.) |
Abbott (2000), pg
277 |
|
Feb-11-22/3 |
Catholic shopkeeper, Margaret Page (42), is
shot dead by loyalists in her corner shop in North Queen St in Belfast. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 212; Parkinson (2020), pg 157 |
|
Feb-11-22/4 |
Thirty armed men raid the RIC barracks in
Castleisland, Co. Kerry. They lock up
the RIC constables and make away with a large quantity of arms and ammunition. Almost definitely carried out by Tom McEllistrim’s men. |
Doyle (2008), pg 78 |
|
Feb-11-22/5 |
IRA officer, Frank McCoy, is shot dead by
loyalists in a Falls Road pub in Belfast. |
Parkinson (2020), pg
158 |
|
Feb-12-22/1 |
Mass meeting held in Dublin by anti-Treatyites. This
is followed by many meetings around the country by both sides. |
Curran J M (1980), pg
167 |
|
Feb-12-22/2 |
James Street barracks in Westport, Co. Mayo
evacuated by RIC and handed over to IRA. British army barracks in Castlebar
also handed over. |
Price (2012), pgs
198-199 |
|
Feb-12 to
15-22/3 |
Severe
Rioting in Belfast These riots are sparked off by deaths of the
USC men in Clones – see Feb-11-22/1. In these riots, up to 39 people were
killed. The most notorious incident
was the Weaver St bombing in which
six people were killed including four children. McDermott names 32 people killed on 13th,
14th and 15th – 18 Catholics and 14 Protestants. Parkinson
names 37 people who died in Belfast between the 12th and 15th
– it would seem 23 Catholics and 14 Protestants. (However, two of the
people on McDermott’s list are not on Parkinson’s so the death toll could
have been as high as 39.) |
Abbott (2000), pgs
276-278; Macardle (1999), pg
660;
Phoenix (1994), pg 183; Parkinson (2004), pgs 212-215 & 225-227; McDermott
(2001), pgs 166-169 & 294; Parkinson
(2020), pgs 227-229; Litton
(1995), pg 49; Abbott (2019), pg
355 |
|
Feb-13-22/1 |
Led by Commandant Sean Broderick, the IRA take
over Renmore Barracks in Galway from the departing
British Army. (They had taken over Lenaboy Castle from the departing Auxiliaries on January
15th.) |
Henry (2012), pg 239 |
|
Feb-13-22/2 |
In an altercation with a British soldier in
Donegal Town, two IRA men (Captain Hugh Britton and Volunteer James
Gallagher) are wounded and later die from their wounds. The British soldier
is subsequently arrested by the IRA but handed back to the British military stationed
in Finner Camp. |
Ó Duibhir (2011), pgs 66-67 |
|
Feb-13-22/3 |
Writing to Collins, Churchill states a “bloody
fight” along the North-South border would benefit only those who “wish to see
Ireland partitioned permanently”. |
Matthews (2004), pg
69 |
|
Feb-13-22/4 |
A group of 35 British Conservative MPs from
the right-wing of their party (the ‘Die-Hards’) press their grievances with
the Coalition government on their party leader, Austen Chamberlain. According to Matthews, the ‘Die-Hards’
intended to introduce a series of amendments to the Irish Free State
(Agreement) Bill aimed at the Treaty’s boundary clauses. The intention was to get the British
government to give assurances on NI’s territory and, if they did, to create
an open breach with the Provisional Government. See Feb-16-22/3. Despite a speech by Chamberlain on February 20th
in favour of continued coalition with Llyod George’s Liberals, there was
on-going pressure on the coalition government and, in particular, on Llyod
George as prime minister. This
weakened Llyod George’s position and that of the Liberal Party members of
cabinet. Fanning comments that “[British] Government policy on Ireland became
almost as Ulster-Centric in the Spring of 1922 as it had been throughout
1920”. (The pressure from the Tory Die-Hards would
eventually lead to the ousting of Llyod George and his replacement by Bonar
Law – see Oct-19-22/3.) |
Fanning (2013), pgs
321-322; Matthews (2004), pg 70 |
|
Feb-14-22/1 |
Field-Marshall Henry Wilson, just about to
retire as Chief of the Imperial Staff, tells Churchill’s British cabinet
committee on Ireland that nothing could solve the Irish problem except
re-conquest. Churchill, who had
refused Craig’s proposal to send 5,000 Specials to invade the south, refused
Wilson’s proposal but did send three more battalions of British troops for
border duty in Northern Ireland. See Feb-18-22/2 and Feb-21-22/6. |
Fanning (2013), pg
320 |
|
Feb-15-22/1 |
Writing to Wilson, Macready dismisses Craig’s
belief that there was an imminent invasion of NI by the IRA as “all tosh” and
“hot air telegrams” which he had got up for “political reasons”. |
McMahon (2008), pg 141 |
|
Feb-16-22/1 |
While the violence in Belfast had subsided
somewhat, on this day, James McCormack (45), a Protestant, was shot dead on
his way to work. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 227 |
|
Feb-16-22/2 |
By this point, the three IRA prisoners in
Derry Jail had been reprieved and the Monaghan footballers released
(reluctantly by Craig at Churchill’s insistence). Collins arranged for
26 of the loyalist hostages to be released. The remainder are released during
March. Churchill sets up a border commission with
Northern, Southern and British representatives to monitor the situation but
it never functions effectively. Collins protests strongly to Churchill
about the mobilization of the Specials “for actions against our people in the
north-east”. (Dooley and Hall says that the releases of the
Monaghan footballers and most of the captured unionists did not happen until later
and the Specials captured at Clones were still held. Dooley also says that the USC subsequently
trenched all the roads on the Tyrone-Monaghan border so as to prevent further
kidnapping.) |
Hopkinson (1988), pg
80; Phoenix
(1994), pg 184; Dooley (2017a), pg
105; Hall (2019), pgs
90-91 |
|
Feb-16-22/3 |
The Irish Free State (Agreement) Bill is
introduced to the Westminster parliament by Churchill. He says “for generations we have been wandering
and floundering in the Irish bog; but at last we
think that in this Treaty we have set our feet on a pathway … narrow, but
firm and far-reaching”. He went on to
say, while he was careful to maintain fair play in dealing with the two Irish
governments, that “though we are impartial we cannot be indifferent.
Naturally, our hearts warm towards those in the North who are helping, and
have helped so long, to keep the old flag flying”. There is strong opposition from the Ulster
Unionists and their Conservative allies. The key issue in the
interpretation of the Article 12 of the Treaty – the boundary clause.
On Fermanagh and Tyrone, Churchill admits that they are a weak point in the
Ulster position as “It affects the existing frontiers of Ulster and may
conceivably affect them prejudicially”. However, he goes on to give a
minimalist interpretation of the areas that the Boundary Commission would
change and says the British government is determined to “defend every inch of
Ulster soil as if it was Kent”. An
amendment refusing assent to the boundary commission is defeated by 302 votes
to 60. Devlin attacks the NI government in the
British House of Commons for its treatment of the nationalist minority saying
that his constituents were “the victims of a system of terrorism without
parallel in any country in Europe”. [It was on this occasion that Churchill gave his ‘dreary
steeples of Fermanagh and Tyrone’ speech. He says “Then came the Great
War. Every institution, almost, in the
world was strained. Great umpires were
overturned. The whole map of Europe
has been changed. The position of countries has been violently altered. … But, as the
deluge subsides and the waters fall short we see the dreary steeples of
Fermanagh and Tyrone emerging once again.
The integrity of their quarrel is one of few institutions that has
been unaltered in the cataclysm which has swept the world”.] See Mar-08-22/4. |
Curran J M (1980), pg
169; Phoenix
(1994), pg 184; Parkinson (2004), pg 227; McDermott (2001), pg 171; Fanning (2013), pgs
320- 321; Matthews
(2004), pgs 65 & 71 & 77 |
|
Feb-17-22/1 |
Churchill telegrams Collins saying that “the
North have ample forces to defend their territory but if not
more troops will be sent them to any extent that may be necessary”. (It would seem that Churchill had some
intelligence on the Ulster Council.) |
Dooley (2007a), pg
105 |
|
Feb-17-22/2 |
Two RIC men were attacked in Garryowen, Co.
Limerick resulting in the death of one (Constable Lauchlin
McEdward). Constable McEdward
was from Edinburgh and had eight months’ service in the RIC. |
Abbott (2000), pg
278; O’Callaghan (2018), pg 102 |
|
Feb-17-22/3 |
A Catholic, John Duffin (28), is shot by
gunmen on Sunnyside St in Belfast and dies the following day. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 227 |
|
Feb-17-22/4 |
Charlie Daly is replaced by Tom Morris as O/C
of the 2nd Northern Division of the IRA on the orders of Eoin O’Duffy who claims that Daly had failed to bring the
military activity of counties Derry and Fermanagh up to the level of other
counties. Daly makes a strong defence of his time in
command and claims that he is being removed because of his anti-Treaty views
and resigned rather than take the position on GHQ staff offered to him by O’Duffy. (Both Ó Duibhir
and Ozseker says that O’Duffy wrote to
Daly on March 4th, following a meeting with 2nd Northern Division
officers on March 2nd, with Daly replying on March 8th vigourously
defending his record. Ó Duibhir also says
that O’Duffy had informed Richard Mulcahy, Minister
of Defence, on February 21st of his intention to replace Daly) Subsequently, Daly is made V/C of the
anti-Treaty 1st Northern Division under Sean Lehane. |
Grant (2018), pg
132; McCluskey (2014), pg 120; Ozseker
(2019), pg 164; Ó Duibhir
(2011), pgs 75-77 |
|
Feb-17-22/5 |
The ‘Allenby Declaration’ concedes formal
independence for Egypt from Britain (but retains British ‘special interests’
in the country) – see Dec-29-21/2. According to Morgan, the British cabinet
accepted this declaration “with much reluctance”. The Allenby Declaration came about after
Curzon had engaged in lengthy negotiations with ‘moderate’ Egyptian leader
Adly Pasha. Morgan says that “the British
could now see [Adly Pahsa] as a local aid to
imperial strategic security”. Morgan also notes that “the new contacts built
up with the Sinn Fein leaders in the summer of 1921 had also implications for
British attitudes towards the Wafd nationalists in
Egypt”. Henry Wilson writes in his diary that “the
white flag is once more up over Downing St”. (Morgan gives the date of the Allenby
Declaration as the February 28th.) |
Jeffrey (2006), pg
253; Morgan (1979), pg 121 |
|
Feb-17-22/6 |
The body of BA officer Lieutenant Genochio is found in the grounds of the Cork Asylum – he
had been shot twice in the back. This gives rise to tensions between the
British government and the Provisional Government. The Irish side say that Genochio had committed robberies and was shot trying to
escape (despite being called to halt a number of times). However, the BA say that he was killed
because he was “very active in rounding up rebels” during the War of
Independence. |
McMahon (2008), pg
71 |
|
Feb-18-22/1 |
O/C Mid-Limerick Brigade IRA, Liam Forde,
issues a proclamation saying that “We no longer recognise the authority of
the present head of the army, and renew our allegiance to the existing 1rish
Republic”. |
Macardle
(1999), pg 674 |
|
Feb-18-22/2 |
Field Marshall Henry Wilson steps down as
Chief of the Imperial General Staff – see Feb-21-22/6. |
Jeffrey (2006), pg
279 |
|
Feb-18-22/3 |
Ballylongford
and Ballybunion RIC barracks in Co. Kerry handed
over to IRA. |
Doyle (2008), pg 66 |
|
Feb-18-22/4 |
Long serving RIC Constable (or Sgt) Eugene
Ahern accidentally shot dead by a Special in Springfield Rd barracks in Belfast.
(Abbott says February 18th but McDermott says February 15th.) |
Abbott (2000), pg
315; McDermott (2001), pg 170 |
|
Feb-18-22/5 |
Ulster Special Constables fire at a lorry to
get it to stop at Spawell between Enniskillen and Kinawley in Co. Fermanagh. It transpires that they had
fired on one of their own lorries and killed S/Con James McInnes. |
Lawlor (2011), pgs 246-247;
Abbott (2000), pg 318 |
|
Feb-19-22/1 |
A bomb is thrown into Flynn’s public house in
Belfast – miraculously only minor injuries. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 227 |
|
Feb-21-22/1 |
Sinn
Féin Ard Fheis At the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis, pro- and
anti-Treaty sides agree that (a) no election would be held in next three
months; (b) that the Dáil would continue to function as before Treaty and (c)
new constitution would be put to the people at same time as they would be
asked to vote on Treaty. |
O’Donoghue (1986), pg
213; Hopkinson (1988), pg 56; Phoenix
(1994), pgs 187-188; McDermott
(2001), pg 172; Ferriter (2021), pg 31 |
|
Feb-21-22/2 |
At a special Irish Labour Party conference,
the party’s secretary Tom Johnson welcomes the Treaty but condemns both wings
of Sinn Féin for being unable to deal with the mounting economic
problems. Labour decides to take part in the next general election. |
Curran J M (1980), pg
164 |
|
Feb-21-22/3 |
Civic Guard formally established to be the
police service of the new Free State. Curran says that GHQ ordered the disbandment
of the IRA police in late January and open recruitment for a new Civic Guard
was to be undertaken. See Mar-07-22/3. |
Abbott (2000), pg
293; Hopkinson (1988), pg 91; Curran J M (1980), pg 163; Ó Ruairc (2009), pg 294 |
|
Feb-21-22/4 |
The BA barracks in Ennis, Co. Clare is
evacuated on this day and the RIC barracks is evacuated on February 25th
(and taken over by the anti-Treaty IRA).
The Ennis Ordnance Survey Building is taken over by Michael Brennan as
HQ of the pro-Treaty 1st Western Division. |
Power (2020), pgs 19 |
|
Feb-21-22/5 |
During an IRA raid for arms on the house of
former British Army officer, Leslie Huddlestone, at
the Cairn, Ramelton, Co. Donegal, a shot is fired
from the house and kills IRA Captain John Duffy from Milford. |
Ó Duibhir (2011), pg 69 |
|
Feb-21-22/6 |
Field Marshall Henry Wilson (just retired as
Chief of the Imperial General Staff) is returned unopposed to Westminster as
the Unionist candidate in a by-election in North Down. |
Fanning (2013), pg 321; Jeffrey (2006), pg 279 |
|
Feb-21-22/6 |
Writing to Worthington-Evans, Macready says “I
think that it is quite possible that Collins & Co. will have to fight for
their lives, not only with the ballot boxes, but also with automatics and
rifles”. |
McMahon (2008), pg 70 |
|
Feb-22-22/1 |
Collins secretly authorises formation of a
specially-paid unit of 70 IRA men from the 3rd Northern Division (Parkinson
says 72 including 12 officers) known as the Belfast
City Guard to protect Catholics district from sectarian attack. It is divided into three sections.
It continues to function until August 1922. |
Phoenix (1994), pg 184;
Parkinson (2004), pg 219;
McDermott (2001), pg 172-173; Parkinson (2020), pg 187 |
|
Feb-22-22/2 |
The RIC leave their barracks in Limerick. |
O’Callaghan (2018), pg
102 |
|
Feb-23-22/1 |
There is a meeting in the Mansion House
attended by members of the Provisional Government (including Collins) and the
Trustees of the Dáil Loan. The
Trustees were de Valera, Bishop Fogarty and Stephen O’Mara (who had replaced
his brother James). Of the three
trustees, only Fogarty was pro-Treaty. Donal O’Connor prepared the accounts – there
was £237,603 in the Dáil Loan accounts. Daithi O’Donoghue
(Secretary to the Trustees and the man who knew where the Dáil Loan money was
hidden in various accounts) was instructed to call in any Loan money held
under the names of private individuals (and false accounts) and lodge the
money in one account in the name of the three Trustees in the National Land
Bank. There was a further $2.1m (£425,000) in the
American Loan accounts. This money was
held in the name of Stephen O’Mara alone.
It was agreed at this meeting that this money should be transferred to
an account under the names of the Trustees and that the money should remain
in America. As the split widened, the pro-Treaty
government found it would not access the Dáil funds in the National Land Bank
without the signatures of the three Trustees.
Eventually they appointed two new Trustees (Richard Mulcahy and
Richard Hayes) to replace de Valera and O’Mara. See Nov-15-22/3. (Note: After the setting up of the Land
Commission in August 1923, the National Land Bank lost its purpose and it was
eventually sold to the Bank of Ireland in 1926.) |
O’Sullivan Grenne (2020), pgs 165-166 |
|
Feb-23-22/2 |
An ex-British Army soldier, Charles Herbert
Burns from Kilmacrennan, is shot dead by an IRA
police patrol in a grocery shop in Milford, Co. Donegal. It was claimed that he tried to pull a gun
on the patrol. |
Ó Duibhir (2011), pg 71 |
|
Feb-23-22/3 |
Mulcahy visits BA officers in the Curragh, Co.
Kildare. |
Sheehan (2009), pg
123 |
|
Feb-24-22/1 |
There is a follow-up meeting to meeting on
January 18th of IRA GHQ Staff and divisional commanders – see
Jan-18-22/1. Rory O’Connor asks Mulcahy to get Dáil
approval to hold an army convention on March 26th. (At his
point only the 2nd Southern Division had repudiated the authority
of the Dáil.) See Feb-27-22/1. |
O’Donoghue (1986), pg
212; Macardle (1999), pg
676 |
|
Feb-24-22/2 |
Edward Hardy, a Protestant from Belfast, dies
of injuries sustained earlier. Another Protestant, James Hutton (45)
was shot dead by gunmen who broke into his home. (This was possibly a case of
mistaken identity.) |
Parkinson (2004), pg 228 |
|
Feb-25-22/1 |
Anti-Treaty IRA men raid the arms store of
John’s St RIC barracks in Kilkenny City.
They take 90 rifles, 100 revolvers, a Lewis submachine gun and
assorted ammunition. The arms belonged
to decommissioned Black and Tans men who had left Kilkenny the previous
week. (The raiders left a note
“expressing thanks for the rifles had been oiled and otherwise cared for”.) |
Walsh (2018), pg 153 |
|
cFeb-25-22/2 |
Loyalist gunmen kill publican, James Reilly,
as he walks past the Mater Hospital in Belfast. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 227-228; Parkinson (2020), pg 158 |
|
cFeb-25-22/3 |
Lt Mead, of the BA’s Royal Army Service Corps,
is shot dead during an attack on his car on the Naas Road outside Dublin and
QM Sgt Cunliffe is injured. |
Litton (1995), pg 37 |
|
cFeb-25-22/4 |
In Belfast, a Protestant, Issac
McMillan (22) is shot in the head by a sniper in the Short Strand. An
off-duty ‘B’ Special, David Fryer or Friars, also shot by a sniper in
Thompson St area and dies later. (Abbott says that he was waylaid by a
number of armed men – he also says that it was February 27th.)
James Hughes (20) was walking along the Crumlin Rd with his mother when they
are fired on. Mr Hughes dies later – he was a Catholic. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 228; Abbott (2019), pgs 405-406;
Parkinson (2020), pg 161 |
|
Feb-26-22/1 |
At a meeting of British and Provisional
Government ministers, Churchill expresses fears about the postponement of the
election and that an unacceptable constitution would be drawn up.
Griffith assures him that constitution would have to be accepted by British
government before being submitted to the Dáil. Churchill agrees to resume troop
evacuation. Griffith also assures the British side that the IRA “on the
whole had acted in accordance with the view that they would leave politics
alone”. The British brought up the comment by Collins
that the Vice Regal Lodge in Phoenix Park would make an admirable cancer
hospital. Eamon Duggan said his
comment was a joke. Chamberlain replied that “Jokes are so dangerous”. (Ferriter
comments that “They were also in very short supply”.) |
Hopkinson (1988), pg
56; Macardle (1999), pgs
667-668; Ferriter (2021), pg 32 |
|
Feb-26-22/2 |
Clonmel RIC barracks attacked by anti-Treaty
South Tipperary IRA and they capture a large number of arms (including nearly
300 rifles and an armoured car). |
Hopkinson (1988), pg
60 & 74; Curran J M (1980), pg 170 |
|
Feb-27-22/1 |
The Irish Cabinet agrees with Minister of
Defence's request to hold Army Convention. It is duly announced by Eoin
O’Duffy who also summons brigade conventions to
elect delegates. However see Mar-14-22/3 and Mar-15-22/1. |
O’Donoghue (1986), pg
212; Macardle (1999), pg
676 |
|
Feb-28-22/1 |
The
Fourth Session of the Second Dáil – Day One – February 28th 1922 This session lasted three days. In an opening statement, Griffith makes the
following statement (which summarises the situation to date) “in accordance with the terms of the Treaty approved
by the majority of the Dáil, a meeting of representatives elected for
constituencies in Southern Ireland was convened to formally endorse the
Treaty and set up the Provisional Government. That Government was duly
established. Dublin Castle has been handed over to it, and the evacuation of
the country by the British forces was begun and is still in progress. It was
intended to ascertain the will of the Irish electorate at the earliest
moment, and if this will sustained the Treaty to
proceed with the drafting of an Irish Constitution. The leaders of the
minority party in the Dáil, however, contended that more time was needed for
the electorate to form a correct judgment, and that the Constitution should
be published before the election. An agreement to this effect was signed, and
in conformity with it I went to London with the Minister for Home Affairs and
secured that no election will be held during the three months' period agreed
upon. Since the last meeting the Cabinet decided it was advisable to
discontinue the Belfast Boycott, with a view to instituting an era of good
will with our dissident fellow-countrymen in the North-East. The object is
not yet achieved, but we are hopeful that it will be. The Dáil Departments
will function as hitherto until the election. The Provisional Government
Departments have been actively functioning in harmony with them, and in the
interests of peace and good order will continue to do so.” Ministers are ratified and Collins presents detailed
accounts. A number of other matters are dealt with. The proceedings of Day One of the Fourth
Session of the Second Dáil are available here: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1922-02-28/ The second day of the Fourth Session of the
Second Dáil takes place on March 1st 1922 – see Mar-01-22/2. |
|
|
Feb-28-22/2 |
A patrol of Specials is attacked on York St in
Belfast – there are no fatalities. |
Parkinson (2004), pg 228 |
|
Feb-1922/1 |
The IRB Supreme Council passes Resolution 27
which states that “While accepting the present Governmental position of An Saor Stait [the Free State],
the Supreme Council of the IRB is declared the sole government of the Irish
Republic, until Ireland’s complete independence is achieved, and a permanent
Republican government is established, and the authority of the Supreme
Council shall be unquestioned by its members”. This is a re-statement of traditional IRB
‘theology’ and perhaps aimed at keeping the Brotherhood united. |
Regan (2013), pg 30 |
|
Feb-1922/2 |
Various meetings and initiatives took place
emanating from the IRA’s Ulster Council (set up in late January). Michael Collins instructed Eoin O’Duffy (Chief-of-Staff, pro-Treaty IRA) to discreetly
begin organising an offensive on Northern Ireland using the border counties
as a base. Meetings were held with Lynch and Collins with
their staff in attendance. It was
agreed that both pro- and anti-Treaty sides would select officers for tan
offensive against NI and they would proceed to Counties Donegal, Louth,
Monaghan and Cavan. Collins is
insistent that, when the shooting starts, it must be said that it is the
anti-Treaty side which is doing it. Among the officers who were selected was Sean Lehane from Co. Cork who was to take over as O/C of the
anti-Treaty 1st Northern Division. Subsequently, Charlie Daly (see
Feb-17-22/4) is made his V/C. (In
April, Lehane and Daly recruit a large number of
experienced Cork and Kerry men to go north with them.) Another element was an exchange of arms. Weapons which the pro-Treaty side recently
received from the British would be sent to the anti-Treaty Cork brigades who
in turn would send weapons north. In a related episode, over 400 rifles were
sent to Joe Sweeney, O/C pro-Treaty 1st Northern and he handed them over to
Johnny Haughey and Dan McKenna of the Derry Brigade
IRA who took them over the border. |
Ó Duibhir (2011), pgs 74-75 & 84-85 |
|
Feb-1922/3 |
McDermott says that the “events of February
seem to have affected the IRA and Sinn Féin in Belfast profoundly. The
IRA’s capacity to deal with loyalist attacks was limited and on the Falls
Road they had been reduced to sectarian reprisals.” Hall says that 27 Catholics and 16 Protestants
were killed in Belfast between February 5th and 26th. |
McDermott (2001), pg171; Hall (2019), pg 91 |