Introduction
This site is an attempt to chronicle the
events that took place in Ireland in the years 1919 to 1923. These are the years of the War of
Independence, the Truce period and the Civil War. It is intended to bring
together information from a large number of (mostly secondary) sources and, as
the information builds up, to provide comprehensive overview of what transpired
during this period.
One of the main motivations behind the site
was that I felt that too often, in discussions of what happened during these
years, particular events were viewed (and commented on) in isolation from the
preceding events and were therefore taken out of context. Frequently, this lack
of context led to quite distorted narratives on particular events.
Also, in
so far as is possible, the intention is not to comment on the events but rather let the sources speak for
themselves. However, attention will be drawn to anywhere there are conflicts between different sources.
I would greatly welcome any comments you have
on the site. In particular, I would like to hear about any additional information or alternative
versions/interpretations of the events described. If you have any comments,
please e-mail them to me with references to your sources. My e-mail address is seamus.fox@irishhistory1919-1923chronology