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Ireland from Truce to Treaty: War or Peace? July to October 1921

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

S. M. Lawlor
S. M. Lawlor*
Affiliation:
Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
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Extract

On 11 July 1921 a truce between the British army and the army of the selfproclaimed Irish Republic began, and the politicians on both sides prepared instead to settle the Irish question by negotiation. For Lloyd George, if negotiation failed, the alternative would be war. His troops would remain in Ireland and his generals would prepare for the resumption of the campaign, if and when he so resolved — a position the implications of which he continued to stress for the benefit of the Irish.

Type
Articles
Information
Irish Historical Studies , Volume 22 , Issue 85 , March 1980 , pp. 49 - 64
Copyright
Copyright © Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd 1980

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References

* After the proclamation, in 1919, of the Irish Republic, the volunteers became known as the Army of the Irish Republic. Nonetheless they continued to be known by a variety of titles, from ‘Volunteers’ to ‘Army of the Irish Republic’ The latter tended to be the most official designation, and was also turned into ‘Irish Republican Army’, a short form with a convenient abbreviation, ‘IRA’ In the course of this article, for brevity, I shall use the short form ‘IRA’ See below, p. 64, for other abbreviations.

1 Jones, Thomas, Whitehall Diary, ed. Middlemas, Keith (London, 1971) 3, 55–62, entry for 27 Apr 1921.Google Scholar

2 Jones, , Diary, pp 52–3Google ScholarPubMed; entry for 15 Feb. 1921.

3 For preparations and discussions leading up to the martial law decision see: CIGS memorandum enclosing two Macready minutes, circulated by Worthington-Evans with supporting memorandum, 24 May 1921 (PRO CAB 24/123, CP 2964 and CP 2965); cabinet conclusions 41(21), 24 May 1921 (PRO CAB 23/25); note from Irish Situation Committee file, June 1921 (PRO CAB 27/127); Hankey note, 25 May 1921 (PRO CAB 24/123). For cabinet decision and the despatch of reinforcements: cabinet conclusions 49 (21), 14 June 1921 (PRO CAB 23/26). Worthington-Evans to Lloyd George, 10 June 1921 (HLRO LG F/16/3/26).

4 On the king’s speech and the interventions of Smuts see: cabinet conclusions 49 (21), 14 June 1921 (PRO CAB 23/26); Irish Situation Committee, 16 June 1921 (PRO CAB 21/208); conclusions of a meeting at 10 Downing Street on 17 June, 20 June 1921 (HLRO LG F/81/2/2). For the cabinet on 24 June and the draft invitation: Jones, , Diary, pp 79–81,Google ScholarPubMed entry for 24 June 1921, cabinet conclusions, 53 (21), 24 June 1921 (PRO CAB 23/26); draft letter Lloyd George to de Valera, 24 June 1921 (HLRO LG F/l 1/3/8).

5 Midleton to Lloyd George, 7 July 1921 (HLRO LG F/38/1/9); Lloyd George to Midleton, 7 July 1921 (HLRO LG F/38/1/20); Macready report, week ending 9 July 1921 (PRO CAB 26/124 C.P 3134).

6 Macready to Miss Stevenson, 11 Feb. 1921 (HLRO LG F/36/2/16); Macready to Miss Stevenson, 20 June 1921 (HLRO LG F/36/2/19); secretary’s notes, Irish Situation Committee, 15 June 1921 (PRO CAB 27/107).

7 Cabinet conclusions 60 (21), 20 July 1921 (PRO CAB 23/26); Lloyd George to the king, 21 July 1921 (HLRO LG F/29/4/60); Lloyd George to Craig, 21 July 1921 (HLRO LG F/l 1/3/11).

8 De Valera to Lloyd George, 10 Aug. 1921 (HLRO LG F/14/6/4).

9 Jones, , Diary, pp 95–6,Google Scholar entry for 11 Aug. 1921.

10 Cabinet conclusions 15 and 17 Aug. 1921 (PRO CAB 23/26).

11 Jones, Diary p. 100,Google ScholarPubMed entry for 17 Aug. 1921, statement of conclusions, Committee on Ireland, 17–18 Aug. 1921 (PRO CAB 27/130).

12 Cabinet conclusions 70 (21), 18 Aug. 1921 (PRO CAB 23/26).

13 Macready memorandum, 19 Aug. 1921 (HLRO LG F/16/3/31).

14 De Valera to Lloyd George, 24 Aug. 1921 (HLRO LG F/14/6); cabinet conclusions 72 (21), 25 Aug. 1921 (PRO CAB 23/26); Jones, , Diary, pp 102–3,Google Scholar entry for 25 Aug. 1921.

15 Lloyd George to the king, 26 Aug. 1921 (HLRO LG F/29/4/68); account of interview between Lloyd George and Barton and O’Brien, 26 Aug. 1921 (PRO CAB 24/127 CP 3262A).

16 Cope to Jones, 15 Aug. 1921, cited in Jones, , Diarv, p. 99.Google Scholar Fitzalan to Lloyd George, 20 and 23 Aug. 1921 (HLRO LG F/17/2/?).

17 Cabinet conclusions 74 (21 ), 7 Sept. 1921 (PRO CAB 23/27); Jones, , Diary, pp 106–12,Google Scholar entry for 7 Sept. 1921.

18 Notes to acting secretary. cabinet, 12 Sept. 1921 (PRO CAB 24/127, CP 3300); Jones, , Diary, p. 115,Google ScholarPubMed entry for 19 Sept. 1921

19 For the Lloyd George-De Valera correspondence see (HLRO LG F/14/6).

20 Macready reports for weeks ending 16 and 23 July and 6 Aug. 1921, 19 and 26 July and 9 Aug. 1921 (PRO CAB 24/126, C.P 3155; CAB 24/127, C.P 3219; CAB 25/126, C.P 3175); cabinet conclusions 72 (21), 25 Aug. 1921 (PRO CAB 23/26); account of interview between Lloyd George and Barton and O’Brien, 26 Aug. 1921 (PRO CAB 24/127, C.P 3262A).

21 Macready memorandum, 3 Oct. 1921 (PRO CAB 24/129, C.P 3358); Fitzalan to Lloyd George, 3 Oct. 1921 (HLRO LG F/17/26).

22 Cabinet conclusions 76 (21), 6 Oct. 1921 (PRO CAB 23/27); conclusions of a meeting of British representatives to the conference with Sinn Féin delegates, 10 Oct. 1921 (HLRO LG F/182/2).

23 Committee on the truce, 12 Oct. 1921 (HLRO LG F/182/3).

24 Meeting of British representatives to the conference, 13 Oct. 1921 (HLRO LG F/182/2).

25 Jones’s notes on conference on Ireland, third session, 13 Oct. 1921 (PRO CAB 21/152); formal conclusions of committee on the truce, 13 Oct. 1921 (HLRO LG F/182/3; SFC 5); Collins to A/G, 13 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/72).

26 Jones’s notes on conference on Ireland, fourth session, 14 Oct. 1921 (PRO CAB 21/253); Irish delegation to President, 14 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/42); Childers to President, 13 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/72).

27 Aide mémoire, conference on Ireland, 17 Oct. 1921 (HLRO LG F/182/3).

28 Collins to A/G, 13 and 24 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/72); C/S to Collins, 14 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/72); Collins to C/S, 14 and 15 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7 A/72); De Valera to Collins, 19 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/72); Griffith to de Valera, 24 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/72).

29 Jones’s notes on conference on Ireland, sixth session, 21 Oct. 1921 (PRO CAB 21/253).

30 Secretary of delegation to President, 21 Oct. 1921 with memorandum by Duggan, 24 Oct. 1921 (SPO DE/2/3); M/D to C/S, 22 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/72); C/S Special memorandum, 31 Oct. 1921 (UCD EOM P17/E 1); C/S to QMG, 31 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/26).

31 Arrangements governing the cessation of active operations in Ireland which came into force on II July 1921 [Cmd. 1534], H.L. 1920–21.

32 Childers to president, 13 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/72).

33 Adjutant, second southern division to all O/Cs, 22 July 1921 (UCD EOM P17/E3).

34 M/D to C/S, 22 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/22); C/S Special memorandum, 31 Oct. 1921 (UCD EOM P17/E/1); C/S to QMG, 31 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/26).

35 An t-Oglach, 5 Aug. 1921.

36 C/S to O/C second southern division, 12 July 1921 (UCD MP P7A/21).

37 QMG to M/D, 19 Dec. 1921 (UCD EOM P17/E/31).

38 Table of numbers, undated but with pencilled dates and found in files for October and December 1921 (UCD MP P7A/27 and MP P7A/32).

39 Fitzalan to Lloyd George, 23 Sept. 1921 (HLRO LG F/17/2/21).

40 Macready report, week ending 9 July 1921 (PRO CAB 24/126, C.P 3134).

41 Barry to A/G, 15 July 1921 (SPO DE 2/255).

42 Barry to C/S, 19, 21, 23 July 1921 (UCD MP P7A/22); Barry to Brigade O/Cs, 23 July 1921 (UCD MP P7A/22).

43 Collins to de Valera, 16 July 1921 (SPO DE 2/244); Collins to de Valera, 20 July 1921 (SPO DE 2/244).

44 Duggan to Collins, 14 July 1921 (SPO DE 2/255); Barry to C/S, 21 July 1921 (UCD MP P7A/22); C/S to O/C first southern division, 21 July 1921 (UCD MP P7A/22).

45 C/S to chief liaison officer, 24 Aug. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/22); C/S to O/C first southern division, 7 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/26).

46 C/S to O/C first southern division, 27 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/26).

47 Barry to Collins, 29 Sept. 1921 (SPO DE 2/255); Collins to Barry, 5 Oct. 1921 (SPO DE 2/255); O/C first southern division to C/S, 4 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/26).

48 Macready to Midleton, with mss notes by Collins, 8 July 1921, (SPO DE 2/247); Collins’s handwritten draft, undated (c. 8/9 July 1921 ), (SPO DE 2/247); Irish Bulletin, 9 July 1921.

49 Draft decree, August 1921 (UCD MP P7A/13).

50 Secretary to the Dáil ministry to each minister, 7 Sept. 1921 (SPO DE 2/36).

51 For arrangements for the visit, see: C/S to O/C first western division, 11 Nov 1921 (UCD MP P7A/20); C/S to O/C second southern division, 11 Nov. 1921 (UCD EOM Ρ 17/E/1 ); C/S to O/C first western division, 17 Nov. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/28); C/S to Ρ O’Caoimh, 17 Nov. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/28); C/S to Frank Gallagher, 17 Nov. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/28).

52 Dáil ministry, 15 Sept. 1921 (SPO DE 1/3).

53 Dáil ministry, 4 Nov 1921 (SPO DE 1/3).

54 Brugha to O’Murchadha, 22 Nov 1921 (SPO DE 2/421); Secretary to Griffith, 22 Nov 1921 (SPO G/4).

55 Collins to C/S, 23 Nov 1921 (SPO G/4).

56 Dáil cabinet, 25 Nov. 1921 (SPO DE 1/3).

57 C/S to all divisional commanders, 30 Nov. 1921 (UCD EOM P17/E/1).

58 For the exchanges regarding the Moy and Croom posts: C/S to O/C mid-Clare, 12 Sept, 1921 (UCD MP P7A/26); O/C mid-Clare to C/S, 27 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/26); C/S to O/C mid-Clare, 21 Sept. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/27); O/C mid-Limerick to C/S, 4 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/27); C/S to O/C mid-Limerick, 18 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/27).

59 De Valera to Collins, 19 Oct. 1921 (SPO DE 2/244); M/D to C/S, 20 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/24); C/S to M/D. 24 Oct. 1921 (UCD MP P7A/24); Collins to de Valera, 21 Oct. 1921 (SPO DE 2/244); O’Hegarty to de Valera, 28 Oct. 1921 (SPO DE 2/238).

60 Note by CIGS, 16 Aug. 1921, circulated by Worthington-Evans, 17 Aug. 1921 (PRO CAB 24/127, CP 3236).

61 Meeting of the cabinet and delegation, 11 a.m. 3 Dec. 1921 (SPO DE 1/3); Dáil cabinet meeting, also cabinet and delegation meetings, 3 Dec. 1921 (SPO DE 1/3).