1910 The General Election

The results of the general election of January 1910 were dramatic: The Irish party won 71 seats and held the balance of power in Parliament. For the first time since Parnell, the Liberals were dependent on the Irish Party to remain in power. The election of December 1910 again returned a Liberal government dependent on the support of the Irish MPs. 

Learn more about Ireland prior to 1916 in our Story of 1916 Project  or find a map of the 1910 election results in this article by John Borgonovo.

You can also read about the Home Rule party in Westminister in Unit 4 of the Atlas Resources for Schools.

1911 The Parliament Act

Relying on Redmond’s Irish Parliamentary Party for a majority over the Conservatives, Liberal Prime Minister Asquith pledged to deliver Home Rule. First, he addressed the obstacle of the Lords’ veto. His Parliament Act of 1911 abolished the right of the House of Lords to permanently obstruct legislation. They could now only delay the bill, bringing the prospect of Home Rule closer than it had every been. 

Read an explainer about Home Rule by Conor Mulvagh on RTE's Century Ireland or learn more about the Home Rule party in Westminister in Unit 4 of the Atlas Resources for Schools: The Home Rule Crisis. 

1912 The Third Home Rule Bill

1912 The Solemn League and Covenant

On 28 September 1912, Ulstermen from all classes of unionism gathered at Belfast City Hall to sign the Covenant in opposition to Home Rule. Almost 240,000 men pledged to use “all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule Parliament in Ireland.” The Ulster Women’s Unionist Council also developed a declaration to be signed by 234,046 women in support of the Covenant. 

Learn more about 'Uster Day' and Unionist opposition to Home Rule in Unit 4 of the Atlas Resources for Schools 

1913 The Dublin Lockout

Involving approximately 20,000 workers and 300 employers, the Dublin Lockout was one of the most severe and significant industrial disputes in Irish history.

Learn more about the 1913 Strike & Lockout at the National Library of Ireland's online exhibition

Discover eyewitness interviews on the RTE Archives  and newspaper articles on RTE's Century Ireland 

Find out who was living in the city's worst tenements in the 1911 Census, searchable online via the National Archives of Ireland 

Find worksheets, documents and maps relating to the Lockout in Unit 3 of the Atlas resources for Schools 

1913 Formation of the Irish Volunteers

1914 Forming Cumann an mBan

1914 Arming the Volunteers

The UVF successfully landed 35,000 German rifles and five million rounds of ammunition at Larne, Donaghdee and Bangor on the night of 24-25 April without interference from Crown Forces. Two months later, on 26 July, the Irish unloaded a cargo of 900 German Mauser rifles with ammunition from the 'Asgard' in Howth.

Discover maps and worksheets about the gunrunning at Howth and Larne in Unit 4 of our Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resources for Schools pack. 

Watch the events of the Home Rule Crisis unfold in the UCC/RTE documetary series 'The Irish Revolution', available on rte player

1914 World War I

1915 Funeral of O'Donovan Rossa

1916 The Easter Rising

Faced by over 20,000 British troops, the rebels had no chance of military success, but the six-day Rising and the execution of its leaders transformed the Irish political landscape. 

Learn about the leaders of the 1916 Rising and the events of Easter Week in our Story of 1916 project, or discover what was 'in the news' in the Cork Examiner in 1916 in our 1916 Diary 

Visit Unit 5. of the Atlas Resources for Schools to find worksheets and a document pack relating to the 1916 Rising. 

Visit the 1916 Rising Exhibition at the National Library of Ireland or the Digital Archive on Google Arts and Culture. 

1917 Death of Thomas Ashe

1916 leader Thomas Ashe was amongst the second tranche of prisoners released from English jails in June 1917. He resumed his political activities, campaigning vigorously for Sinn Féin candidates in local by-elections and recruiting for the Volunteers. Arrested in Dublin in September for seditious speech making, he was senteced to 12 months hard labour in Mountjoy Jail where he led Sinn Féin prisoners in a hunger strike for prisoner-of-war status. His death on 25 September as a result of forcible feeding sparked protests and demonstrations and in the words of J.J. O’Kelly, "soon made more adherents to the republican cause"

Learn more about Thomas Ashe in this article by Mary McAuliffe or visit Unit 6 of the Atlas Resources for Schools to find worksheets and a document pack relating to the Rise of Sinn Féin. 

1918 The General Election

1919 The First Meeting of Dáil Eireann

1919 De Valera's Tour of the United States

1919 Dáil Eireann driven underground

1920 IRA GHQ approves offensive action

1920 Local Elections

1920 Assassination of Tomás Mac Curtain

MacCurtain, the first republican lord mayor of Cork and a commandant in the IRA, was shot dead in front his wife and family by a party of RIC men when they burst into his home on Thomas Davis Street in Blackpool on March 20th 1920.

Read more about the assassination of Tomas MacCurtain in this podcast by UCC's Gabriel Doherty and in this article in RTE's Century Ireland. 

Leran more about Cork City's first Republican Lord Mayor in our Features Section

You can find more detail about the War of Independence in Cork on Cork City Council's: A City Remembers Webpage

1920 The Munitions Strike

The munitions strike which began in Dublin Port in May 1920, was the most significant example of non- violent resistance during the War of Independence.

Read more about the significance of embargo in this article by Donal O Drisceoil and on the RTE/UCC War of Independence Project

You can find more detail about the War of Independence in Unit 7 of the Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resources for Schools

1920 Bloody Sunday

That afternoon, Crown forces opened fire on the crowd during a challenge football match between Dublin and Tipperary in Croke Park killing fourteen civilians and the injuring of a further sixty-four. That night McKee and Clancy and an innocent man called Conor Clune were shot dead in Dublin Castle.

Read more about the events of Bloody Sunday in this eight-part podcast series from Michael Foley. 

Find maps, articles and video about Bloody Sunday on the RTE/UCC War of Independence Project

Learn more about Bloody Sunday in this article about November 1920 by John Borgonovo 

You can find maps, worksheets and lesson plans about the War of Independence in Unit 7 of the Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resources for Schools

1920 The Burning of Cork

Less than two weeks after the Kilmichael Ambush and just two days day after the proclamation of martial law in counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Tipperary, fifty-seven premises at the heart of the southern capital were destroyed by fire. While there was no loss of life as a result of the fires, some £2.5m worth of damage was caused and over 2,000 people lost their jobs

Read more about the Burning of Cork in this Irish Examiner podcast 

Find maps, articles and video about the Burning of Cork on the RTE/UCC War of Independence Project

Discover new Interactive Maps depicting the events leading up to and during the Burning of Cork 

You can find maps, worksheets and lesson plans about the War of Independence in Unit 7 of the Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resources for Schools

1920 Government of Ireland Act

Read more about the Government of Ireland Act on the RTE/UCC War of Independence Project

Margaret O'Callaghan discusses the causes and consequences of the partition of Ireland in this video and in this History Ireland podcast

You can find maps, worksheets and lesson plans about the War of Independence in Unit 7 of the Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resources for Schools

1921 The Clonmult ambush

Coming just five days after the disastrous Upton Train Ambush, twelve members of East Cork flying column were killed after they were surprised at their camp by a British Army patrol.Two of the eight captured were later executed.

Read more about the IRA at War in this article by Donal O'Drisceoil 

Discover the locations and composition of Ireland's IRA companies in 1921 in the new interactive map by UCC's Charlie Roche

You can find maps, worksheets and lesson plans about the War of Independence in Unit 7 of the Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resources for Schools

1921 The Burning of the Custom House

The burning was carried out by a Dublin IRA party of over 100, overseen by OC of the Dublin Brigade, Oscar Traynor. It proved impossible to set fire to the building and evacuate it before British forces arrived on the scene. Five IRA men died, and over one hundred suspects were arrested by the Crown Forces.

Read more about the burning of the Custom House in the UCC/RTE War of Independence Project

Listen to the History Ireland Podcast about the burning of the Custom House 

Discover the locations and composition of Ireland's IRA companies in 1921 in the new interactive map by UCC's Charlie Roche

You can find maps, worksheets and lesson plans about the War of Independence in Unit 7 of the Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resources for Schools

1921 The Truce

The armistice which brought the War of Independence to an end was popularly known as "The Truce".It was a formal military agreement registered with the League of Nations. The terms of the Truce applied equally to both armies and involved no surrender of arms by the IRA.

Read more about the events that led to the Anglo Irish Truce in the UCC/RTE War of Independence Project

Listen to John Borgonovo in conversation with Mick Clifford about Ireland in 1921

You can find maps, worksheets and lesson plans about the War of Independence in Unit 7 of the Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resources for Schools

1921 Plenipotentiaries depart for London

Following talks between Éamon de Valera and David Lloyd George, a delegation of Irish plenipotentiaries led by Arthur Griffith arrive in London to begin talks with representatives of the British Government.

Discover artefacts and documents from the Treaty Negotiations at the National Museum of Ireland 

Read more about the Treaty Negotiations at Century Ireland 

You can find maps, worksheets and lesson plans about the Treaty and the Civil War in Unit 8 of the Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resources for Schools

1921 Signing the Anglo-Irish Agreement

The Treaty granted dominon status to Ireland. While crown forces would withdraw from Ireland, three ports would remain under control of the British Navy. The ambiguous status given to the Irish plenipotentiaries in advance of the negotiations caused problems during the heated Dail Debates (14 Dec 1921-7 Jan 1922).The parliament of the Irish republic accepted the Treaty by a slender 64–57 vote

Read the Dail Eireann debates on the Treaty on UCC's CELT Project and learn about UCC's programme of events and projects to mark the centenary of the Treaty and the Civil War.

Explore the recorded proceedings of the Anglo-Irish Treaty Conference in UCC (Oct 2021)

You can find maps, worksheets and lesson plans about the Treaty and the Civil War in Unit 8 of the Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resources for Schools

1922 Handover of Dublin Castle

On 16 January 1922 Dublin Castle was formally handed over to the Provisional Government. The Auxiliary Division of the RIC and the Black and Tans left in January and February, and the RIC itself began to disband (a process finally completed in August 1922). Empty police and military barracks across Ireland were then taken over the local IRA regardless of whether they were pro or anti-Treaty.

Watch Pathe footage of the handover of Dublin Castle or find out more at the UCC-RTE Irish Civil War proect

Learn about UCC's Programme of events and Projects to mark the centenary of the Treaty and the Civil War

1922 Occupation of the Four Courts

The Treaty split the Sinn Fein party but it also split the IRA into pro and anti-Treaty factions. In April 1922, Rory O’Connor and around 200 anti-Treaty republicans took over the Four Courts and a small number of other buildings, including the Ballast Office and the Freemasons’ Hall on Molesworth Street. The occupation, which lasted over two months, fueled tensions between the Sinn Féin factions.

Learn about UCC's programme of events and projects to mark the centenary of the Treaty and the Civil War

Explore the recorded proceedings of the Irish Civil War National Conference 

You can find maps, worksheets and lesson plans about the Treaty and the Civil War in Unit 8 of the Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resources for Schools

1922 General Election

The election returned a majority of pro-Treaty Sinn Féin candidates, with fifty-eight seats out of 128 (less than a majority), while the anti-Treaty Sinn Fein candidates won thirty-six. The participation of other parties, notably Labour and the Farmers’ Party, was crucial, since their combined first-preference vote of over 40 per cent, added to the vote for pro-Treaty Sinn Féin candidates, allowed the Provisional Government to claim a popular majority for the Treaty.

Explore the recorded proceedings of the Irish Civil War National Conference or the UCC/RTE Irish Civil War Project for more detail on the Pact election. 

You can find relevant articles in our Features Section, and maps, worksheets and lesson plans about the Treaty and the Civil War in Unit 8 of the Atlas of the Irish Revolution Resources for Schools.

1922 Attack on the Four Courts

When anti-Treaty IRA man Leo Henderson was arrested by pro-Treaty forces in Dublin, the Four Courts garrison responded by abducting Free State officer, J. J. ‘Ginger’ O’Connell. This action, combined with the assassination of British General Sir Henry Wilson in London meant that Michael Collins came under significant pressure from the British to respond with force. During the ensuring 'Battle of Dublin' which lasted from 28 June to 5 July 1922, the Four Courts was shelled and the Public Records Office destroyed. After the fall of the Four Courts, Anti-Treaty IRA held out for almost a week in a 'Block' of buildings on the east side of O'Connell Street before being forced to retreat by pro-Treaty forces. 

Watch contemporary footage from the IFI Archive, or read more about the Battle of Dublin on the UCC/RTE Irish Civil War Project 

Discover papers on the conventional phase of the Civil War among the recorded proceedings of the Irish Civil War National Conference 

1922 The Battle for Limerick City

After the Battle of Dublin, the anti-Treaty IRA held a defensive line anchored by the cities of Limerick in the west and Waterford in the east. They faced a rapidly-growing National Army, well-armed with artillery and armoured vehicles, which captured Limerick and Waterford on 21 July. Over the next two weeks, the National Army pushed the Republicans back in Tipperary, Limerick, and Waterford, capturing Carrick-on-Suir and Clonmel in the process. The most intense fighting occurred during the two-week Battle of Kilmallock, which extended into the nearby villages of Bruff and Bruree. 

Watch Pathe footage of the Fall of Limerick in July 1922, or explore the recorded proceedings of the Irish Civil War National Conference UCC

Visit the UCC/RTE Irish Civil War project for more detail on the conventional phase of the Civil War 

Find maps, worksheets and lesson plans about the Treaty and the Civil War in Unit 8 of the Atlas Resources for Schools

1922 The Sea Landings

Government forces landed at Fenit, County Kerry and captured Tralee on 2 August. A more ambitious assault occurred on 8 August, when Emmet Dalton organised three simultaneous landings at Youghal, Union Hall and Passage West in County Cork. The National Army faced the most determined resistance during the three-day ‘Battle of Douglas’ on the outskirts of Cork city, but once again Free State artillery and armoured cars proved decisive.

Learn more about about the Battle for Cork in the Landscapes of Revolution Project or explore the articles and maps on the UCC/RTE irish Civil War Project 

Find maps, worksheets and lesson plans about the Treaty and the Civil War in Unit 8 of the Atlas Resources for Schools

1922 The Death of Michael Collins

The Commander-in-Chief of the National Army Michael Collins was killed in an ambush by anti-Treaty IRA at Béal na Blá on 22 August, just ten days after Arthur Griffith's sudden death from a brain haemorrhage. Both sides understood that the conventional phase of the Civil War was over. It was replaced by a guerrilla war.

Read more about Michael Collins in his article by Gabriel Doherty and on the UCC/RTE Irish Civil War project 

Visit the Cork Fatality Register, 1919-23 to learn about those who were killed in Cork during the Civil War 

Find maps, worksheets and lesson plans about the Treaty and the Civil War in Unit 8 of the Atlas Resources for Schools

1922 Provisional Government's Army (Special Powers) Resolution

On 28 September, under W.T. Cosgrave, the Dáil passed emergency legislation which allowed for the execution of those captured bearing arms against the State. The first executions took place on 17 November 1922. IRA chief-of-staff Liam Lynch responded with instructions for operations against ‘the enemy’. Following the assassination of Sean Hales TD on 7 December, the Free State executed, without trial, four leading republican prisoners in Mountjoy Gaol.

Listen to the Irish Story podcast on the asssassination of Sean Hales or visit the Cork Fatality Register, 1919-23 to learn about those who were killed in Cork during the Civil War. Visit the UCC/RTE Irish Civil War Project for more detail on the Public Safety Bill, 1922, or watch the proceedings of the Irish Civil War National Conference in UCC.

1922 Irish Free State Established

The provisions of the Anglo-Irish Treaty were adopted by the government, and Ireland officially became a dominion of the British Empire. W.T. Cosgrave, became the President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State.

Visit the UCC/RTE Irish Civil War Project for more detail on the birth of the Irish Free State. Explore the Bureau of Military History Archives for documents relating to the Irish Civil War or visit Atlas Resources for schools to find lesson plans and worksheets relating to the Irish Civil War.

1923 Reprisals at Ballyseedy in Co. Kerry

Perhaps nowhere in Ireland was the Civil War fought as bitterly as in County Kerry. Republicans sustained determined armed resistance, inflicting heavy casualties on the National Army. Frustrated by their inability to crush the republicans, National Army officers took extreme measures against the IRA, culminating in several unofficial reprisal executions carried out in March 1923, including the notorious ‘Ballyseedy Massacre’. 

Read about the guerrilla phase of the Civil War on the UCC/RTE Irish Civil War Project. Watch the proceedings of the Irish Ciivl War National Conference in UCC for more detail on the guerrilla war in Kerry.

1923 Liam Lynch Killed

IRA Chief of Staff, Liam Lynch, was fatally wounded in a skirmish with National Army troops in the Knockmealdown mountains in County Tipperary. Four other senior Republican officers are captured in the incident. The peace faction within the anti-Treaty IRA was strengthened by Lynch's death and on 27 April, his successor, Frank Aiken ordered the suspension of all IRA offensive activities.

Explore the Letters of Liam Lynch at the National Library of Ireland.

Visit the Cork Fatality Register, 1919-23 to learn about those who were killed in Cork during the Civil War. Explore the Bureau of Military History Archives for documents relating to the Irish Civil War or visit Unit 8 of the Atlas Resources for Schools 

1923 Cease Fire and Dump Arms

Éamon de Valera supported the order, issuing a proclamation to the anti-Treaty IRA in conjunction with Frank Aiken's ceasefire order on 24 May 1923: 'Further sacrifice on your part would now be in vain and the continuance of the struggle in arms unwise in the national interest. Military victory must be allowed to rest for the moment with those who have destroyed the Republic.' This effectively ended the Civil War.

Visit the National Library of Ireland's Flickr Page for a wide seleciton of images from the Civil War period.

Visit the Cork Fatality Register, 1919-23 to learn about those who were killed in Cork during the Civil War. Explore the Bureau of Military History Archives for documents relating to the Irish Civil War or visit Unit 8 of the Atlas Resources for Schools 

1923 General Election

The majority of the Irish electorate reaffirm their support for the treaty by voting for W.T. Cosgrave's Cumann na nGaedhal, formed in April 1923 from Sinn Féin’s pro-Treaty wing. Eámon de Valera’s Sinn Féin claimed 44 seats but abstained from taking their seats until 1927. The Free State Cabinet included Kevin O'Higgins as Deputy President and Minister for Justice; Eoin MacNeill as Minister for Education; Richard Mulcahy as Minister for Defence; Desmond Fitzgerald as Minister for External Affairs; Joseph McGrath as Minister for Industry and Commerce and Ernest Blythe as Minister for Local Government.

original image UCD Archives. Tierney/MacNeill Photographs. LA30/PH/395

1923 The League of Nations

WT Cosgrave headed an Irish delegation at Geneva, where the Free State was admitted into the League of Nations by a unanimous vote. The admission confirms international recognition of the Free State’s status. In his speech, President W.T. Cosgravedeclared to enthusiastic cheers from the delegates of other nations:

“Today, with all the nations of this assembly, Ireland joins in a solemn covenant to exercise the powers of her sovereign status, in promoting the peace, security, happiness and well-being of the human race.”

Read more about Ireland's entry into the League of Nations in this article from the Department of Foreign Affairs