Battle of the Four Courts: The First Three Days of the Irish Civil War

by Michael Fewer

The Irish Civil War began at around four o'clock in the morning on June 28, 1922. An 18-pounder artillery piece commanded by soldiers loyal to Michael Collins and the new Irish government began to fire on the Four Courts—a beautiful 18th-century complex of buildings that housed Ireland's highest legal tribunals. Inside, a large party of IRA men were barricaded—a clear sign that the treaty ending the war of independence would never be accepted by passionate republicans. Collins had come under pressure from Winston Churchill and his cabinet colleagues to clear out the rebels. After three days of fighting, with the buildings in ruins, the garrison surrendered. But the Four Courts also housed Ireland's historical archives, and these irreplaceable documents were destroyed—a cultural disaster for the new state and its historical memory. The Civil War that followed led to generations of entrenched bitterness, with the two main Irish political parties owing their origins to the sides they chose in the war.

352 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2020

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid history of the first 3 days of the Irish civil war with some much needed light thrown on the precise events of that day and, in particular, the cause of the explosion and fires that are a part of Irish folklore. I remember my own father, God rest him, recounting received wisdoms to me that this book corrects. Most Irish people associated this event with the destruction of the Public Records Office and centuries of Irish historical records. It comes as a shock to read that the Republicans who took over the building and the government forces were repeatedly warned of the risk and yet did nothing to prevent it. It also comes as a shock that these revered patriots paid so little heed to this risk and were so unconcerned about the historical destruction their pointless occupation caused.

[Donie McGrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great detail. Helped me discover Emmet Dalton who I knew nothing about. What a hero, crazy there are no streets named after him!!