Duggan, Eamonn: Ireland's Revolutionary Era

This book traces the course of the Irish revolutionary period, drawing on the recollections of numerous individuals who actively participated in the Easter Rising and the War of Independence. Although the Easter Rising of 1916 was a military failure, it left a profound impression on the Irish population. The military defeat at the hands of the British mobilized the republican movement across Ireland and strengthened its resolve to ensure the success of future uprisings. Meanwhile, the political and militant wings of Irish republicanism worked hand in hand to lay the groundwork for a renewed confrontation with the British. On the political front, the Sinn Féin party, led by Éamon de Valera, tirelessly recruited new members and began contestingand winningby-elections. Simultaneously, armed units formed within the militant republican campeven in the smallest and most remote communities. Drills and parades became part of daily life as young men stepped forward to prepare for a new conflict with the British. The war began on January 21, 1919, with the first shots fired at Soloheadbeg, and ended with a truce agreed upon by Éamon de Valera and Lloyd George on July 6, 1921. The fighting spanned the entire country; few areas were spared the accompanying unrest. As the world watched in disbelief, a small but fiercely determined force of fighters took on one of the era's most powerful military forces. The fact that the IRA achieved significant military successes during the War of Independence astonished many observers and analysts, further spurring the brave Irish in their struggle against the British.