Battle of Dublin

Overview

The Battle of Dublin was a week of street battles in Dublin from 28 June to 5 July 1922 that marked the beginning of the Irish Civil War. Six months after the Anglo-Irish Treaty ended the recent Irish War of Independence, it was fought between the forces of the new Provisional Government and a section of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) that opposed the Treaty.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Dublin opened the Irish Civil War, marking the first armed confrontation between the Provisional Government and the anti-Treaty IRA following six months of mounting tension after the Anglo-Irish Treaty ended the War of Independence. Fought over a week of street battles from 28 June to 5 July 1922, the engagement drew in senior figures on both sides, including Michael Collins and Paddy Daly for the Provisional Government and Cathal Brugha, Oscar Traynor, and Ernie O'Malley for the anti-Treaty forces. Combined casualties across both sides ran into the hundreds, underscoring the intensity of the fighting that inaugurated the conflict. By forcing the issue in the capital, the Provisional Government moved to assert its authority over armed opposition at the outset of the civil war, setting the terms for the wider struggle that would follow across Ireland.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (5)