Liam Lynch had sincere reasons for opposing treaty, former taoiseach tells commemoration

Lynch strove to prevent the Civil War and only committed to it after the Free State shelled the Four Courts, says Ahern

Irish Civil War could have been avoided but for Churchill’s intervention, says historian

Dr Martin Mansergh said the Collins-de-Valera draft constitution provided the basis for avoiding conflict but Churchill vetoed it

Britain sent ‘banned’ gas grenades to Ireland to counter anti-Treaty rebels, files reveal

More than 1,000 poison gas grenades were sent to Dublin to aid the Provisional Government in 1922

Plaque commemorating James Connolly unveiled in Dublin

Irish revolutionary figure and Proclamation of Independence signatory was a key player in the Irish freedom movement

Civil War violence against women was ‘brutal, persistent and continuous’, expert says

Targeting of anti-Treaty Cumann na mBan women in Kerry is highlighted by Dr Mary McAuliffe

100 years ago today: ‘The arms with which we fought the enemies of the country are to be dumped’

The end of the Irish Civil War and 10 years of revolution

Was your family affected by the Irish Civil War 100 years ago? Share the story

The Irish Times would like to hear the personal histories of families and individuals affected by the conflict

Taking Sides: Britain and the Civil War: ‘History that Irish people may prefer not to know’

Television: A quasi-official ambassador for the British perspective, Michael Portillo brings viewers on a fun dash through the archives

Michael Portillo: ‘Conservatives see Ireland exclusively through the unionist prism’

The former Conservative politician and historian on his new documentary about the Irish Civil War

Diarmaid Ferriter: Fledgling Free State faced challenges on many fronts after Civil War

Following a bitter and exhausting conflict, the new government’s priority in 1923 was state building

Lights, camera, retraction! Why the Free State government was so quick to appoint a film censor

As with social media today, there were fears about movies’ potential effects on mental health and politics

1923 in 23 objects: Turbines, petrol pumps and a triumph at dinnertime

In what was a heady year we also got the first Irish stamp, a customs border and WB Yeats’s Nobel medal

Burning down the big house: Why were so many country houses owned by former Anglo-Irish landlords destroyed during 1920-1923?’

Big houses were the homes of the former Anglo-Irish landlord class, most dating from the early 18th century

My family and the Civil War: ‘It was barely spoken about growing up’

Relatives of participants in the conflict reflect on how it shaped their families down the generations

‘Suspect’ women: Why were more than 500 females imprisoned during the Civil War?

No women were executed but there were hunger strikes and some died after becoming ill in jail

Iarmhairtí na réabhlóide: an imirce

B’fhacthas cuid shuntasach de na poblachtaigh a chuir i gcoinne an chonartha Angla-Éireannaigh nach raibh deiseanna ar fáil dóibh sa Saorstát agus gurbh í an deoraíocht a bhí rompu

Terror month: Violence in March 1923 reached new depths of depravity

Co Kerry was the scene of some of the most barbaric acts of the Civil War. Why did it last so long there?

What happened in 1923? From Civil War to nation building

A timline of events from the end of the War of Independence to WB Yeats winning the Nobel prize

Order to dump arms followed the death of IRA leader Liam Lynch

The anti-Treaty IRA was losing military momentum when its chief of staff was killed in April 1923

Building a nation: Eight key challenges faced by the State

In spite of adversity, Ireland became one of the few newly independent states to survive as an uninterrupted democracy

Forgotten dead: The dozens of men executed by Ireland’s National Army

It was a desperate response by the first Irish government to the Civil War. They believed only the most severe measures could stop the violence

League of Nations: How Ireland joined ‘great institution for peace’

Gaining membership required complicated diplomacy, illustrating challenges for new state on world stage

Michael D Higgins: Dark shadows were to flow from the period we have been commemorating

The period that followed the 1920s would see Mother and Baby Homes, abuse of Magdalene women and attempts to control women’s reproductive capacity

An opportunity to reflect on sensitive and emotive events

Final year of Decade of Centenaries programme recalls first step in Ireland taking its place on world stage

In the classroom: approaching ‘1923′ in senior cycle

Many areas addressed by contributors in this resource link directly to the Leaving Cert syllabus

In the classroom: Helping Junior Cycle students understand ‘1923′

Many of these articles can serve as a pathway for deeper research on issues that pique pupils’ interest

‘It was disastrous, I was wrong’: 50-year-old tapes of interviews with Civil War veterans are made public

Fascinating interviews with 32 people, including Frank Aiken, Seán MacBride and Máire Comerford

Anti-Treaty IRA general Liam Lynch a victim of ‘crude’ revisionism, commemoration hears

Lynch was a reluctant participant in the Civil War as evidenced by his willingness to agree a truce in the battle for Limerick, says historian

Easter Sunday commemoration marks 107 years since 1916 Rising

President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar attend ceremony outside the GPO

Photo essay focuses on mass imprisonment of women in Ireland in the early 1920s

Inside Out project, launched by Mná100, details experiences of women arrested because they opposed the establishment of the Free State

Why did the Free State Impose a hard Border in Ireland 100 Years Ago?

As a key symbol of independence, the Irish Free State was determined to quickly diverge from the British fiscal space. Customs barriers were to follow

Civil War commentators guilty of lazy and inaccurate self-judgment, says author

Dr Tim Horgan rejects suggestions of moral comparison between anti-Treaty IRA men and Free State soldiers who killed them

Final letter of Kerry Civil War victim reached mother after six years and 10,000km

Letter from Stephen Buckley – killed at Countess Bridge, Killarney – crossed the Atlantic twice before it reached his mother

Free State attempted fourth atrocity in Co Kerry on same day as Ballyseedy massacre

Historian Dr Richard McElligott says failed bombing in Scartaglin could have killed another five anti-Treaty IRA members

Stories of Free State soldiers killed in Civil War in Kerry must not be forgotten, commemoration told

Lives of Free State soldiers killed by a trap mine at Knocknagoshel 100 years ago have been overshadowed by the actions of their superior officers at Ballyseedy, says author Owen O'Shea

Apologies are needed for past atrocities, says Sinn Féin leader

Mary Lou McDonald lays wreath at memorial to five Free State soldiers killed by the anti-Treaty IRA in Co Kerry

Tánaiste cautions against a rush to correct Dáil record on Ballyseedy massacre

Fianna Fáil leader says it is important to remember the darker events during Ireland’s fight for independence

Calls for National Army officer’s account of Ballyseedy ambush to be read into record of Dáil Éireann

Lieut-Colonel Niall C Harrington believed official account of 1923 massacre was ‘entirely untrue’

Civil War atrocities such as Ballyseedy served only to prolong the conflict in Kerry, historian argues

Author Owen O'Shea says that Paddy O'Daly and other officers of the Kerry Command were given sanction for atrocities like Ballyseedy by their political leaders

Government should correct Dáil record on Ballyseedy 100 years on, urges historian

Statement of Ballyseedy survivor should be read into record to ‘correct’ official account of ‘atrocity’, conference hears

Descendants of two Kerry Civil War atrocities to be invited to commemoration

Five soldiers were killed by landmine at Knocknagoshel and eight prisoners were killed in retaliation at Ballyseedy

Free State use of prisoners to clear roadblocks in Cork set precedent for Kerry ‘horror’ - historian

Dr Andy Bielenberg of UCC says practice of using prisoners to clear mined roadblocks 100 years ago began in Newcestown, West Cork

‘In today’s terms, they were war crimes’: The ageing children of Ireland’s Civil War generation remember

The horrors inflicted during the conflict are still rarely spoken of but they continue to haunt an elderly generation

Sinn Féin councillor calls for Taoiseach to apologise for Civil War executions

Members of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael described move as inappropriate as Ballyseedy massacre centenary approaches

Civil War commemoration will ‘finally heal the wounds and scars from that time’ — Varadkar

New Taoiseach says it is time to ‘finally move to reconciliation’ during acceptance speech in Dáil

McDonald calls for Citizens’ Assembly on unity at Mellows commemoration

Mary-Lou McDonald tells crowd of several hundred at Liam Mellows’ grave in Wexford that republicans are ready to bring about a 32-county socialist republic

Hales family of Cork an inspiration in overcoming division of Civil War, Minister tells commemoration

The manner in which the Hales family united after the shooting dead of Pro-Treaty TD, Sean Hales by the IRA shows a path to reconcililation, says Coveney

Bertie Ahern says lessons to be learned from studying Civil War

Former taoiseach speaks at commemoration to honour republican leader Liam Mellows

The Irish Civil War part 1: scale of the onrushing tragedy powerfully conveyed

While cliches are ticked off ruthlessly, this is impressive big-picture documentary-making

TD shot dead 100 years ago had planned to seek Civil War truce, new records suggest

Pro-Treaty TD Sean Hales had received support for peace plea before he was assassinated on way to Dáil, Cork history event told

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Century

1923: BIRTH OF A NATION

Irish League of Nations entry 100 years ago marked its independence on world stage

Irish League of Nations entry 100 years ago marked its independence on world stage

Britain argued the Free State’s foreign affairs should be led from London, but Cosgrave forged ahead

100 years ago today: ‘The arms with which we fought the enemies of the country are to be dumped’

100 years ago today: ‘The arms with which we fought the enemies of the country are to be dumped’

The end of the Irish Civil War and 10 years of revolution

Diarmaid Ferriter: Fledgling Free State faced challenges on many fronts after Civil War

Diarmaid Ferriter: Fledgling Free State faced challenges on many fronts after Civil War

Following a bitter and exhausting conflict, the new government’s priority in 1923 was state building

1922: CIVIL WAR

Mary Lou McDonald and family reflect on execution of great-uncle during Civil War

Mary Lou McDonald and family reflect on execution of great-uncle during Civil War

Members of her family attended a centenary commemoration at the Garden of Remembrance

Catholic bishops made it clear whose side they were on during the Civil War

Catholic bishops made it clear whose side they were on during the Civil War

Not all priests were at one with their bishops. Many had family and friends conscientiously dedicated to the anti-Treaty side

Tánaiste cautions against a rush to correct Dáil record on Ballyseedy massacre

Tánaiste cautions against a rush to correct Dáil record on Ballyseedy massacre

Fianna Fáil leader says it is important to remember the darker events during Ireland’s fight for independence

1921: TRUCE & TREATY

‘Live life to the full,’ says Ireland’s oldest woman on her 109th birthday

‘Live life to the full,’ says Ireland’s oldest woman on her 109th birthday

Máirín Hughes remembers the Spanish Flu in 1918 and Black and Tans patrolling in Dublin during War of Indpendence

Free State use of prisoners to clear roadblocks in Cork set precedent for Kerry ‘horror’ - historian

Free State use of prisoners to clear roadblocks in Cork set precedent for Kerry ‘horror’ - historian

Dr Andy Bielenberg of UCC says practice of using prisoners to clear mined roadblocks 100 years ago began in Newcestown, West Cork

Northern Ireland at a crossroads as partition centenary underlines division

Northern Ireland at a crossroads as partition centenary underlines division

Debates about commemorating the past are also about the future

1920: WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

Plaque commemorating James Connolly unveiled in Dublin

Plaque commemorating James Connolly unveiled in Dublin

Irish revolutionary figure and Proclamation of Independence signatory was a key player in the Irish freedom movement

This day 100 years ago, one of the most controversial pieces of legislation in the State’s history was enacted

This day 100 years ago, one of the most controversial pieces of legislation in the State’s history was enacted

The Public Safety Bill resulted in the execution of 81 anti-Treaty prisoners during the Civil War

Cauvery Madhavan: How an Irish mutiny in India inspired my novel

Cauvery Madhavan: How an Irish mutiny in India inspired my novel

The Mutiny of the Connaught Rangers in 1920 had a tragic outcome

THE REVOLUTION FILES

Revolutionary Ireland: defiance, youth and pessimism

Revolutionary Ireland: defiance, youth and pessimism

The remarkable level of human detail in pension applications enhances our understanding of republican volunteers both during and after the revolutionary years

Irish Revolution was one of the most chronicled revolutions in history

Irish Revolution was one of the most chronicled revolutions in history

Military Archives in Cathal Brugha Barracks holds historical, economic and familial records

Cumann na mBan women had to fight for their pensions

Cumann na mBan women had to fight for their pensions

The pension files tell us a great deal about how revolutionary Irish women were treated

1919: WAR & PEACE

Emigrants who got State pensions . . . and sometimes lost them

Emigrants who got State pensions . . . and sometimes lost them

Several famous anti-Treaty Republicans applied for a pension while living abroad

From Great War to a more intimate one

From Great War to a more intimate one

For many countries, Ireland included, 1919 marked the end of one conflict and the beginning of another

Paris Peace Treaties failed to create a secure, peaceful and lasting world order

Paris Peace Treaties failed to create a secure, peaceful and lasting world order

Soon after the conference began, it was clear US, UK and France had their own agenda

1918: EMPIRES FALL NATIONS RISE

A year of upheaval

A year of upheaval

The war radicalised politics, changed societies, shifted borders and left deep psychological scars in Europe

Suffrage, soldiers and sickness: bringing 1918 alive

Suffrage, soldiers and sickness: bringing 1918 alive

The ‘Star by Star’ writer on the challenge of making the events of that turbulent time exciting and relevant to a teenage reader

1918 timeline

1918 timeline

Women get the vote, deadly flu kills millions, Sinn Féin gains at the ballot box, and war finally ends

THE WESTERN FRONT

The first World War: the aftermath

The first World War: the aftermath

The years following the end of the war were marked by more wars, political upheaval and deep social change

Western Front: from Messines to Passchendaele

Western Front: from Messines to Passchendaele

Fighting for the British Empire: the story of the Irish who lost their lives needs to be told

Giving our war dead their rightful place in history

Giving our war dead their rightful place in history

Decade of Centenaries lets us tell the stories of Irish who fought in the first World War, writers Heather Humphreys

THE SOMME

Maj Gen Oliver Nugent: The suspect unionist

Maj Gen Oliver Nugent: The suspect unionist

The correspondence of the Ulster Division’s commander, Maj Gen Oliver Nugent,is a fascinating insight into tensions within unionism, and his oftenscathing views on his military colleagues

The Somme battlefield: the longest 10 miles in history

The Somme battlefield: the longest 10 miles in history

The Tyneside Irish Brigade of the 34th Division suffered some of the worst casualties on the first day of the Battle of the Somme

The Somme: never were so many sacrificed for so little

The Somme: never were so many sacrificed for so little

The battle of the Somme was a new kind of battle, in a new kind of war, and overall it would claim some 1,000,000 casualties

SIGNATORIES

Éamonn Ceannt: from clerk to commandant

Éamonn Ceannt: from clerk to commandant

Ceannt is traditionally seen as one of the more shadowy figures of 1916. But primary sources reveal much about the man

Thomas MacDonagh: one of the most fascinating characters behind the Rising

Thomas MacDonagh: one of the most fascinating characters behind the Rising

As the last man co-opted onto the military council, it is wrongly assumed that Thomas MacDonagh knew nothing of the Rising until a few weeks beforehand

Joseph Plunkett: ‘A life of marvellous grit’

Joseph Plunkett: ‘A life of marvellous grit’

The story of Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford’s marriage in Kilmainham jail, hours before his execution, still captures the imagination of many

DRAGONS STIRRING

The first World War: A mix of despair and optimism

The first World War: A mix of despair and optimism

The first World War provided both the opportunity for Irish republicans to plan their revolt and evidence that their ambitions were not shared by the majority, writes Diarmaid Ferriter

Dragons Stirring: Six months to the Rising

Dragons Stirring: Six months to the Rising

‘The dragons of the past have not died and were only sleeping. Recent events have stirred them’ – George (AE) Russell

The many drafts of the Rising, from revisionary to realistic

The many drafts of the Rising, from revisionary to realistic

There was little information on the Rising in the years that followed but that has changed

NEVER SUCH INNOCENCE AGAIN

Francis Ledwidge: Farm labourer to war poet

Francis Ledwidge: Farm labourer to war poet

Meath poet Francis Ledwidge accurately predicted the posthumous fate (until so very recently) of the thousands of Irishmen who died in the first World War

Out of the wasteland: the first World War and modernism

Out of the wasteland: the first World War and modernism

The evolution of modernist literature was intimately bound up with the shock and devastation of the war

All Quiet on the Western Front: Portrait of Germany’s Generation War

All Quiet on the Western Front: Portrait of Germany’s Generation War

‘We have become wild beasts. We do not fight, we defend ourselves against annihilation . . . ’ Erich Maria Remarque’s unmatchable anti-war novel was a literary sensation in pre-Nazi Germany

TOO MUCH TO HOPE

Gallipoli: the final resting place ...

Gallipoli: the final resting place ...

Almost 100 years on it is hard to imagine the carnage that ensued in this peaceful, Turkish seaside resort. Only the graves bear testament

Hardy: the great escaper

Hardy: the great escaper

Belfast-born ‘Hoppy’ Hardy, a decorated war hero, was a ruthless murderer in the War of Independence

A Soldier’s Grave

A Soldier’s Grave

Francis Ledwidge

WORLD WAR ONE

The Dublin Pals who set off for Gallipoli’s killing fields

The Dublin Pals who set off for Gallipoli’s killing fields

In 1914, sports club members volunteered for ‘Pals’ battalions, and fought in one of the first World War’s bloodiest battles. A new immersive theatrical show remembers their catastrophic story

What will the British do?

What will the British do?

Very few writers have given the Irish home rule crisis sufficient attention as one of the factors that enabled the outbreak of war in the summer of 1914, and yet there can be little doubt about it

Shots echoed round Europe

Shots echoed round Europe

In the immediate aftermath of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sofia in Sarajevo, how Austria would react to the killing of the heir to the throne of the its empire was uppermost in European minds

1913: LOCKOUT

Barriers to worker unity

Barriers to worker unity

The 1907 strike in Belfast united Protestant and Catholic workers but by 1913 the sectarian divide was a barrier too strong to breach, writes Peter Collins

Saving kids, saving souls

Saving kids, saving souls

A plan to relieve the pressure on locked-out families by caring for their children in England provoked the ire of the Catholic Church, writes Theresa Moriarty

Wilful city of savage dreamers...

Wilful city of savage dreamers...

Locked Out seeks to recall in all its complexity the 1913 events that marked the coming of age in Dublin of the Irish labour movement

STORIES FROM THE REVOLUTION

Relative rows over Rising commemorations echo 1966 war of words

Relative rows over Rising commemorations echo 1966 war of words

Opinion: Capital projects offer a chance to redress cultural neglect

Beyond heroes and villains

Beyond heroes and villains

‘Stories’ is about the richness and complexity of history’s weave, and the part our relatives all played in it, for good or ill

Excluded by history

Excluded by history

James Goulden, son of an RIC sergeant, devoted his life to challenging how the force was portrayed

WOMEN & THE VOTE

Read all about it: writing wrongs

Read all about it: writing wrongs

Read all about it: Research on Irish feminism often concentrates on the pursuit of votes, but there were other issues and many debates within the movement which can be better understood by reading its ‘Irish Citizen’ newspaper.

How the other half lived - life for poor women in Dublin in 1911

How the other half lived - life for poor women in Dublin in 1911

In Dublin city in 1911, 26,000 families lived in tenements, 20,000 of them in single rooms

Feminism now

Feminism now

More to play for:Many women are unwilling to call themselves feminists but would be appalled to give up the rights won by their predecessors.

HOME RULE & ULSTER'S RESISTANCE

Starting out on the road to partition

Starting out on the road to partition

The introduction by Prime Minister Herbert Asquith of a third effort to grant Home Rule led to a increasingly bitter debate in the House of Commons, with the Unionist politicians hell bent on scuppering the proposal.

Journalist, founder of Sinn Féin

Journalist, founder of Sinn Féin

Though his opinions were often controversial, Arthur Griffith, the founder of Sinn Féin who would head the Treaty negotiations in 1921, was a major figure in the fight for Irish independence

Journalist, founder of Sinn Féin

Journalist, founder of Sinn Féin

Though his opinions were often controversial, Arthur Griffith, the founder of Sinn Féin who would head the Treaty negotiations in 1921, was a major figure in the fight for Irish independence

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