Kilkenny during the Civil War autumn 1922 

One hundred years ago in September 1922, Kilkenny was in the throes of the Civil War. Dramatic events including guerilla warfare, ambushes, and raids occurred regularly. These events grew increasingly commonplace across the county as  autumn moved into winter in 1922. While the war had operated across conventional lines during the initial months of the conflict, by the end of August guerilla warfare was emerging as the most common tactic used by Anti Treaty IRA forces. Fewer resources such as weapons and men made this style of operating a tactical necessity for the lesser resourced side.  

Initially, the Kilkenny papers were confidently declaring that the Civil War would be over by the end of August, 1922. As events transpired Anti Treaty forces gradually removed themselves from urban settings and withdrew to the countryside. Flying columns became adept at launching ambushes as active service units (ASUs) proved hard to defeat using conventional conflict. Swift ambushes with an element of surprise became the favoured method for the Anti Treaty IRA. State barracks were also a frequent target for raids to secure more weapons.

The deaths of Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins had an impact nationally and also in Kilkenny. Griffith, the President of Dáil Eireann died from a cerebral haemorrhage aged 51 a mere nine months after the Treaty negotiations, with General Michael Collins following him ten days later to a premature death after an ambush in Béal na Bláth. Griffith had been a friend of Kilkenny Mayor Peter de Loughry, and had visited Kilkenny during the 1917 by-election campaign so his loss was felt deeply in the county. 

On August 16 1922, all the businesses in Kilkenny closed for Griffith’s funeral. Similarly when Michael Collins was assassinated, all three Kilkenny papers carried reports of his death. Collins, while not having direct Kilkenny connections, had passed through Kilkenny and visited Lady Desart months prior to his death. On Monday August 28, there was a High Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral in his memory which was so full that large crowds had to stand outside. After the mass, a military  parade proceeded through the town and on the Parade three volleys of shots were fired in honour of Collins and the Last Post was played. 

The Destruction, restoration and demolition of Desart Court

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As August progressed, the Anti Treaty IRA continued to survive in rural areas. They became increasingly isolated, planning attacks and moving around to evade detection. The North and the South Brigades of the Kilkenny IRA remained largely independent of each other while the South West of the county saw the most action for the South Brigade. There were five main columns active in the county but they weren’t always continuously active. There were three flying columns in the South with 15 to 20 men in each. There were 35 to 40 men in the 6th South East Brigade. 

As the war intensified, the Anti Treaty IRA forces advised that vehicles would be fired on with the exception of doctors with a prominently displayed red cross, so travelling by car became quite hazardous. Civilians were also warned not to speak freely about the location of the IRA. Sometimes the Free State Army chose not to engage with the flying columns unless it was strategically important to do so.

Communications were delivered by a network of civilians including Cumann na mBan members. Dispatches could be sent over a distance of 30KM using a chain of couriers, many of whom were women. 

By September 1922, civil life in Kilkenny City had largely returned to normality. As reported by a local paper, a platoon of 22 men part of the new unarmed Civic Guards arrived in Kilkenny City and marched to the old RIC barracks in Parliament Street. One notable disruption to general life was the cancellation of the Iverk Show due to the fighting. At that time the show was nearly 100 years old and had never been cancelled. The schoolboys of St Kieran’s College were happy however as they got an extra week’s holiday due to the war and didn't return to school until September 12, 1922. 

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Tragically on September 30 1922, the youngest victim of the conflict died when William Purcell, A Free State soldier aged only 16 was shot accidentally in the stomach at Templemore Barracks. He had lied about his age when joining up, probably because his father had died in the great flu epidemic leaving his mother a widow to care for seven children. His mother received a mere £65 compensation for the loss of her son, equivalent to €5000 today. In total, seven young men lost their lives in Kilkenny  in September and October 1922. 

Lawlessness by Anti-Treaty IRA forces during this period included an attack on the home of Major McAlmont, at Mount Juliet, outside Thomastown when gallons of fuel were robbed. Sheestown House and the creamery at Muckalee were also raided. On September 27, in Gowran there was an attempt to burn down the grandstand at the race track, possibly with the aforementioned fuel from Mount Juliet. There were also frequent thefts from post offices by the Anti Treaty IRA, with Old Age Pension payments a particular target. In September and October, the post offices at Knocktopher, Inistioge, Piltown and  Mullinavat were all raided.

As the conflict continued the death toll rose with the deaths of Free State soldiers Thomas Brownrigg and Patrick Hayes as the result of an ambush between Clonmel and Cahir and later the death of another Free State private, Pat Quigley. In October 1922 a pastoral letter from  the Bishop of Ossory Dr Brownrigg warned that those engaging in attacks on the Anti Treaty side faced excommunication for their actions. 

In November 1922 there was a prisoner escape from Kilkenny jail when 25 men escaped from the prison via a tunnel. None were recaptured and cigarettes were stopped for all prisoners as punishment afterwards. The authorities in Kilkenny sought to downplay the event, stating that those who had escaped were ‘not important’. One of the escapees, Jim Hayes was shot dead two days later. 

Members of Cumann na mBan visited IRA prisoners and raised money for hampers of supplies to keep them fed in captivity. The families of imprisoned men were often left without financial support and suffered severely while their men were in prison. Members of Cumann na mBan were also imprisoned by the  Free State and some of them also went on hunger strike to protest. One such woman was Mary Jo Commins, a member of Cumann na mBan in Kilkenny, who suffered long term health problems as a result of her two separate hunger strikes.  

By the winter of 1922, with a policy of execution by the Free State government and ‘tit for tat’ killings escalating, the situation appeared extremely bleak with ‘no end’ in sight.

For more information listen to Eoin Swithin Walsh's podcast at: https://www.kilkennylibrary.ie/eng/our_services/decade-of-centenaries-resources/guerrilla-war-returns-to-kilkenny/