The Terror War

During the Irish War of Independence the British and the Irish sides often reflected one another. Both the Irish and the British did well in some areas, and were deficient in others. But both sides used terror – murder, burnings, shearing women’s hair – to intimidate the Irish population. British Field Marshal Henry Wilson said of the Black and Tans: ‘It was the business of the government to govern. If these men ought to be murdered, then the government ought to murder them.’ Michael Collins could equally chillingly say: ‘Careful application of terrorism is also an excellent form of communication.’ The actions of the British and Irish frequently mirrored one another – an uncomfortable reality of the War of Independence. This book examines the trauma of the times – both the exceptional and the ordinary – through a diverse range of topics.