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Irish War of Independence

Volunteers of the Third Tipperary Brigade during the war
Military Conflict
ConflictIrish War of Independence
Date21 January 1919 � 11 July 1921 (though violence continued until June 1922, mostly in Northern Ireland)
LocationIreland
ResultAnglo-Irish Treaty; Partition of Ireland, secession of 26 of Ireland's 32 counties from the United Kingdom
Ireland Irish Republic
UKGBI United Kingdom
Military commanders:
Michael Collins
Richard Mulcahy
Cathal Brugha
local IRA commanders
Political leaders:
Éamon de Valera
Military commanders:
Nevil Macready
Henry Hugh Tudor
Political leaders:
David Lloyd George
Hamar Greenwood
Irish Republican Army ~15,000 (Paper strength over 100,000 but only 15,000 served in the war, of whom roughly 3,000 were active at any one time)
British Army ~20,000
Royal Irish Constabulary 9,700
Black and Tans 7,000
Auxiliary Division 1,400
Ulster Special Constabulary 4,000
~550 dead
714 dead, including:
-410 RIC dead
-261 British Army dead
-43 USC dead
~750 civilians dead

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The Irish War of Independence ( ,) Anglo-Irish War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed to a ceasefire (or "truce") in July 1921. The post-ceasefire talks led to the December 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty. This treaty ended British rule in most of Ireland and, after a ten-month transitional period overseen by a provisional government, the Irish Free State was established. However, six northern counties remained within the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland, with its own devolved parliament. After the ceasefire, political and sectarian violence (between republicans and loyalists, and between Irish Catholics and Protestants) continued in Northern Ireland for many months.

The IRA that fought in this conflict is often called the Old IRA to distinguish it from later groups that also used the name.


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