Portrait of one of Cork's foremost guerrilla leaders, who fought in the War of Independence and the Civil War and was a leading politician in the Fianna Fail Government for two decades until his untimely death in 1957. Sean Moylan offers a close and personal look at the man and his life. A fearless fighter, he led a series of ambushes in Cork as Commandant of the Cork No. 2 Brigade. He was part of the team that captured the only British General to be abducted during the War of Independence. Following the truce he fought on the anti-Treaty side during the Civil War. He was elected to the Dail in 1932 and served in various Cabinet posts until his death in 1957. Featuring previously unpublished letters from key figures in the Republican movement, this new biography offers a crucial insight into the realities of the War of Independence, the Civil War and the foundation of Fianna Fail.

What is it like to be in the IRA - or at their mercy? This study explores the lives and deaths of the enemies and victims of the County Cork IRA between 1916 and 1923.

Focusing on both Irish government and society, Daly places Ireland's population history in the mainstream history of independent Ireland. Her book is essential reading for understanding modern Irish history."--BOOK JACKET.

Richard Mulcahy was architect of the guerrilla war that forced the British to grant Dominion status to Ireland and the guiding spirit behind the civil war that ensured the survival of the new state. In this illuminating portrait, Maryann Valiulis uses Mulcahy's career as a focus for reexamining Ireland's transition from colony to nation state between 1916 and 1924. She also views the Irish struggle from Mulcahy's varied perspectives - chief of staff in the Anglo-Irish war and minister for defence and commander-in-chief during the civil war. Contrary to traditional interpretation, she argues, Mulcahy and General Headquarters Staff played a crucial role in setting ethical boundaries for the guerrilla war, in ensuring that the war of independence did not degenerate into wanton violence, sectarian conflict, or personal vengeance. In the civil war, Mulcahy was less successful. In fact, in an attempt to enforce standards and control the actions of the army, he was led into his most controversial policy - execution of prisoners. Valiulis contends that within an atmosphere of terror and counter-terror, Mulcahy and GHQ kept the threads of the revolutionary struggle woven together. Under Mulcahy's direction, GHQ became a focal point for a guerrilla war that the IRA may not have been able to win but, thanks to Mulcahy and GHQ, did not lose. Mulcahy's life reveals much about the diversity of Irish nationalism, the nature of the revolutionary struggle, and the influence of colonialism. He epitomized the political and cultural nationalist whose vision of a free and independent Ireland was a synthesis of traditions: Gaelic and English, constitutional and revolutionary, modern and traditional. From such blendings did Ireland forge an enduring democratic nation state. Portrait of a Revolutionary is an essential contribution to our understanding of modern Irish history.