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Between Two Hells: The Irish Civil War
At the end of the Irish War of Independence, Dublin signed an unsatisfactory treaty with London, that amongst other things, required oaths of allegiance to the British Empire. To many this was a price worth paying, but for others it was impossible. Very quickly, in 1922 the country collapsed into a cruel civil war that split organisations like Sinn Fein and the IRA, local communities, and families. It was less devastating than some other European civil wars but it left a ghastly number of dead, injured and immiserated across Ireland, north and south. And it cast a long shadow across Ireland.
Fine Gael and Fianna F�il, the two parties that grew out of the rival factions, have ruled Ireland since the end of the civil war. It was only in 2019 - almost a century after the conflict - because of Sinn Fein's electoral success that the two parties could see their way to officially working together.
Drawing on completely new sources, Ireland's most brilliant historian shows how important this tragic war was for understanding Ireland now.
Fine Gael and Fianna F�il, the two parties that grew out of the rival factions, have ruled Ireland since the end of the civil war. It was only in 2019 - almost a century after the conflict - because of Sinn Fein's electoral success that the two parties could see their way to officially working together.
Drawing on completely new sources, Ireland's most brilliant historian shows how important this tragic war was for understanding Ireland now.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
September 2, 2025
The first part of Ferriter's book is informational. Following the War for Independence, the treaty that was negotiated in London would split the 26 counties of what would become the Irish Free State until the late 1940's when Ireland declared itself a republic free from the oversight of Britain. Contrary to popular belief, the major sticking point in the South was not over the Six Counties- that boat had already sailed- six of Ulster's nine counties had already entered a formalized agreement with Britain. The country would be partitioned. The real issue at this point was over the oath to the Crown that elected officials in the South would be required to take. It was this issue that led to the bloody civil war that ensued between pro and anti-treaty forces.
Michael Collins led the pro-treaty forces, arguing that the treaty gave Ireland the freedom to achieve freedom. Although an advocate for an Irish republic, he recognized that to reject it would mean that the British would use the full force of their army to defeat the Irish, something that the pro-treaty forces realized they could not win. Eamon de Valera led the anti-Treaty forces. De Valera, because of his position, should have led the negotiations in London and many have faulted him for this, arguing that he would have accepted the terms but did not want to accept responsibility for it. What resulted was a bitter and vicious civil war whose scars would remain for generations.
Ferriter's analysis of post-war Ireland is concise and exceptionally well researched. Using the words and sentiments of the players, he presents a fascinating picture of the country. Although Sinn Féin was the predominant party during and immediately following the end of hostilities, the creation of Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael would come to predominate, with the former being against the Treaty and the latter being pro-Treaty. De Valera would recite the oath rather than face being removed from government and would lead the country for a long time. Collins was, of course, assassinated at Beal na Blah in Cork.
By the time I was living in Ireland, the old Civil War allegiances had begun to fade and today hold little sway amongst Irish voters. Despite struggling through massive emigration as a result of poverty and unemployment, the country is today one of the wealthiest in Europe and one of the most progressive. If you are interested in Irish history, this is one of the best you will find. Ferriter is one of Ireland's most respected historians, and his work is eminently readable.
Michael Collins led the pro-treaty forces, arguing that the treaty gave Ireland the freedom to achieve freedom. Although an advocate for an Irish republic, he recognized that to reject it would mean that the British would use the full force of their army to defeat the Irish, something that the pro-treaty forces realized they could not win. Eamon de Valera led the anti-Treaty forces. De Valera, because of his position, should have led the negotiations in London and many have faulted him for this, arguing that he would have accepted the terms but did not want to accept responsibility for it. What resulted was a bitter and vicious civil war whose scars would remain for generations.
Ferriter's analysis of post-war Ireland is concise and exceptionally well researched. Using the words and sentiments of the players, he presents a fascinating picture of the country. Although Sinn Féin was the predominant party during and immediately following the end of hostilities, the creation of Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael would come to predominate, with the former being against the Treaty and the latter being pro-Treaty. De Valera would recite the oath rather than face being removed from government and would lead the country for a long time. Collins was, of course, assassinated at Beal na Blah in Cork.
By the time I was living in Ireland, the old Civil War allegiances had begun to fade and today hold little sway amongst Irish voters. Despite struggling through massive emigration as a result of poverty and unemployment, the country is today one of the wealthiest in Europe and one of the most progressive. If you are interested in Irish history, this is one of the best you will find. Ferriter is one of Ireland's most respected historians, and his work is eminently readable.
December 30, 2021
“Terrible things were done by both sides – I’d prefer not to talk about it”. This was the reaction of Taoiseach Sean Lemass when interviewed about the Irish Civil War of 1922-23, and this was not an uncommon reaction amongst those who lived through that terrible period, particularly amongst those – like Lemass – who had been active participants on either side of the conflict. “Between Two Hells” is Diarmaid Ferriter’s attempt to understand the motivations of those protagonists, to uncover why they felt justified in sliding the country into civil war, and the after-effects of the conflict on Irish society and the political system of the independent state. In a remarkably even-handed account, throughout “Between Two Hells” Ferriter is able to explore these motivations and after-effects without, thankfully, trying to impose more contemporary moral frameworks on them.
“Between Two Hells” isn’t structured as a conventional historical narrative; instead, its chapters are arranged around particular subjects or topics related to the Irish Civil War. There are sections devoted to key themes of the conflict, such as the role of women’s organisations like Cumann na mBan, the influence of the Catholic hierarchy, British Government attitudes to the conflict, the social class of soldiers on both sides, and the career prospects (or lack thereof) of many combatants after the war.
While this approach successfully avoids the ‘one-thing-after-another’ feel of many historical narratives, it does lead to some curious oversights. Having read “Between Two Hells” in full, I’m still not exactly sure how the Irish Civil War eventually came to an end. Some of the major events (or, rather, atrocities) of the conflict such as Ballyseedy and Knocknagoshel are breezed through in a paragraph or two, which I found surprising given the bitterness they were capable of arousing decades later.
Where “Between Two Hells” really excels, though, is in its use of the Military Pensions Archive. Ferriter’s masterful analysis of this resource really captures the senses of dejection and betrayal so many of the demobilised combatants felt, giving a much greater understanding into how all too many of them – abandoned and even blacklisted by the fledgling Irish state – had within a decade of the war’s conclusion fallen on hard times. The responses of the Pensions Board collated by Ferriter also gave a searing insight into the mean, penny-pinching attitude of that new state.
Another commendable element of “Between Two Hells” is that it gives space to those parts of Irish society who opted out completely from the civil war of 1922-3 (possibly over 40% of the volunteers who fought in the 1919-21 War of Independence took no part in the subsequent internecine struggle). This is a much-welcomed focus on a wide strain of thought that is all too rarely considered in historical accounts of this era. The presence of such a large unaligned segment of Irish society might account for how relatively quickly Ireland recovered from the civil war (at least compared to countries like Finland and Spain which suffered such internal upheaval).
But this also leads one to believe that the hot-heads and militants on both sides of the Treaty debates essentially sleepwalked into the Civil War conflict. “Between Two Hells” shows how the civil war was ostensibly fought over the issue of the oath of allegiance to the British king ... yet this oath was considered a mere formality five years later when the republican side of the war essentially accepted that same oath in order to take-up their seats in Dáil Éireann. It is what Diarmaid Ferriter refers to as “the balance of delusion on both sides” that leads the reader to believe that this was an entirely avoidable and completely unnecessary conflict that could have been swerved by some adept diplomacy (not least by the British Cabinet, who essentially goaded the Free State side into launching an assault against the republicans). By taking such a forensic approach to the analysis of the Irish Civil War – and outlining the stultifying effects the conflict had on Irish politics for large tracts of the twentieth century – Diarmaid Ferriter has performed a notable public service in unpacking one of the most contentious events of the ‘Decade of Commemorations’.
“Between Two Hells” isn’t structured as a conventional historical narrative; instead, its chapters are arranged around particular subjects or topics related to the Irish Civil War. There are sections devoted to key themes of the conflict, such as the role of women’s organisations like Cumann na mBan, the influence of the Catholic hierarchy, British Government attitudes to the conflict, the social class of soldiers on both sides, and the career prospects (or lack thereof) of many combatants after the war.
While this approach successfully avoids the ‘one-thing-after-another’ feel of many historical narratives, it does lead to some curious oversights. Having read “Between Two Hells” in full, I’m still not exactly sure how the Irish Civil War eventually came to an end. Some of the major events (or, rather, atrocities) of the conflict such as Ballyseedy and Knocknagoshel are breezed through in a paragraph or two, which I found surprising given the bitterness they were capable of arousing decades later.
Where “Between Two Hells” really excels, though, is in its use of the Military Pensions Archive. Ferriter’s masterful analysis of this resource really captures the senses of dejection and betrayal so many of the demobilised combatants felt, giving a much greater understanding into how all too many of them – abandoned and even blacklisted by the fledgling Irish state – had within a decade of the war’s conclusion fallen on hard times. The responses of the Pensions Board collated by Ferriter also gave a searing insight into the mean, penny-pinching attitude of that new state.
Another commendable element of “Between Two Hells” is that it gives space to those parts of Irish society who opted out completely from the civil war of 1922-3 (possibly over 40% of the volunteers who fought in the 1919-21 War of Independence took no part in the subsequent internecine struggle). This is a much-welcomed focus on a wide strain of thought that is all too rarely considered in historical accounts of this era. The presence of such a large unaligned segment of Irish society might account for how relatively quickly Ireland recovered from the civil war (at least compared to countries like Finland and Spain which suffered such internal upheaval).
But this also leads one to believe that the hot-heads and militants on both sides of the Treaty debates essentially sleepwalked into the Civil War conflict. “Between Two Hells” shows how the civil war was ostensibly fought over the issue of the oath of allegiance to the British king ... yet this oath was considered a mere formality five years later when the republican side of the war essentially accepted that same oath in order to take-up their seats in Dáil Éireann. It is what Diarmaid Ferriter refers to as “the balance of delusion on both sides” that leads the reader to believe that this was an entirely avoidable and completely unnecessary conflict that could have been swerved by some adept diplomacy (not least by the British Cabinet, who essentially goaded the Free State side into launching an assault against the republicans). By taking such a forensic approach to the analysis of the Irish Civil War – and outlining the stultifying effects the conflict had on Irish politics for large tracts of the twentieth century – Diarmaid Ferriter has performed a notable public service in unpacking one of the most contentious events of the ‘Decade of Commemorations’.
January 21, 2023
… remember what a weird composite of idealism, neurosis, megalomania and criminality is apt to be thrown to the surface in even the best regulated revolutions. – Kevin O’Higgins, Minister for Justice of the Irish Free State, 1924 (quoted on p. 13 of this book)Historians are often pulled two ways when they attempt to write a book-length history. Historians would like their books to be read and understood by a wide audience, but also their work is usually part of a dialogue with other historians. Other historians will demand rigorous citation, precisely defined concepts, and careful use of words. The wider public will prize a dramatic and interesting narrative. It’s difficult to satisfy both audiences.
Even within the non-historian segment of the population, there will be different levels of understanding. In this case, I am an American of Irish heritage. I take more interest than average in Irish history, but have absolutely no formal education in the topic. For readers like me, I feel that this history will be a little hard going, because it simply has too many names and places which are unfamiliar, even if you know the basic outlines of the lives of some of the major players in the Irish Civil War, like Michael Collins and Eamon de Valera.
If you are an Irish person who paid even average attention in history class, my best guess is that you will not have any problem following the author’s narrative and understanding his opinions.
This book is sort of like two shorter books next to each other. Part one of this book is like a conventional history of a conflict, in the sense that it tells you about the names, dates, and places of the conflict, who did what to whom, and why it matters. Part two seems largely drawn from the author’s deep dive into what appears to be a massive load of recently-released, decades-old documents from Irish government files, specifically the applications for compensation by people who had lost loved ones and/or property during the Irish Civil War. The applicants often told in detail what happened to them and their families in the Irish Civil War, and (in many cases) the long period of suffering and privation afterward.
I’m glad I stuck with this worthy book. I learned a lot. The scholarship was impressive. However, it sometimes languished for days on my bedside table while I read something which held my interest more closely.
I bought this book at the Winding Stair Bookstore, which faces the River Liffey on Bachelor’s Walk in central Dublin, during a November 2022 vacation. Support a local independent bookstore today!
See an interesting hour-plus-long YouTube interview with the author as part of the 2021 Dublin Festival of History here.
September 14, 2023
On first visiting Ireland many years ago I was intrigued that every small market town seemed to have a war memorial comprising a Celtic cross in the main square inscribed with names and dates from the civil war period. The writing was always in Gaelic, which I cannot read. I made enquiries about the crosses, but always got vague and dismissive answers – this was in 1988 – it was not something people wanted to talk about, especially with an English visitor. Curiously, all of the memorials I remember seeing seemed to commemorate the losers.
Ferriter’s account is a detailed one and a reasonably even handed one. It is not an edifying tale. Both armies were composed of drunken thugs lacking professional officers; both committed atrocities, including – in the case of the IRA – the rape and murder of Protestant civilians who took no part in the conflict (except as victims).
De Valera, who was the main cause of it all, spoke out of both sides of his mouth, took no responsibility for anything, and went into hiding until it was over. Michael Collins – still seen by many as a hero – used weapons donated by the British to murder British citizens, and died an uneroic death in an IRA ambush because of his drunken ineptitude.
Although the conflict partook of the especially nasty nature particular to all civil wars, it was not in fact as bloody as other conflicts occurring at the same time. The Finnish civil war had 45,000 victims, the Irish one – in a country with a comparable population - probably had less than a thousand.
I learned things I didn’t know, but the casual reader should be warned that this is a book which assumes a lot of prior knowledge about Irish history and politics. Many names are introduced rather suddenly and it is hard to keep tabs on different personalities. The later chapters contain a lot of information on the unjust treatment of veterans of both sides, especially women. (The pension assessors were, of course, all male). Ireland was economically and culturally backward for many decades after the end of the civil war, and there just wasn’t the money to pay pensions in anything like the amounts necessary to avoid privation: and yet lots of politicians managed to feather their nests very nicely at the public expense, while the foot soldiers and their widows and children starved.
I had difficulty getting to grips with the actual course of military events, although this is partly because it was essentially just a disjointed guerilla war which slowly petered out. Nevertheless I would have liked a tighter narrative structure about precisely what happened, and where and when, and it is a pity there are no maps or illustrations.
Ferriter’s account is a detailed one and a reasonably even handed one. It is not an edifying tale. Both armies were composed of drunken thugs lacking professional officers; both committed atrocities, including – in the case of the IRA – the rape and murder of Protestant civilians who took no part in the conflict (except as victims).
De Valera, who was the main cause of it all, spoke out of both sides of his mouth, took no responsibility for anything, and went into hiding until it was over. Michael Collins – still seen by many as a hero – used weapons donated by the British to murder British citizens, and died an uneroic death in an IRA ambush because of his drunken ineptitude.
Although the conflict partook of the especially nasty nature particular to all civil wars, it was not in fact as bloody as other conflicts occurring at the same time. The Finnish civil war had 45,000 victims, the Irish one – in a country with a comparable population - probably had less than a thousand.
I learned things I didn’t know, but the casual reader should be warned that this is a book which assumes a lot of prior knowledge about Irish history and politics. Many names are introduced rather suddenly and it is hard to keep tabs on different personalities. The later chapters contain a lot of information on the unjust treatment of veterans of both sides, especially women. (The pension assessors were, of course, all male). Ireland was economically and culturally backward for many decades after the end of the civil war, and there just wasn’t the money to pay pensions in anything like the amounts necessary to avoid privation: and yet lots of politicians managed to feather their nests very nicely at the public expense, while the foot soldiers and their widows and children starved.
I had difficulty getting to grips with the actual course of military events, although this is partly because it was essentially just a disjointed guerilla war which slowly petered out. Nevertheless I would have liked a tighter narrative structure about precisely what happened, and where and when, and it is a pity there are no maps or illustrations.
December 26, 2024
Despite growing up in Ireland I never learned much about the Irish Civil War. This book was an excellent overview with many sad anecdotes.
September 28, 2023
An excellent account of a really sad chapter of Irish history. Ferriter spends a lot of time looking at the pension claims and these serve as an excellent microcosm of Irish society at the time. There was a lot of misogyny prevalent and the treatment of women who fought for the anti-treaty side was awful post 1923. This would be a difficult book for someone who was not too familiar with Irish history but I really enjoyed it.
July 22, 2022
It's not a bad book. However, I was looking for more of an analysis of the conflict. Much of this book focuses on the longer term impacts of the war. He spends a lot of time analysis pension records for individuals. I'd have enjoyed this more if it was more accurately titled and described.
October 14, 2021
An excellent analysis of the Irish Civil War enriched by previously unavailable archive material. Highly readable.
July 17, 2022
Excellent book about a little known conflict (as a Canadian, I never heard of this civil war until I read about Ireland and I’m of Irish background, so that says something) and is a must read if you wish to understand present day Ireland and it’s history.
January 23, 2023
I didn't know enough Irish history to really understand this book, especially about the people involved.
January 4, 2024
Interesting read. Got a bit lost in the details, more like a text book.
April 11, 2025
Diarmaid Ferriter’s Between Two Hells is a deeply insightful exploration of one of the most painful and complex periods in Irish history. With a clear structure and concise, focused chapters, Ferriter guides the reader through the tangled aftermath of the War of Independence with the sure hand of a seasoned historian. One of the book’s greatest strengths lies in its skilful use of personal stories—especially those drawn from military pension applications—which are at times quietly devastating and give real emotional weight to the political and military analysis.
Ferriter’s command of the material is obvious throughout, especially in how he weighs conflicting evidence and perspectives. His analysis rarely feels heavy-handed, though at times I found myself wishing for a little more explanation when he disagrees with other historians—those moments feel slightly underdeveloped in an otherwise rich and thoughtful work.
One surprising omission is Liam Lynch, who is barely mentioned despite his central role in the conflict. His absence feels odd in a book otherwise so attentive to the complexity and nuance of key figures and decisions.
Still, Between Two Hells stands out as a careful, intelligent, and humane account of the Irish Civil War. It doesn’t sensationalise, but instead illuminates. Ferriter brings forward forgotten voices and moral grey zones with honesty and care, making this an essential read for anyone seeking to understand not just what happened, but how it was experienced.
Ferriter’s command of the material is obvious throughout, especially in how he weighs conflicting evidence and perspectives. His analysis rarely feels heavy-handed, though at times I found myself wishing for a little more explanation when he disagrees with other historians—those moments feel slightly underdeveloped in an otherwise rich and thoughtful work.
One surprising omission is Liam Lynch, who is barely mentioned despite his central role in the conflict. His absence feels odd in a book otherwise so attentive to the complexity and nuance of key figures and decisions.
Still, Between Two Hells stands out as a careful, intelligent, and humane account of the Irish Civil War. It doesn’t sensationalise, but instead illuminates. Ferriter brings forward forgotten voices and moral grey zones with honesty and care, making this an essential read for anyone seeking to understand not just what happened, but how it was experienced.
October 23, 2023
Fading Flags
A fascinating commentary on the short bitter war that followed the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and left deep divisions in post independence Ireland. About 80 Republicans were executed by the Free State government in less than 12 months, compared with 36 by its British predecessor over 6 1/2 years. The loss of Michael Collins, a statesman of exceptional abilities and energy, at just 31, was a heavy blow which not only caused a shock but hardened pro-Treaty ruthlessness with savage reprisals. The stories of veterans and the bereaved are harrowing, of lives ruined by the trauma of service on both sides or loss of a breadwinner, compounded by official parsimony. As Collins correctly predicted, the ties to the Crown and Empire were easily removed by his rival De Valera, whose opposition to the Treaty was an probably a serious error of judgment. Poverty and emigration remained features under the rule of 'conservative revolutionaries' (Kevin O'Higgins). Although the issue was dead by 1927, the division of 1922 continued for decades in form of the Fine Gael/ Fianna Fail duopoly, only recently declining from 80 to 40% of the vote. The popular Irish President Mary Robinson once spoke of 'the fading flags' of the civil war. Fading they may be, but it's been a long time coming.
A fascinating commentary on the short bitter war that followed the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and left deep divisions in post independence Ireland. About 80 Republicans were executed by the Free State government in less than 12 months, compared with 36 by its British predecessor over 6 1/2 years. The loss of Michael Collins, a statesman of exceptional abilities and energy, at just 31, was a heavy blow which not only caused a shock but hardened pro-Treaty ruthlessness with savage reprisals. The stories of veterans and the bereaved are harrowing, of lives ruined by the trauma of service on both sides or loss of a breadwinner, compounded by official parsimony. As Collins correctly predicted, the ties to the Crown and Empire were easily removed by his rival De Valera, whose opposition to the Treaty was an probably a serious error of judgment. Poverty and emigration remained features under the rule of 'conservative revolutionaries' (Kevin O'Higgins). Although the issue was dead by 1927, the division of 1922 continued for decades in form of the Fine Gael/ Fianna Fail duopoly, only recently declining from 80 to 40% of the vote. The popular Irish President Mary Robinson once spoke of 'the fading flags' of the civil war. Fading they may be, but it's been a long time coming.
December 4, 2024
Sigh... I hate to be hard on a writer, but this work calls for it. Content? Check. Editing? Check. Research? Check. But flaws abound. First, it is a boring book, period. And, yes, I read it all. Second, and the cause of the first, is a failure to flesh out the narratives with the lives of the people involved. Good historians humanize their work. Without taking dramatic license, they put us into the life of either key characters or obscure ones or both. Ferriter fails entirely to do this. Which results in the third flaw, the work is more a chronicle than a history, more the recitation of pertinent facts than the weaving of them into a tapestry that displays the story. Fourth, he assumes an already knowledgeable reader base. He jumps immediately in without any lead up. He argues about obscure positions as if we know what he is talking about. Fifth, he stretches what was a rather small war with a very long shadow into a longish book by discussing the pensions of those involved ad nauseum. There's probably one or two more but I don't have the energy to go on.
Bad book. Not bad as in a bad influence or bad as in bad grammar or editing or bad as in errant and mistaken. Just bad as in not a good book.
Bad book. Not bad as in a bad influence or bad as in bad grammar or editing or bad as in errant and mistaken. Just bad as in not a good book.
April 16, 2024
After A Nation, not a Rabble, this was a bit more disappointing - especially given how the civil war has been treated in the national imagination and historiography. More disjointed, more descriptive and less interesting overall. Deals with the political consequences of the civil war (see: subsequent Irish history) tamely.
On the other hand, it makes brilliant use of the military pension archive and I suppose is a nuanced account of many interesting aspects of the civil war and it's aftermath (the latter's discussion being particularly informed by the pension archive). In particular, it describes in great detail the consistent injustice of the war and it's resolution. However, this book feels stretched thin. For example, it touches on gender (e.g. republican women largely being Anti Treaty) more than other books but again, only superficially. Kissane's book still reigns supreme IMO.
On the other hand, it makes brilliant use of the military pension archive and I suppose is a nuanced account of many interesting aspects of the civil war and it's aftermath (the latter's discussion being particularly informed by the pension archive). In particular, it describes in great detail the consistent injustice of the war and it's resolution. However, this book feels stretched thin. For example, it touches on gender (e.g. republican women largely being Anti Treaty) more than other books but again, only superficially. Kissane's book still reigns supreme IMO.
July 30, 2024
Well researched and written. For personal reasons I was hoping to find more about the overall Irish society and how it fared after the Civil War in various parts of the country.
Certainly the written individual accounts give an indication of conditions and my understanding was that the country was in extreme poverty. The inability to get any employment was the main reason so many emigrated, particularly ex IRA detainees as preference was given to and ordered by the government to give any jobs to demobbed regular army soldiers of whom there were about 30,000 and 10,000 to 15,000 ex IRA all seeking employment in late 2023 and 2024. But the government was virtually broke and wasn't able to help the situation much.
Interesting that the Civil War animosity lingered so long and wasn't obvious to many outside Ireland except for expatriates probably.
Certainly the written individual accounts give an indication of conditions and my understanding was that the country was in extreme poverty. The inability to get any employment was the main reason so many emigrated, particularly ex IRA detainees as preference was given to and ordered by the government to give any jobs to demobbed regular army soldiers of whom there were about 30,000 and 10,000 to 15,000 ex IRA all seeking employment in late 2023 and 2024. But the government was virtually broke and wasn't able to help the situation much.
Interesting that the Civil War animosity lingered so long and wasn't obvious to many outside Ireland except for expatriates probably.
July 1, 2024
This book didn't do much to solidify the 1921-1922 Irish conflict as a "war" in my eyes, really it seems more like a skirmish or extended political unrest. I suppose on a small island it counts. Not trying to discount the havoc it wreaked on families over generations, but as national violence goes this ranks pretty low among early-20th century events.
The latter half of the book meticulously combs through pension documents where widows or combatants invariably seemed to get shafted by the government through repeated claims denials or insultingly low payments. Again, awful for those folks but it doesn't make compelling reading as someone without an O' or Mc preceding my last name.
The latter half of the book meticulously combs through pension documents where widows or combatants invariably seemed to get shafted by the government through repeated claims denials or insultingly low payments. Again, awful for those folks but it doesn't make compelling reading as someone without an O' or Mc preceding my last name.
September 9, 2022
I bought this book while visiting Dublin in the hope it would bring me a greater understanding of Ireland's tragic civil war. I was impressed by the skilful use of the archival material relating to pensions, although, as an outsider, the motivations of the protagonists are not always clear to me. It is a book that I will have to reread and contextualize: one is struck by the number of people who died of TB and it would be interesting to have epidemiological statistics for the period at hand. If I have any complaints, apart from my ignorance, is that the book shows signs of being hastily sub-edited and that the scholarly apparatus, the index in particular, is far from complete.
March 11, 2025
This shows just how haphazard the anti-treaty actions were, how localised and determined by local personalities rather than by any central control. The pension application records are especially revealing in that the applicants believed these would be confidential documents, so perhaps they give a truer account of what people on both sides did. With access to troves of fresh archives, there must be a temptation to use as much of these as you can, so this book is filled with quotation after quotation from a wide range of participants, with just some passages of linking text. Academically rigorous no doubt, but the reading pleasure suffers.
July 13, 2025
Rather clumsy on the level of sentence or paragraph, but well organised on the chapter and book level. The events of the civil war itself are not even most of the book, but the post-conflict situation is traced through to the first coalition government between two civil-war parties nearly a century later. Ferriter's favourite source are the military pension documents, and these are put to great use here.
January 22, 2023
Accessible review of the civil war, with good chapter lengths. There's a lot about pensions in the last 1/3, but there are fantastic chapters towards the end looking at Ireland's progression post civil war and also how the civil war continued to impact Ireland and its people.
As a history teacher, I'll be encouraging them to read this (though they can skip the pensions part)
As a history teacher, I'll be encouraging them to read this (though they can skip the pensions part)
March 13, 2024
Historically how Irish wars happened and aftermath of wars. Winston Churchill's involvement, letters, Catholic accounts, Ireland as a country, as a people of Irish what are they went through those were intriguing. For me its new, historically may be old.
This book should be available in every Irish history library.
This book should be available in every Irish history library.
June 18, 2024
A great book, as the civil war is not a popular subject to talk about in Ireland, and this book answered why and provided how this split has impacted politics in Ireland ever since, but appears to be approaching a point that it is no longer once that forms someone's identity. Great research on the pension archives and how poorly the widows, families and surviving soldiers were treated by the Irish pension service. That was eye-opening.
August 18, 2022
Well researched. Ferriter is a wealth of knowledge on Irish politics. This Irish civil war that led to Irish independence from the UK was violent and bloody, The impacts of the relationship between the Irish and the English continues to this day.
November 15, 2024
Amazing to me how many authors manage to make Irish history dull. This is a prime example of it — no color or narrative drive, just a plodding, dry exercise that barely rises above textbook level. Also assumes the reader has extensive knowledge of the complexities of Irish politics.
March 2, 2025
As to be expected Diarmaid Ferriter has once again got on top of his subject, bringing his unique analytical analysis to bear. If I have a criticism it would be that he almost neglects the effects of the civil war on the people of the six counties.
Read
February 18, 2022A very honest review of Ireland's century of Independence
Ferriter does a good job of exposing the great impact the civil war has had on the development of Irish political culture
Ferriter does a good job of exposing the great impact the civil war has had on the development of Irish political culture
February 26, 2022
Excellent book well written. Explains a lot about how 20th century Ireland developed
June 20, 2022
The day has come where I finish my history extension major work. Could not have been done without you Ferriter keep on slaying 💅
March 1, 2023
tiocfaidh ár lá
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