The Irish Civil War National Conference

The Irish Civil War took place between June 1922 and May 1923, shortly after the establishment of the Irish Free State in December 1921. The conflict arose from divisions over the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which had been negotiated between Irish and British representatives. The treaty led to the creation of the Irish Free State as a self-governing dominion within the British Commonwealth. However, it also resulted in a split within the nationalist movement. Pro-Treaty forces, led by Michael Collins and others, supported the treaty as a step towards independence, while anti-Treaty forces, including prominent figures like Eamon de Valera, opposed it for compromising Irish sovereignty. The civil war was characterized by intense fighting, particularly in Dublin, and resulted in significant political and social upheaval. The pro-Treaty forces ultimately emerged victorious, but the conflict left a lasting impact on Irish politics and society, shaping the trajectory of the newly formed Irish Free State.

On 15-18 June, University College Cork hosted a national conference to mark the centenary of the Irish Civil War.

The four-day conference is one of the key events in the State’s Decade of Centenaries Programme for 2022.

Over 130 scholars gathered on the UCC campus to explore the political, social, cultural, military, and economic dimensions to the Irish Civil War.

The Irish Civil War National Conference seeks neither a single agreed narrative, nor indeed a sense of ‘closure’. Instead, it will attempt to gather the fruits of on-going academic research into the conflict. In doing so, it will try to accomplish what the government’s Expert Advisory Group on Commemorations describes as, ‘meaningful engagements with a difficult and traumatic time’.