Dec

Neutral IRA formed and led by Sean O’Hegarty and Florrie O’Donoghue.  Made up of pre-Truce IRA men who took neither side in Civil War.  It becomes involved in various peace moves.  (O’Donoghue claims a membership of 20,000.)

Hopkinson (1988), pg 185

Dec-01

A column of Meath Anti-Treaty men led by Paddy Mullally is captured on the Meath-Kildare border where one of their number is killed.

Hopkinson (1988), pg 220

Dec-04

Anti-Treaty forces attack village of Ballymakeera, Co Cork.

Hart (1998), pg 119

Dec-05

In England, the “Irish Free State Constitution Bill” and “Irish Free State (Consequential Provisions) Bill” receive royal assent.  The king also approved the appointment of Tim Healy as Governor-General designate of the Irish Free State. 

Macardle (1999), pg 820; Curran J M (1980), pg 263

Dec-05

The Dáil approves the Saorstát Éireann Act which ratifies the Constitution of the Irish Free State.  In British terms, the members of the Provisional Parliament met as the Lower House of the Parliament of the Irish Free State.  This House continued to designate itself as the Dáil.  No anti-Treaty deputy was present.  All deputies took the Oath of Allegiance but the Labour Party members took it under protest.  (Tom Johnson said that the oath would not restrict the Labour Party if and when the people chose to denounce the Treaty and change the constitution.) Curran says that the TDs took the oath on the 6^th.

O'Farrell P (1997), pg xxiii; Macardle (1999), pg 820; Curran J M (1980), pg 264

Dec-06

The British king signs the proclamation announcing the adoption of the constitution and the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) comes officially into being. At a meeting of the Dáil, (Curran says this was the first meeting of the Free State Parliament), Cosgrave is elected President of the Executive Council.  He nominated the other members of the Executive Council – each keeping the post they had in the cabinet of the Provisional Government while Cosgrave still kept Finance to himself.  Members were Mulcahy, O’Higgins, Blythe, MacNeill, McGrath and Fitzgerald.  O’Higgins was also vice-President.  Later in the day, nominations and elections to the Senate took place – the members included Oliver St John Gogarty; Andrew Jameson, John Bagwell, Sir Bryan Mahon, Sir Horace Plunkett, William Butler Yeats, Colonel Maurice Moore, Alice Stopford Green and James Douglas.  (Curran says that the fact that a sizable number of the Senate were Protestant and unionist showed the new government’s desire to reconcile them to the new order.)  Shortly after this date, the remaining British troops leave Dublin with the last ones leaving on Dec 17^th.  (Macready had stayed in command of 5,000 troops.)

O'Farrell P (1997), pg xxiii; Curran J M (1980), pg 263;

Dec-07

Northern Ireland votes itself out of Free State by the stipulation that permitted this in the Treaty.  Craig says that as the Northern Government is not a party to the Treaty, they would refuse to nominate a member to the Boundary Commission which he held to be ultra vires. He also expressed the hope that real feelings of friendship might come about between the two communities in the northern state.  Comment

Augusteijn (2002), pg 235; Macardle (1999), pg 821; Phoenix (1994), pgs 266-267

Dec -07

GHQ of the Pro-Treaty army sends a memo to all commands saying that the 1^st and 2^nd Northern Divisions (which had been previously amalgamated) were to be stood down and “communications are not to be sent to them until further notice”.

Gallagher (2003), pg 41

Dec-07

Anti-Treaty members of the Dublin No.1 Brigade assassinate Pro-Treaty TD Sean Hales outside Leinster House in Dublin and wound another TD (Padraig O'Maille).  The Executive Council meets in emergency session and express fears that this killing and wounding were the start of an assassination campaign as outlined in Lynch’s letter of the 27^th November.  They agree to the execution of four jailed anti-Treaty leaders as they expected resignations from the Dáil.  O’Higgins expressed reservations - he had been best man at the wedding of the one of those it was proposed to execute (Rory O’Connor) – but he is persuaded and then he helps to persuade McGrath (who arrived late).  The decision is unanimous. 

O'Donnoghue (1986), pg 279; Hopkinson (1988), pg 190-191; Curran J M (1980), pg 265

Dec-08

The Irish News, responding to Craig’s statement on the Boundary Commission disagrees with his interpretation but goes on to say that it will  have no effect on the destinies of perhaps two-thirds of northern nationalists. It went on to call for nationalist unity and advocated the Belfast nationalist preference for ‘a method of settlement by mutual agreement’.

Phoenix (1994), pg 268

Dec-08

Rory O'Connor (Monkstown, Co. Dublin); Liam Mellows (Wexford and Galway); Joe McKelvey (Stewardstown, Co. Tyrone) and Richard (Dick) Barrett (Ballineen, Co. Cork) are executed by Pro-Treaty forces in Mountjoy after the cabinet had explicitly ordered the executions as a reprisal for the shootings the previous day.  These executions were extra-judicial in that they were not carried out under the Public Safety Act (all four had been in custody since the attack on the Four Courts).  The news appears in the evening paper along with an announcement that there was an assassination conspiracy.  Hopkinson notes that there were no further attempts to assassinate TDs in the war. The executions are condemned by Labour and others in the Dáil. However, in a division that followed the debate on the executions, the government won by 39 votes to 14. 

O'Farrell P (1997), pg xxiii & 222 & 223; Hopkinson (1988), pg 191; Macardle (1999), pgs 822-823; Curran J M (1980), pg 266

Dec-11

The Free State Senate meets for the first time and Lord Glenavy is elected chairman with only two dissenting votes.  One former loyalist states “The past is dead, not only for us but for this country.  We are assembled here no longer in a Nationalist or Unionist sense, but merely as members of the Senate.”  (Macardle says 9^th.)

Curran J M (1980), pgs 264-265; Macardle (1999), pg 821

Dec-13

Anti-Treaty forces attack and take Carrick-on-Suir.  They are led by Tom Barry and are about 100 strong.  They capture 107 rifles, 2 Lewis guns, a Crossly tender and two touring cars.  The Pro-Treaty OC, Capt Balfe is captured but released unharmed after a few days. (O’Farrell says 9^th Dec and that Barry went on to capture Callan, Mullinavat and Thomastown.)

Hopkinson (1988), pg 209; O'Farrell P (1997), pg 142 & 143

Dec-14

Pro-Treaty Army posts at Callan, Mullinavat and Thomastown taken by Anti-Treaty forces led by Tom Barry without a shot being fired.  (The Pro-Treaty O/C at Callan, Somers, hands over his post and 20 of his men go over to the Anti-Treaty side.)

O'Donnoghue (1986), pg 280

Dec-18

At the final meeting of the outgoing Derry City Council,  the mayor, H C O’Doherty, accused Craig of disfranchising the minority and reducing them to the condition of serfs.

Phoenix (1994), pg 268

Dec-19

O/C of Pro-Treaty forces in Kerry announces that four captured anti-Treaty men have been sentenced to death but that the executions will only be carried out if there is any further attacks on his men in the area.

Macardle (1999), pg 823.

Dec-19

Anti-Treatyites Patrick Bagnall (from Fairgreen, Co. Kildare); Patrick Nolan (from Rathbridge, Co. Kildare); Stephen White; Joseph Johnson; Patrick Mangan;  James (or Joseph) O’Connor (from Bansha, Co. Tipperary) and Brian Moore (Rathbridge, Co. Kildare) are executed in Dublin.  Macardle says the seven were killed after being captured in a dug-out in Kildare.

O'Farrell P (1997), pg 222 & 224; Macardle (1999), pg 823 & 984

Dec-29

Anti-Treatyites John Murphy (from Bishopslough, Co. Kilkenny) and John Phelan (from Committee, Kilkenny) are executed in Kilkenny.  (O’Farrell says these two men were executed on 29th Dec 1923 and this is incorrect.)

Macardle (1999), pg 984; O'Farrell P (1997), pg 224

Dec-31

Craig supplied with information that between 1 April and 31 December 1922, 1,685 men left [the six counties] to join the Free State army of whom 246 returned.  Some 30 Protestants joined the Free State army.

McDermott (2001), pg 275

Dec

IRB revived by Pro-Treaty people in order to stop it being taken over by Anti-Treatyites (but excluded Liam Tobin and other members of Collins’s old Intelligence/Squad network).

Hopkinson (1988), pg 223