May

Over 12,000 Anti-Treatyites in prison or internment camps

Hopkinson (1988), pg 228

May-02

Anti-Treatyites Christopher Quinn (from Turnpike, Ennis, Co. Clare) and William Shaughnessy (Ennis, Co. Clare) are executed in Ennis.

O'Farrell P (1997), pg 225;

Macardle (1999), pg 985

May-03

Senators Andrew Jameson and James Douglas (two Southern Unionists) meet with de Valera but he refuses to acknowledge Pro-Treaty Government as legitimate government.  De Valera also said that there would be no surrender of arms.  However, Douglas said that his bearing was ‘that of a defeated man’.  De Valera’s peace terms are rejected by Pro-Treaty Government who forward their own proposals.  (Macardle says that the two unionists met de Valera on the 1^st and at de Valera’s invitation.  They met again on 3^rd and 5^th.  Curran says that De Valera wrote to them asking them to act as intermediaries on the 30^th April and that they put de Valera’s proposals before the Executive Council on the 2^nd May)

Hopkinson (1988), pgs 256-257; Macardle (1999), pgs 849-850; Curran J M (1980), pgs 274-275

May-7

De Valera forwards to Free State Government amended terms for peace but they are rejected on the 8^th May.

Macardle (1999), pg 853; Curran J M (1980), pg 295

May-12

With the end of the Civil War at hand, a meeting of the cabinet of Pro-Treaty Government takes first steps towards the setting up of the Boundary Commission.

Phoenix (1994), pg 288

May-13/14

Joint meeting of Anti-Treaty Government and Army instructs Aiken to order a cease fire and dumping of arms to be published on 24^th.

Hopkinson (1988), pg 257; Macardle (1999), pg 857; Curran J M (1980), pgs 275-276

May-14

Bitter meeting between about 30 Devlinites and Eoin MacNeill and Kevin O’Sheil (representing Free State government).  Former complained of neglect by Free State but MacNeill asked them not to go into the Northern Ireland parliament as the Free State representative to the boundary Commission was almost chosen. 

Phoenix (1994), pg 286

May-15

The Plunkett column of the anti-Treaty Dublin No. 2 Brigade is captured at Knocknadruce, Valleymount, Co. Wicklow after the death of its leader, Ned (Niall) Plunkett Boyle.  (McDermott says that Roger McCorley – from 3^rd Northern Division IRA – was “allegedly implicated in the killing of Niall Plunkett O’Boyle … after his surrender”.)

Macardle (1999), pg 857; McDermott (2001), pg 272

May-24

Aiken publishes order of cease-fire and orders the dumping of arms.  The Civil War is over.  De Valera also issues a statement to the Anti-Treaty army which says that ‘Further sacrifice on your part would be now in vain and continuance of the struggle in arms unwise in the national interest.  Military victory must be allowed to rest for the moment with those who have destroyed the Republic’.

O'Farrell P (1997), pg xxiv; Hopkinson (1988), pg 258;

Macardle (1999), pg 858

May-29

Kevin O’Shiel submits a detailed memorandum to the cabinet of Pro-Treaty Government on the northern situation.  He reminds ministers that their primary goal remained national union and in this they were different from both the border nationalists whose focus was on “the inclusion within the Free State of their own parish” and the East Ulster nationalists who were in favour of “scrapping the Boundary Commission and accepting a compromise cooperation settlement with Craig”.  It went to say that the Free State’s best chance lay with a tripartite conference aimed at producing a federal solution.  Tellingly he said there were “sufficient differences to justify an autonomous parliament in that corner of Ireland”.

Phoenix (1994), pg 288

May-30

Anti-Treatyites, Michael Murphy and Joseph O’Rourke (from Ardrahan, Co. Galway) executed in Tuam.  O’Farrell says that these were the final executions of the Civil War.  However, they are not listed by Macardle in her 77 executions.  O’Farrell does say that they were arrested for armed robbery in Athenry on the 24^th May and also says that accounts differ as to detail, date and affiliation (if any).  O’Farrell also gives the date of the 13^th May for the execution of O’Rourke.

O'Farrell P (1997), pg 224 & 180

May

At end of Civil War, Free State army consists of 52,000 men and 3,000 officers. GHQ wants to reduce this to 30,000 men and 1,300 officers by January 1924 and eventually to have an army of 18,000 men. Demobilisation of enlisted men and non-commissioned officers starts in June.

Valiulis (1985), pg 31 & 43