100 Years ago....
Martial law finally declared in Ireland
Dec 11, 1920
Martial law was declared in large areas of Ireland yesterday in an attempt to curb the spiral of violence. In the south and west, whole villages and towns have been virtually destroyed by fire and the British Army, supported by the Black and Tans, step up their campaign to catch the IRA gunmen.
The toughest resistance has been in the city and county of Cork ; martial law now covers both. It has also been imposed in Kerry where IRA snipers have made it virtually impossible for the security forces to use the main roads. Tipperary and Limerick, too, are under martial law - and not surprisingly since, in the city of Limerick, gunmen are sandbagged into the tops of high tenements, while in Tippperary they have staged daring daytime raids and have captured vast quantities of explosives.
Both sides in the long-running struggle are now desperate and reprisals are getting more frequent and more savage. Early this morning, the IRA wounded several soldiers in Cork ; tonight, the centre of the city of Cork is a blazing ball of fire, as the security forces retaliate and seek to deny hide-outs to the gunmen.
Article from "Chronicle of the 20th Century" ISBN 1 872031 80 3
Comentários