Map highlights pivotal role of Rebel County during War of Independence
INTERACTIVE ONLINE MAP SHOWS THE LOCATIONS OF ALL THE CORK ENGAGEMENTS DURING THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE
THE pivotal role that the Rebel county played during arguably the most turbulent period in Irish history has been highlighted through a fascinating online resource charting IRA engagements during the struggle for independence.
Between 1919 and 1921 Cork was at the epicentre of the Irish War of Independence and it was in the north of the county that first blood was drawn on September 7, 1919 in Fermoy.
Private William Jones of the Kings Shropshire Regiment was fatally wounded during an ambush by the Cork No. 2 Brigade of the IRA under the command of Liam Lynch as he and his colleagues were about to enter the Methodist Chapel.
Between then and the conclusion of the War two years later Cork was at the heart of the struggle, living up to the ‘Rebel County’ name and earning an international reputation for armed resistance against Crown Forces.
To put this into some form of context, the estimated total number of fighters in all of the IRA flying columns and active service units across the country in 1921 stood at 1,379, of which 466, a third, served in County Cork.
Such was the concentration of activity in Cork, British military leaders concentrated the bulk of their forces there and by July of 1921 it is estimated that one quarter of all British soldiers and RIC Auxiliary forces in Ireland were stationed in Cork.
This equated to 12,500 British soldiers – only 1,500 less than the total among of British soldiers stationed across the entire mainland UK at the time. Similarly five of the 19 RIC Auxiliary companies operated out of Cork.
With such a concentration of active service personnel on both sides in
Cork it was inevitable that the bulk of engagements took place in the city and county, as further evidenced by the number of casualties suffered by
Crown Forces.
During the War the IRA in Cork was responsible for an estimated 86 of the 408 RIC dead and 49 of the 158 British military fatalities during the war.
The total number of deaths in Cork on both sides between 1919 and 1921 as a result of the conflict is estimated to be 528, including 166 civilians.
These included the death of two Cork Lord Mayors in 1920, the first being the murder of Moureabbey-born Tómas MacCurtáin outside his home in Blackpool on March 20.
On October 25 his successor, Terence MacSwiney, died after 71-days on hunger strike in Brixton Prison in October, his death bringing global attention to the Irish freedom struggle.
The burning of Cork in December 12, when Crown Forces destroyed vast swathes of the city centre, was also one of the most infamous incidents of the War.
The new online interactive map allows amateur and professional historians to click on the site of each engagement, bringing up dates, details and in some instances images and reconstructions of the battles. Two of the best known engagements, the Kilmichael and Crossbarry ambushes, are featured in particular detail.
As well as containing infographics of casualties at many of the major engagements in Cork, the website also has profiles of the individual members of the three IRA brigades active in Cork between 1919 and 1921.
“Cork was the most active county during the Irish War of Independence. This map allows you to find sites of interest near you and the year in which they took place,” said its creators.
To access visit www.arcgis. com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?