An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir March 2019 www.dfmagazine.ie 54 | T he centenary of the Irish War of Independence is upon us and many are looking for books and films to watch that cover this turbulent period in our nation's history. Though a classic read, every soldier needs to read Guerrilla Days in Ireland written by Commandant Tom Barry. This book is an excellent read about his campaign against Crown Forces in County Cork between 1919-21. It's packed with action and gives a detailed account of a number of operations he carried out during this period. Another classic is With the Dublin Brigade by Charles Dalton. One of Collin's men this is a riveting read of the 'get them before they get us' war that was carried out in Dublin. Michael Barry's latest work, The Fight for Irish Freedom, is a wonderful book incorporating text and photographs that covers the period. This is really a must have book, as the reader having read it once, will be dipping in and out for the next few years. Books specific to a local area, such as War and Revolution in the West of Ireland by Conor McNamara and Kilkenny in Times of Revolution by Eoin Swithin Walsh are two very good reads. After the Rising by Seán Enright is another good book dealing with the path towards the War of Independence. Bloody Sunday by James Gleeson deals with the operation against British agents in November 1920 and is a good detailed account of this action. To find out what happening on the other side, author William Sheehan's works A Hard Local War, British Voices in the Irish War of Independence and Hearts and Mines are highly recommended reading. Researching in British archives, Sheehan captures what it was like to be a British soldier in Ireland fighting a counter- insurgency campaign. Havoc by Paul O'Brien, a regular contributor to An Cosantóir, is an action packed work that covers the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary (ADRIC). He looks at them as a Special Forces Unit that take the fight to the IRA, and details many of the actions they were involved in. Historian and author Ernest McCall also examines the ADRIC in his expertly researched works, Tudor's Toughs, the Auxies and The First Anti-Terrorist Unit. All essential reads. Truce by renowned Historian Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc is a well- researched and well written book on the period leading up to the Truce in July 1921 and the killings perpetrated by both sides during this time. Kilmichael by Seán A. Murphy is a good read and an in-depth look into the ambush that claimed the lives of a number of Auxiliaries in County Cork. Controversial, but a highly recommended read. The biggest operation carried out by the IRA during this period was the attack on the Custom House in 1921. This action is captured in, MAY 25: The Burning of the Custom House by Historian Liz Gillis and is a great read covering many aspects of this operation. And from one of our own serving soldiers Gnr Terrence O'Reilly's Our Struggle for Independence: Eye-witness accounts from the pages from An Cosantóir, and gives real insight into the thoughts of the fighting men of the WoI and is available as an eBook from Amazon. These books are just some good reads on this particular war that are available through your local library, from your local bookshop or can be ordered on the net. Unfortunately for some reason there are very few good films on this period. Michael Collins directed by Neil Jordan and starring Liam Neeson is a well- known work. However, the best one for me is The Wind that Shakes the Barley directed by Ken Loach and starring Cillian Murphy and Liam Cunningham. This work captures the sheer brutality of the war and the tragedy of the Civil War that was to follow. WF A FEW GOOD READS ON THE IRISH WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

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