Richard Barrett (Irish Republican) - Irish Civil War

Irish Civil War

Following the Irish War of Independence, Barrett supported the Anti-Treaty IRA's refusal of authority to the Dail (civil government of the Irish Republic declared in 1919). He was opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty, calling for the elimination of English influence in Ireland. In April, 1922 under the command of Rory O'Connor, Barrett, along with 200 other hardline anti-treaty men, took over the Four Courts building in the centre of Dublin in defiance of the new Irish government. They wanted to provoke British troops, who were still in the country, into attacking them. They hoped this would restart the war with Britain and re-unite the IRA against their common enemy. Michael Collins tried desperately to persuade O'Connor and his men to leave the building before fighting broke out. In June 1922, after the Four Courts garrison had kidnapped J.J. O'Connell, a general in the new Free State Army, Collins shelled the Four Courts with borrowed British artillery in what became known as the Battle of Dublin. O'Connor surrendered following two days of fighting, and Barrett with 200 or so anti treaty IRA members, was arrested and held in Mountjoy Gaol Prison. This incident sparked the Irish Civil War - as fighting broke out around the country between pro and anti treaty factions.