A series of 13 programmes Written and presented by Robert Kee
10:Civil War
The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 gave Ireland dominion status as the Irish Free State, and the six counties of Northern Ireland the right to opt out. To die-hard Republicans of the IRA, the treaty, with its oath to the King as head of the Commonwealth, seemed a betrayal of all they had fought for against the British.
In defiance of the Free State government they occupied the Four Courts in the centre of Dublin; to dislodge them, the Free State army opened fire with guns borrowed from the departed British. Fighting spread from the streets of Dublin to the countryside. In the brutal civil war that followed, families were divided; Michael Collins was killed in ambush; 77 IRA men were executed, and a bitterness was born that was to divide southern Ireland to the present day.
Film research victoria WEGG-PROSSER Music composed by FRANCIS SHAW Film editor PETER HARRIS Associate producers
JOHN RANELAGH , GORDON WATKINS Producer JEREMY isaacs
Extracts from this programme will appear in THE LISTENER dated S February