rather record of toil and Within nine months ‘a sacrifice’. it had nearly 1.5 million visitors. Display captions Summary caption The end of war did not bring peace to Ireland. Having won the majority of Irish seats in the 1918 general election, republicans declared independence. This led to guerrilla war between British forces and the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Following the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, Ireland was partitioned into a southern Free State and Northern Ireland. Many republicans still wanted independence for all Ireland and fought a civil war with former comrades who were content with the compromise. Sub-machine gun The Irish Republican Army was among the first to use the American Thompson sub-machine gun. From summer 1921, the IRA smuggled Thompsons into Ireland and used them against British forces. This serial number has been struck out so that its weapon’s provenance cannot be traced. Many Irishmen who fought in the 1922-1923 civil war on both sides were – – former soldiers. The Provisional IRA used Thompsons well into the 1970s. IRA mugshot album These are British photographs of Irish Republican Army suspects. The men have been made to show their hands for distinguishing marks such as tattoos. The IRA targeted British soldiers, Royal Irish Constabulary policemen and the infamously brutal In one ‘Auxiliaries’.
rather ‘a record of toil and sacrifice’. Within nine months it had nearly 1.5 million visitors. Display captions Summary caption The end of war did not bring peace to Ireland. Having won the majority of Irish seats in the 1918 general election, republicans declared independence. This led to guerrilla war between British forces and the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Following the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, Ireland was partitioned into a southern Free State and Northern Ireland. Many republicans still wanted independence for all Ireland and fought a civil war with former comrades who were content with the compromise. Sub-machine gun The Irish Republican Army was among the first to use the American Thompson sub-machine gun. From summer 1921, the IRA smuggled Thompsons into Ireland and used them against British forces. This weapon’s serial number has been struck out so that its provenance cannot be traced. Many Irishmen who fought in the 1922-1923 civil war – on both sides – were former soldiers. The Provisional IRA used Thompsons well into the 1970s. IRA mugshot album These are British photographs of Irish Republican Army suspects. The men have been made to show their hands for distinguishing marks such as tattoos. The IRA targeted British soldiers, Royal Irish Constabulary policemen and the infamously brutal ‘Auxiliaries’. In one