Battle for Limerick City: Military History of the Irish Civil War

By Pádraig Ó Ruairc

The story of the vicious battle between Republican and Provisional Government forces for control of Limerick City in the early days of the Civil War. The opening shots of the Irish Civil War in Limerick city were fired on 11 July 1922. The city was of vital strategic importance in the fight for control of the newly independent Ireland, and both Free State and republican troops were determined to secure the city for their respective causes. At the outset the republicans controlled the city’s four military barracks and Thomond and Sarsfield bridges. The Free State forces held the custom house, Limerick prison, the courthouse, William Street RIC barracks and Cruise’s Hotel. Battle lines were drawn and over the course of the following two weeks, fighting raged throughout the city until superior numbers and arms gave victory to the Free State army. In this book on the battle for Limerick city, Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc offers a new perspective on the struggle that reduced the viability of the republican’s ‘Munster Republic’ and set the stage for the battle of Kilmallock, which turned the tide of the Civil War in favour of the Free State.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mercier Press
• Release date: Mar 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9781781170687

Pádraig Ó Ruairc

Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc is originally from Co. Clare. His first book with Mercier was Blood On The Banner The Republican Struggle in Clare 1913-1923 and his second book will be part of the Militrary History of the Irish Civil War. He is currently working on a third book on the Anglo-Irish Truce of 1922.