1922 AD - 3 / April to May

                                                                                                                                            "Agreements to diffuse Tension."

1922 AD April 6th: A British Imperial Government navel boat was "captured" by the "Anti - Treaty" Irregular - IRA at Cobh in Co. Cork in Southern Munster that was loaded down with a great store of "guns and ammunition," which made Michael Collins wonder "why" it was there in the first place including did someone in authority in the British Imperial Forces want to increase the potential for further "violence" in Ireland?

April 13th: Michael Collins the Chairman of the Irish Provincial Government went to see Winston Churchill, the British Imperial Government's Colonial Secretary in England, who he now believed was "trying" to cut the ground from under him, while the Irish National Army / I.N.A. of the Irish Provisional Government now took over the rest of the barracks in the remaining 26 Counties in Ireland  to be known as the Irish Free State that were previously under the control of the British Imperial Government.           

April 14th: Rory O Connor was now in control as the leader of the "Anti - Treaty Irregular - IRA" and full of conviction he personally "decided" that Ireland should be controlled by an "Irregular - IRA Army" dictatorship in preparation for an all out "War" with the British Imperial Government, but he was "opposed" in this outlook by Cathal Brugha and Liam Lynch, nevertheless despite this he gathered together all of his own personal "followers" in the Dublin area and seized possession of the Four Courts, the Fowler Hall, the Masonic Club and the Kildare Street Club who were all situated in the Dublin City area to be used as "Irregular - IRA" garrisons under his "personal" command. Rory O Connor was to now hold onto these buildings for 2 months, as he was left alone by Michael Collins the Chairman of the Irish Provisional Government who was hoping in the meantime to "diffuse" the overalll civil situation that was now occurring, but many "banks" were "robbed" and people were "shot" during this time. In the meantime the Irish Catholic Bishops, the Labour Party, and many other individuals also tried to bring about a "peaceful settlement" with all of the "Anti - Treaty" supporters.

April 16th: Members of the "Anti - Treaty Irregular - IRA" also now tried to stop Arthur Griffith the President Dail Eireann / Irish Assembly from publicly "speaking" in Co. Sligo in the north - west of the Connacht Province, where he was to be accompanied by Sean Mac Eoin and members of the Irish National Army / I.N.A. and they also tried to seize Michael Collins' car in Dublin, not realising who he was, who also missed being "killed" narrowly by a bullet, fired by one of them, who he was able to "capture" personally.

April 20th: Michael Collins as the Chairman of the Irish Provisional Government tried to bring about a further "solution" to the split created by the "Anti - Treaty" supporters, and to this end he made a "personal" agreement once again to give Eamonn de Valera the upper hand, by "not" standing any of the "Pro -Treaty" candidates against his "Anti - Treaty" candidates at the forthcoming "election" that he would do away with Eamonn de Valera's main objection to the "Anglo - Irish Treaty, " which was the "Oath to the British Crown," by not including it in the Irish Free State Constitution, as Diarmuid O Hegarty had informed Harry Boland, that Michael Collins had been advised by his legal people that the "Oath to the British King" was not "mandatory." Michael Collins had hoped that Eammon de Valera would then "assist" with the introduction of the "Anglo - Irish Treaty" to ensure it's overall "peaceful" introduction, but even this commitment still "did not" satisfy the staid Eamonn de Valera, who wanted it in "writing" and made "public" immediately, which was impossible to do as the Irish Provisional Government had not as yet gained" complete" control in Ireland from the British Imperial Government authorities.  

     At an Irish Volunteers Convention in Thurles in Co. Tipperary in the north - east of the Munster Province, Eammon de Valera put forward the argument, " That if the Anglo - Irish Treaty was accepted, the Irish Volunteers of the future, if they should want to continue the push for an Irish Republic, would not have to do it over the bodies of foreign soldiers, but over the dead bodies of their own Irish Countrymen. They would have to wade through Irish Blood of the troops belonging then to the Irish Government and also through the blood of the Irish Free State Government Ministers to achieve their overall goal of uniting the 32 Counties once again." (He had personally considered that this statement was a prophesy not an incitement).

April 26th: The Dail Eireann / Irish Assembly met again and Eamonn de Valera showed no interest in the nefarious "activities" that were now being carried out by the "Anti - Treaty Irregular - IRA" who had by now become even further "emboldened."  

April 29th: The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin held a meeting at the Mansion House with Arthur Griffith, Michael Collins, Eamonn de Valera, Cathal Brugha, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Stephen O Mara the Mayor of Limerick, Thomas Johnson, Cathal O Shannon and William O Brien from the Labour Party were there also as they wanted to come up with a "peaceful solution" by holding an election in June on the "Anglo - Irish Treaty" and the Irish Free State Constitution and the Labour Party put forward a "10 point plan" to join all of the interested parties together, but their solutions were "rejected" by the "Anti - Treaty" group.

April 30th: 8 people were "killed" and 60 were wounded, in skirmishes now involving the Irish National Army / I.N.A. who were under the leadership now of Michael Collins and the Irish Provisional Government in the 26 Counties, and the "Anti - Treaty Irregular - IRA," who were once again "active" during this month, and 300 post offices were also "robbed."

May 1st: Branches of the Bank of Ireland, were also "raided" by the "Irregular - IRA" and 275,000 pounds was taken as a reprisal for Richard Mulcahy the Irish Provisional Government's "Minister of Defence" refusing to pay the debts of the "Irregular - IRA." Michael Collins now met personally with the I.R.B / Irish Volunteer officers who had since left the General Headquarters Staff and gone over to the "Irregular - IRA." and also with 4 of those who had remained loyal to the Dail Eireann / Irish Assembly as he wanted to discuss "unification" of the Irish National Army / I.N.A. and they all came to an "agreement," which was signed by Dan Breen, Tom Hales, H. Murphy, Sean O Hegarty, F. O Donoghue, Sean Moylan, Richard Mulcahy, Eoin O Duffy, Gearoid O Sullivan and Michael Collins himself. Rory O Connor, who was now the "overall" leader of the "Anti - Treaty Irregular - IRA" came out "against" the agreemenht and declared that it was only as a ploy to "split" the Irish Republican ranks.

May 4th: On behalf of the Irish Provisional Government the Irish National Army representatives, Eoin O Duffy their "Chief of Staff," Gearoid O Sullivan their "Adjutant General," and Sean Mac Eoin made a 4 Day "Truce" with Liam Lynch, Sean Moylan and Liam Mellowes representing the "Anti - Treaty Irregular - IRA," which was then "extended" indefinitely and this resulted in a committee of 10 members from the Dail Eireann / Irish Assembly being set up, with 5 from each side of the argument over the "Anglo - Irish Treaty," to explore the possibility of coming to some "mutual" peaceful agreement. Those from the "Pro - Treaty" group included, Sean Hales, Seamus O Dwyer, Joseph Mac Guinness, Padraic O Maille and Sean Mac Eoin, while those from the "Anti - Treaty" group included, Harry Boland, Liam Mellowes, Mrs. Clarke, Sean Moylan and P. Rutledge.

May 6th: The "Official" Unionist R.I.C. police barracks in Derry in Co. Derry in the north - east of the Ulster Province, which was in one of the 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" there, was "attacked" by the "Irregular - IRA" and 7,000 invaders with artillery were repelled from the towns of Pettigo and Beleek along the "artificial partition"border.

May 16th: The "Anti - Treaty" group now insisted that the "Anglo - Irish Treaty" was not to be "submitted" to the Irish people for their "overall" decision and this created a further "breakdown" in the discussions between the "Pro - Treaty" and the "Anti - Treaty" groups.

May: The town of Kilkenny in Co. Kilkenny in the south - west of Southern Leinster was to be the "battleground" over 2 days between the Irish Provisional Government's Irish National Army / I.N.A., under the leadership of Colonel Prout, and the "Anti - Treaty Irregular - IRA" for the control of the buildings there and 150 members from the "Irregular - IRA " were "captured" with only 2 of them being "wounded."

     This year the Cuffes who were Land Lords of English descent from Desert Court, a few miles west of Bennettsbridge / Droichead Bheineid in Co. Kilkenny, were "burnt out" by a raiding party from Co. Tipperary.  

May: The "political" Sinn Fein Party Convention was now held and Arthur Griffiths now wanted Michael Collins to take "immediate action" against his former comrades in the "Anti - Treaty Irregular - IRA" who were now under the overall control of Rory O Connor, but he "refused" as he still wanted to give them "time" to come to their senses and bring about a "peaceful" solution, but instead they were becoming even more "emboldened" each day.         

May 20th: Michael Collins, as the Chairman of the Irish Provisional Government, in response to Eamonn de Valera's continuing inflammatory "Anti - Treaty" and Anti - Irish Provisional Government "speeches," met with him again and made a further "agreement" in the interests of coming up with some actual solution to stop the Irish Nation from ripping itself "apart" by inciting "Civil War" where it was decided between them, that the "political" Sinn Fein Party was to put forward an Irish National Coalition Panel that was proportional to the numbers in the existing Dail Eireann / Irish Assembly, but despite this anyone could contest for the 3rd Dail Eireann against the "political" Sinn Fein Party. A Coalition Cabinet would be formed with a President, while the the "Minister of Defence" would represent the Irish National Army / I.N.A. together with 9 other Ministers, 5 from the majority party, 4 from the minority party, with each party to choose it's own nominees, and it was received with "great enthusiasm" but when Arthur Griffith heard about this "personal" mutual agreement Michael Collins had made with Eamonn de Valera to once again try and "appease" him, he was very "upset" as it was in reality a "violation" of any real democracy  

May 22nd:  The "Official" Unionist Ascendancy Stormont Government set up by the British Imperial Coalition Government to control the 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province begun to function "officially" in these 6 Counties. 

May 23rd: Michael Collins recommended the "mutual agreement" he had made with Eamonn de Valera at the "political" Sinn Fein Party Ard Fheis / Convention because he felt it would bring about a "unity" of purpose in Ireland and defer any chance of "Civil War" in Ireland.

May 24th: The "Official" Ascendancy Stormont Unionist Government under Sir James Craig in the 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, now introduced an "Emergency Powers Act" and proscribed the " Irregular - IRA" there, and this allowed the "Official" Unionist" R.U.C. / Royal Ulster Constabulary to be "armed" at all times, unlike in England, and also gave them "powers" to conduct open "arrests" on anyone and everyone without recourse for a year, but it was to be "renewed annually" from then on until 1933, when they were to make it "permanent," as they began it's introduction by arresting 500 Irishmen there in these 6 Counties in the Ulster Province within 24 hours, and put them on a prison ship in the Belfast Loch as suspect members of the" political" Sinn Fein Party. 

May 25th: Sir Henry Wilson previously the British Imperial Commander - In - Chief in Liverpool in England, and now the Military adviser to the "Official" Unionist Stormont  Government in the 6 Counties "artificially partitioned" from the 9 Counties in the Ulster Province, came out "personally" against the "agreement," that had been made between Michael Collins and Eamonn de Valera to try and ensure peace in the 26 Counties.

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