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#OnThisDay 1921 A truce came into effect ending all hostilities between the IRA & Crown Forces in Ireland. However the truce did not end all killings, especially in Belfast where the violence got worse. In fact, the second half of 1921 in Ulster was more violent that the first half. Sectarian violence became rife.  Within a year Civil War had broken out in the Free State as the two sides struggled over the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

PIC: Crowds gathered outside the Mansion House on 9th July when the terms of the Truce were first signed between Nationalist and Crown representatives.

#OnThisDay 1920 The first Black and Tan to be killed in the War of Independence, Alexander Will from Forfar, Scotland (not in pic) died from wounds suffered from a grenade blast during an attack on Rathmore Barracks by 5th Batt Kerry No 2 Brigade. Another constable was wounded.

The attack, which wasn’t the first, nor the last on the barracks lasted all night and eventually had to be called off as the next dawn brought more Crown reinforcements to Rathmore.

#OnThisDay 1953 Patrick Lavin from Arigna, Leitrim a Chief Medical Aidman with the US 7th Inf Div was killed in action while trying to rescue a wounded comrade & exposed to heavy enemy fire on “Pork Chop” Hill in North Korea. He left Ireland at 18, lived with his uncle in the Bronx, finished high school and was drafted at 18 & died at 21. A ceasefire ending the fighting was called over two weeks later.

#OnThisDay 1927 Minister Kevin O’Higgins was assassinated by three members of the IRA. O’Higgins, who established the An Garda Síochána, signed the execution warrants of 77 IRA men during the Civil War, including Rory O’Connor, the best man at his wedding.

In his dying breaths, he forgave his killers and told his wife he loved her.

#OnThisDay 1921 RIC Constable, Thomas Conlon-(an IRA sympathetic Catholic from Roscommon) was killed during a raid by the police in Belfast. During gun battles between Nationalists & Unionists/Crown Forces that followed, 16 people are killed, 10 Catholics & 5 Protestants & 160 houses destroyed (150 were Catholic owned) in response to the upcoming Truce. Hundreds more were wounded.

This was known as Bloody Sunday.