The guerilla war waged between the IRA and the crown forces between 1919 and 1921 was a pivotal episode in the modern history of Ireland. This book addresses the War of Independence from a new perspective by focusing on the attitude of a powerful social elite: the Catholic clergy.
The close relationship between Irish nationalism and Catholicism was put to the test when a pugnacious new republicanism emerged after the 1916 Easter rising. When the IRA and the crown forces became involved in a guerilla war between 1919 and 1921, priests had to define their position anew.
Using a wealth of source material, much of it newly available, this book assesses the clergy's response to political violence. It describes how the image of shared victimhood at the hands of the British helped to contain tensions between the clergy and the republican movement, and shows how the links between Catholicism and Irish nationalism were sustained.
Brian Heffernan is an Independent Scholar.
Introduction
PART I: OBEYING THE LAW OF GOD
1. In the Old Groove: Traditional Political Alignments
2. The Fifth Commandment and the Brand of Cain: Condemnation from the Pulpit
3. Interfering Where They Shouldn't: Interaction with Republicans
PART II: REPUBLICAN PRIESTS
4. Sinn Féin Priests: Support for Sinn Féin, the Dáil and Local IRA Units
5. Aiding and Abetting: Priests Involved in the IRA Campaign
6. Troublesome Priests: Responses to Clerical Support for Republicanism
PART III: THE CLERGY AND THE CROWN
7. Priest and Victim: British Measures against the Clergy
8. The Reign of Frightfulness: Clerical Responses to the British Campaign
9. Preserving the Peace: Mediation, Relief Work and Political Activism
Epilogue
Appendices
Bibliography
Index