Description

In War and Revolution in the West of Ireland: Galway 1913–1922, renowned historian Conor McNamara delivers a comprehensive and groundbreaking analysis of the revolutionary struggle outside of Dublin. Drawing from a vast array of primary sources—including Bureau of Military History witness statements, local IRA brigade archives, Royal Irish Constabulary intelligence reports, and agrarian court records—McNamara paints a complex picture of a county in open rebellion. The book explores the distinct local dynamics of the Easter Rising in Galway under Liam Mellows, the subsequent rise of Sinn Féin, and the brutal guerrilla campaign fought during the War of Independence. Crucially, McNamara integrates the socio-economic drivers of revolution, detailing how the deep-seated hunger for land redistribution fueled rural radicalism and complicated the military struggle against Crown forces. It stands as a landmark reference work for serious historians of the Irish revolution and anyone interested in the complex reality of regional warfare.