“Supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 initiative.”
Author and Historian Eoin Swithin Walsh in this podcast talks about the initial stages of the struggle between the Irish Free State forces and Anti-Treaty forces for control of Kilkenny City in 1921
'Did the Irish Civil War start in Kilkenny? The events in Kilkenny City during the last week of April and the first week of May 1922 certainly looked very much like civil war. Snipers engaged each other from positions across the city, with bullets flying between the military barracks, the Tholsel, Kilkenny Castle, St Canice's round tower and Kilkenny Jail. Machine-guns were heard for the first time in the City. So how did this all come about ??? In the first part of this podcast we examine how the IRA and Cumann na mBan split in Kilkenny, how events surrounding the commandeering of whiskey and the ejection of anti-Treaty forces from Kilkenny Jail led to a two day battle on the streets. The first day of the fighting is also covered in the podcast. Find out what happened in what was a dramatic few days in the history of Kilkenny, and certainly the most remembered event of revolutionary Kilkenny/the decade of centenaries.'
Battle-of-Kilkenny-Part1.mp3 (size 45 MB)
Free State Leadership
Anti-Treaty Leadership
Map of Sites during the conflict
