FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about No Love Lost  Prelude To the Irish Civil War
Quiz about No Love Lost  Prelude To the Irish Civil War

No Love Lost: Prelude To the Irish Civil War Quiz


This is a quiz about events leading up to the Irish Civil War, which lasted from 1922 to 1923. A sad and troubled time in the nation's history. If you do not know Irish history, this quiz will be very difficult; if you are Irish, it should be a snap.

A multiple-choice quiz by daver852. Estimated time: 7 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. History Trivia
  6. »
  7. European
  8. »
  9. Irish

Author
daver852
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
363,451
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
9 / 15
Plays
348
Last 3 plays: Guest 65 (7/15), Guest 217 (11/15), chloeb56 (9/15).
- -
Question 1 of 15
1. The main event that led to the Irish Civil War of 1922-23 was the passage of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. Who was primarily responsible for negotiating this treaty for the Irish side? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. There was much opposition to the Anglo-Irish Treaty in Ireland. What was one provision of the treaty that still causes problems today? Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. Who emerged as the leaders of those who opposed ratification of the Anglo-Irish Treaty? Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. A meeting of the Irish cabinet voted 4-3 to recommend the treaty to the Dáil Éireann (the Irish governing body) on December 14, 1921. After a series of debates that lasted from December 14, 1921 to January 7, 1922 the Dáil approved the treaty. What was the vote? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. After the vote ratifying the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the anti-Treaty delegates walked out, and De Valera and Brugha resigned their posts. De Valera continued to oppose the treaty on what grounds? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. At first the transition to "home rule" seemed to go smoothly, with the British government handing over key positions, such as Dublin Castle, to the Free State government and withdrawing British troops. The first major confrontation between pro-Treaty and anti-Treaty forces came in March, 1922 in what city? Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) held a convention on March 26, 1922 and voted to renew its allegiance to the Irish Republic instead of the Free State government. This resulted in in what action by the Free State government? Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. Most British garrisons in Dublin had been occupied by Free State troops. Shortly after the IRA convention, however, anti-Treaty forces occupied the Four Courts, a building of symbolic significance since it had been the center of the British legal system. Who led the forces that occupied the building? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. Elections were scheduled for June 16, 1922 to elect a new government and ratify the Free State constitution. De Valera and Collins had reached an agreement that their candidates would run unopposed, maintaining the balance of power in the Dáil. Collins reneged on the agreement just days before the vote. Did this help to ensure a Free State victory at the polls?


Question 10 of 15
10. The votes from the election were still being counted when, on June 22, 1922, the assassination of a famous man set in motion the events that would finally lead to open warfare between the anti-Treaty and Free State forces. Who was this man? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. After the events of June 22, the British demanded that the Free State government clear the Four Courts, which were still being occupied by anti-Treaty forces. Collins reluctantly agreed, but first had to ask the British for what? Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. Collins was desperately looking for an excuse, any excuse, to launch an attack on the Four Courts, when, on June 26, the anti-Treaty forces foolishly gave him one by kidnapping what high-ranking Free State official? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. At 3:30 AM on June 28, 1922 Collins issued an ultimatum to the anti-Treaty forces to evacuate the Four Courts. At 4:15 AM, Free State troops under General Emmet Dalton began their attack. Meanwhile, Republican troops occupied positions along O'Connell Street in an attempt to relieve the pressure on the Four Courts garrison. Who was the commander of these troops? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. When did the Four Courts garrison finally surrender to the Free State forces? Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. The fall of the Four Courts did not end the fighting, since Republican forces in O'Connell Street still held their positions. On July 5, what great Irish leader lost his life outside the Hamman Hotel, becoming the first major casualty of the Irish Civil War? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Mar 13 2024 : Guest 65: 7/15
Feb 20 2024 : Guest 217: 11/15
Jan 31 2024 : chloeb56: 9/15

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The main event that led to the Irish Civil War of 1922-23 was the passage of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. Who was primarily responsible for negotiating this treaty for the Irish side?

Answer: Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith

All of these men were part of the Irish delegation (with Childers acting in a secretarial capacity only), but most of the negotiating was done by Collins and Griffith. Childers was vehemently opposed to the treaty. Barton later opposed the treaty, although he signed it and recommended it to the Dáil Éireann, the governing body of the Irish Republic.
2. There was much opposition to the Anglo-Irish Treaty in Ireland. What was one provision of the treaty that still causes problems today?

Answer: It allowed most of Ulster to remain part of the United Kingdom

All of these were provisions of the treaty; most were eventually nullified, but the division of Ireland has remained a problem to this day. Six of the nine counties of Ulster were allowed to remain part of the United Kingdom, and today are known as Northern Ireland.

Instead of a republic, the treaty provided for an "Irish Free State" with dominion status within the British Commonwealth, and limited self-government.
3. Who emerged as the leaders of those who opposed ratification of the Anglo-Irish Treaty?

Answer: Éamon de Valera and Cathal Brugha

De Valera and Brugha were among the very few surviving leaders of the 1916 Easter Rebellion. De Valera's life had been spared because he was an American citizen; Cathal Brugha had been so severely wounded during the fighting that it was thought impossible for him to live. (It was said that Brugha had so many British bullets in him that he rattled when he walked).

When the treaty was signed, De Valera was President of the Irish Republic, and Brugha was Minister of Defense. Both were bitterly opposed to the treaty, and spoke out against it strongly, both in public and in private. All the other men mentioned supported the treaty.
4. A meeting of the Irish cabinet voted 4-3 to recommend the treaty to the Dáil Éireann (the Irish governing body) on December 14, 1921. After a series of debates that lasted from December 14, 1921 to January 7, 1922 the Dáil approved the treaty. What was the vote?

Answer: 64-57

The "Treaty Debates" were very acrimonious. The exchanges between Cathal Brugha and Michael Collins were particularly hostile. The two men did not like each other. Brugha felt (with some justification) that Collins had used his position in the Irish Republican Brotherhood (not to be confused with the Irish Republican Army) to undermine Brugha's position and authority as Minister of Defense.

He also had many reservations about Collins' character. Support for the treaty came mainly from Dublin and the surrounding counties, and opposition from the southern and western parts of the country. Most of the men who had led the Irish Republican Army during the War of Independence were against the treaty, except those from Dublin who owed personal allegiance to Collins.
5. After the vote ratifying the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the anti-Treaty delegates walked out, and De Valera and Brugha resigned their posts. De Valera continued to oppose the treaty on what grounds?

Answer: The Dáil lacked the authority to ratify it

De Valera's reasoning was that delegates who had voted in favor of the treaty had broken their vow of allegiance to the Irish Republic. This argument may sound specious today, but it was accepted by many Republicans. For many years hardliners within the Irish Republican Army refused to accept the authority of any Irish government on these grounds.
6. At first the transition to "home rule" seemed to go smoothly, with the British government handing over key positions, such as Dublin Castle, to the Free State government and withdrawing British troops. The first major confrontation between pro-Treaty and anti-Treaty forces came in March, 1922 in what city?

Answer: Limerick

As the British withdrew from their garrisons, there was a race between Free State and Republican forces to occupy them. In Limerick, 700 Free State troops faced off against 800 Republicans under the command of Ernie O'Malley. Only last minute negotiations between Richard Mulcahy, who had taken the place of Cathal Brugha as Minister of Defense, and Liam Lynch, who would soon be appointed Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army, prevented an armed confrontation.

The Free State and Republican troops agreed that each would occupy one of the two abandoned British garrisons in Limerick, and that only local men would comprise the garrisons. An uneasy truce had been reached, but it did not last for long.
7. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) held a convention on March 26, 1922 and voted to renew its allegiance to the Irish Republic instead of the Free State government. This resulted in in what action by the Free State government?

Answer: A refusal to recognize the IRA's legitimacy

The convention had been held in defiance of Arthur Griffith, who forbade it from meeting. Liam Lynch was elected as the IRA's new Chief of Staff. Lynch was opposed to the split in the IRA, and attempted to negotiate with the Free State government. But Free State authorities, under pressure from Britain, refused to compromise, and increased their efforts to recruit men to form what would be called the "National Army." They forbade newspapers to use the terms "Republican" or "IRA," and insisted that those in opposition to the new government be referred to as "irregulars." Ironically, some of those recruited into the National Army were British soldiers who had fought against the Irish forces during the War of Independence.
8. Most British garrisons in Dublin had been occupied by Free State troops. Shortly after the IRA convention, however, anti-Treaty forces occupied the Four Courts, a building of symbolic significance since it had been the center of the British legal system. Who led the forces that occupied the building?

Answer: Rory O'Connor

On April 14, 1922 Rory O'Connor and a force of 200 hardline anti-Treaty volunteers occupied the Four Courts. This was done in the hope of provoking an armed confrontation with the British troops remaining in Ireland, most of whom were stationed in or around Dublin.

The move was opposed by anti-Treaty leaders like Liam Lynch and Cathal Brugha, who still hoped to reach some kind of reconciliation with the Free State government. Michael Collins hesitated to attack the anti-Treaty forces, so they were allowed to remain, and were gradually joined by many more troops, who began fortifying the building against an expected siege.
9. Elections were scheduled for June 16, 1922 to elect a new government and ratify the Free State constitution. De Valera and Collins had reached an agreement that their candidates would run unopposed, maintaining the balance of power in the Dáil. Collins reneged on the agreement just days before the vote. Did this help to ensure a Free State victory at the polls?

Answer: Yes

Collins and De Valera had signed a "pact" on May 20, 1922 that nominated a "national coalition panel" of uncontested candidates for the general election that would have kept the numbers of pro-Treaty and anti-Treaty representatives in the Dáil at their existing strength. It also called for a constitution that abolished the Oath of Allegiance and repudiated the partition of Ulster. The British were outraged, and forced Collins to renege on the his promise not to contest the election, and forced him to accept amendments that brought the proposed constitution in line with the provisions of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

Just two days before the election, Collins gave a speech in Cork where he said, "I am not hampered now by being on a platform where there are Coalitionists, and I can make a straight appeal to you to vote for the candidate you think best of". He also refused to make the constitution public until the day before the elections, so most voters had no idea what they were voting for. The pro-Treaty Sinn Fein party, led by Collins and Griffith, won 58 seats in the new government, the anti-Treaty Sinn Fein won 36, and other parties, who were mostly aligned with the Free State government, won 31. Republicans regarded Collins' actions as treachery of the worst sort, and believed that yet again he had demonstrated that he was a mere puppet of the British government.
10. The votes from the election were still being counted when, on June 22, 1922, the assassination of a famous man set in motion the events that would finally lead to open warfare between the anti-Treaty and Free State forces. Who was this man?

Answer: Sir Henry Wilson

Field Marshall Sir Henry Hughes Wilson, Baronet, was born into a Protestant family in County Longford in 1864. He was vehemently opposed to any form of Irish independence or self-government. In 1914, he was one of the key figures in the Curragh Mutiny, in which hundreds of British officers refused to take action against Ulster Protestants who were arming themselves against the possibility of Home Rule. He was an important figure in WWI, and had opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty. He was also seen by many as one of those responsible for increased violence against the Roman Catholic minority in Ulster during and after the War of Independence.

Wilson was shot and killed by two IRA operatives, Reginald Dunne and Joseph O'Sullivan, outside his London home. His death enraged the British public. It has never been proven who ordered Wilson's killing, but most of the evidence points towards Collins, who wanted to placate Ulster Catholics for the numerous atrocities perpetrated on them by Unionist groups who had Wilson's backing and support. The British government, however, blamed the Republican forces.
11. After the events of June 22, the British demanded that the Free State government clear the Four Courts, which were still being occupied by anti-Treaty forces. Collins reluctantly agreed, but first had to ask the British for what?

Answer: Artillery

The British told Collins that if he did not immediately clear the Four Courts, their remaining troops, under the command of Sir Nevil Macready, would. Collins knew this was exactly what the "rebels" wanted. Allowing the British to attack the Four Courts' garrison, which included some of the greatest heroes of the War of Independence, would rally public opinion to the anti-Treaty side, and spell the death of the Free State.

Unfortunately, while the Free State army had grown to over 20,000 troops, and Collins had thousands of men at his disposal, it was sadly lacking in the equipment needed to wage warfare.

A humiliated Collins was forced to ask for the loan of two 18-pound cannons from Macready. As a song of the period puts it, "When they battered on the Four Courts / With their borrowed British guns / Traitors in the pay of England / Shot down Ireland's faithful sons." In a final irony, the British forces supplied the Free State army with shrapnel shells, which were virtually useless against the sturdy walls of the Four Courts.
12. Collins was desperately looking for an excuse, any excuse, to launch an attack on the Four Courts, when, on June 26, the anti-Treaty forces foolishly gave him one by kidnapping what high-ranking Free State official?

Answer: J. J. "Ginger" O'Connell

J. J. "Ginger" O'Connell was a general and Deputy Chief of Staff in the Free State army. He was kidnapped and imprisoned in the Four Courts by Ernie O'Malley and three other anti-Treaty men in reprisal for the arrest of Leo Henderson, an anti-Treaty man who was enforcing the IRA's decision to ban all trade with Ulster until the partition of Ireland was ended. O'Connell's arrest gave Collins the pretext he needed to launch an attack against the Four Courts. Detailed information about the kidnapping, and the siege of the Four Courts, can be found in O'Malley's book, "The Singing Flame."
13. At 3:30 AM on June 28, 1922 Collins issued an ultimatum to the anti-Treaty forces to evacuate the Four Courts. At 4:15 AM, Free State troops under General Emmet Dalton began their attack. Meanwhile, Republican troops occupied positions along O'Connell Street in an attempt to relieve the pressure on the Four Courts garrison. Who was the commander of these troops?

Answer: Oscar Traynor

Oscar Traynor, Commandant of Dublin's First Brigade, was one of the few Dublin leaders to oppose the Anglo-Irish Treaty. When Free State forces attacked the Four Courts, he ordered his men to occupy positions along O'Connell Street in order to force the Free State army to divert some of their forces to deal with this new threat. Reinforcements were expected from Munster, but they failed to arrive in time to affect what is known as the "Battle of Dublin."
14. When did the Four Courts garrison finally surrender to the Free State forces?

Answer: June 30

After three days of fighting, it was obvious that the Four Courts could not hold out against the overwhelming numbers of the Free State army. In addition, stores of ammunition exploded, destroying many valuable records stored in the building, and doing considerable damage to the structure. Ernie O'Malley, after consulting with Rory O'Connor, agreed to conduct the surrender.

Although over 400 prisoners were taken, many anti-Treaty men, including Seán Lemass, Tom Barry and O'Malley himself were able to escape.
15. The fall of the Four Courts did not end the fighting, since Republican forces in O'Connell Street still held their positions. On July 5, what great Irish leader lost his life outside the Hamman Hotel, becoming the first major casualty of the Irish Civil War?

Answer: Cathal Brugha

"And the pride of all was the first to fall / The Glory of our fighting men." Cathal Brugha had opposed the occupation of the Four Courts, and had worked to achieve a peaceful settlement of the standoff, but when Free State troops began shelling the Four Courts, he could no longer remain neutral. He joined Oscar Traynor's men in O'Connell Street, and led a group of fifteen men occupying the Hamman Hotel. On July 5, hopelessly surrounded and most of the buildings under their control set on fire, Traynor ordered Brugha to surrender. Brugha said that he would fight a rearguard action that would allow Traynor's men to slip away. After holding out as long as possible, he ordered his remaining troops to surrender. But he armed himself with a pistol in each hand, and charged the Free State lines. He was cut down in a hail of bullets, while still blazing away at the enemy. A major artery in his thigh was severed, and he bled to death two days later.

The death of Brugha set the stage for a bloody and desperate conflict that would lead to the deaths of many of Ireland's greatest leaders: Michael Collins, Dinny Lacey, Liam Lynch and Erskine Childers to name just a few. The Civil War would last until May 24, 1923, and cost thousands of lives.
Source: Author daver852

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/28/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us