The first of a six book series on titles on the Military History Of The
Irish Civil War, this is an in-depth study of the battle for Limerick
city.
The story concentrates on the vicious battle that took place between
Republican and Provisional Government forces for the control of Limerick
City. Occurring in the early days of the Civil War, hostilities arrived
in Limerick with a whimper rather than a bang. Outnumbered and
out-gunned, the Pro-Treaty Commander of the city, Michael Brennan,
negotiated a truce with the Anti-Treaty Chief of Staff, Liam Lynch. But
the benefit of this lull in fighting accrued almost entirely to the
Pro-Treaty side, gaining them time for reinforcements and weaponry to
arrive. When it did, the city became a battleground of extreme
viciousness. Several buildings were shelled by 18-pounder guns at
point-blank range. The fighting around the Strand barracks was
particularly heavy. Padraig Ó Ruairc offers a fresh perspective on the
struggle that reduced the viability of the Republican's hoped-for
Munster Republic and set the stage for the battle of Kilmallock which
checked the pro-treaty rout that the initial stages of the Civil War had
been.