House burnings 1921.
Document
in the PPP.
[Note
added by Grace Bunbury 2011.
In the
period 1919 - 1923 nearly 280 "big houses" throughout Ireland,
mainly belonging to the Anglo-Irish gentry, were destroyed in arson
attacks by Irish Republican forces.
The
greatest number of them were damaged during the Civil War 1922 -
1923, when approximately 200 houses were destroyed.
Six
months after the burning of Cork by the Royal Irish Constabulary
Auxiliaries Division (ADRIC) in December 1920 the following official
order was issued from the headquarters of the Irish Republican Army
in Dublin.
Unsigned, the order was issued by Diarmuid O'Hegarty,
Adjutant-General, Irish Republican Army.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
General
Orders to Brigade Commander, Carlow Battalion, I.R.A.
22nd
June 1921.
Orders
Relating To Reprisals.
SECRET.
(1) You
are authorised to answer reprisals against property on the part of
the Enemy in the following way:
(Where a
Division has been formed Brigade Commandants will require to receive
formal delegation of authority from their Divisional Commandants.)
(2) On
every occasion on which the Enemy destroys house property, or house
contents, whether alleging military necessity or not, the following
counter-reprisals may be taken:
(a) A
similar number of houses belonging to the most active enemies of
Ireland may be destroyed in the Battalion area in which the original
destruction takes place.
(b) An
equal number of houses belonging to the most active enemies of
Ireland, may, in addition, be destroyed at that point in the Brigade
area concerned which may be considered as the centre most strongly
occupied by such enemies.
(c) The
case should be reported to G.H.Q. with a covering statement of what
has been done; and with a view to possible further action.
(d)
Where the Enemy persists in taking counter-reprisals, they may be
answered in the same way; stopping only when the district concerned
has been entirely cleared of active enemies of Ireland.
(3)
Formal notice shall be served on any person whose house is so
destroyed, stating clearly that it is a reprisal because of similar
destruction carried out by their military forces; and specifying the
particular property for whose destruction it is a reprisal.
(4) In
any particular case, or in any particular district in which, in
addition to such reprisals, it would seem desirable that:
(a) the
members of any particular family concerned should be ordered out of
the country;
or
(b) have
their lands confiscated; a special report should be submitted.
(5) For
the purposes of such reprisals no persons shall be regarded as
enemies of Ireland, whether they may be described locally as
Unionist, Orangemen, etc., unless they are actively anti-Irish in
their actions.
(6) No
house shall be selected for destruction or destroyed without the
personal approval and permission of the Brigade Commandant.
By Order
Adjutant-General.