The Black and Tans

The Black & Tans in Ireland, 1920-1921

Antonio L. Brown Sr.

From January 1919 until a truce came into effect on 11 July 1921, a state of undeclared

war existed in some areas of Ireland between guerilla units of the Irish Republican Army

(IRA), representing the independence aspirations of militant Irish nationalism, and the

forces of the British Military who were charged with the task of restoring law and order in this part of the United Kingdom. With neither a state of war nor martial law being declared by the British authorities in Ireland – martial law did come eventually in

December 1920/January 1921 but it applied only to eight counties in the southern-most part of the country – the military was confined largely to a supporting role, leaving the civil administration based at Dublin Castle heavily reliant on the enforcement powers of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) in its efforts to curb the insurgent Irish nationalists. From the IRA’s perspective, the RIC was seen as “a means to restrain in every locality any opposition to the regime it served.” In a response to this apparent menace, early in 1919 the IRA began a campaign of intimidation against officers of the RIC, who were subjected to threats, violent attacks and exclusion of their families from the local community. Other locals who dared to show support or even sympathy for RIC families thereafter were similarly intimidated. The IRA killed 18 policemen altogether over the twelve-month period ending in December 1919. Six months later, police casualties had risen to a total of 55 killed and a further 74 wounded, indicating a considerable escalation early in 1920 in the IRA’s campaign of violence against the RIC.

The British authorities responded to this situation in an extreme manner by advertising in England for British ex-servicemen firstly, and then later for ex-officers, to join the RIC and bring their recent experience of weapons and warfare to what had formerly been a distinctly Irish...