Liam Mellows

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Conor McNamara. Liam Mellows

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Dr Conor McNamara has written extensively about the history of the Irish revolution and rural society. He was previously a winner of the National Library of Ireland, History Fellowship (2009) and was awarded the 1916 Scholar in Residence at NUI Galway (2015–17). He was a Moore Institute, NUI Galway, Visiting Fellow (2017) and this is his fifth publication.

SELECTED WRITINGS

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The Sinn Féin Ard Fheis held on 22 February successfully delayed a split in the party with almost universal support for a motion to adjourn proceedings for a period of three months ‘to avoid a division of the Sinn Féin organisation and to avert the danger to the country of an immediate election, and give an opportunity to the signatories of the London Agreement to draft a constitution’.71 The motion was passed amid a spirit of hope and comradeship; however, the postponement worked to the advantage of the pro-Treaty leadership by delaying an open debate with the membership. In a similar vein, Dáil Éireann agreed, on 2 March, that no election should be held until the new Free State constitution was presented to the people and the Dáil was adjourned until the end of April, allowing the Free State leadership further time to consolidate power.

While the IRB was important in maintaining bonds of allegiance among republicans to Michael Collins and the National Army, outside Dublin, Collins’ control of the IRB did not give him the personal sway he anticipated. The South Munster Division of the IRB rejected the supreme council’s directive to support the Treaty in January 1922, with the entire Cork membership unwilling to obey the directive.72 In the west and north of the country, the IRB was weaker and had minimal influence over Volunteer officers.

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