In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we reflect on the momentous and tragic final year of Rory O’Connor, culminating in the \"completely illegal\" reprisal executions of O’Connor, Liam Mellows, Joe McKelvey, and Dick Barrett in December 1922. We examine these state-sanctioned killings—described as an act of \"literal revenge\" for the assassination of TD Seán Hales—as a pivotal and controversial moment in the birth of the Irish state.
We examine O'Connor's role within the context of the Irish Civil War's escalating bitterness, tracing his journey from the IRA's head of engineering to the \"most public face\" of anti-Treaty opposition. We discuss the \"split within a split\" that saw former comrades turn their guns on one another and the ways in which the 1916 tradition of martyrdom influenced the fateful decision to occupy the Four Courts.
Additionally, we explore the Irish Free State's struggle to legitimise its authority through the controversial \"Army Special Powers Resolution\". We discuss the tactical decision to avoid formal legislation—which would have required the British monarch's signature—in favour of a resolution that empowered military courts to hand down death sentences to Republican prisoners. This highlights the stark tension between the burgeoning state’s democratic aspirations and its descent into what some critics viewed as a \"military dictatorship\".
To conclude, we tackle the deeply personal tragedy of the conflict, specifically the haunting story of Kevin O’Higgins sanctioning the execution of his own best man, Rory O’Connor. We reflect on the \"moral\" cost of the 81 state executions, debating whether the Free State's pursuit of stability through \"vengeance\" allowed it to win the war while ultimately \"losing the peace\".
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