Dublin Guard

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The Dublin Guard was a unit of the Irish Republican Army, in the Irish War of Independence and then of the Irish Army during the Irish Civil War 1922-23.

It was founded in May 1921, when the Active Service Unit of the Irish Republican Army's Dublin Brigade and the "Squad" assassination unit were amalgamated. The Guard was created due to the heavy losses sustained by the Dublin Brigade in their assault on the Customs House on May 26 1921. Eight IRA volunters were killed in the operation and over 120 captured. Paddy Daly, previously head of the Squad, was put in command of the new unit.

The Guard became part of the new Irish Army of the Irish Free State in January 1922. They were supportive of the Anglo-Irish Treaty which split the IRA, in large part because of their personal loyalty to Michael Collins. At this time, its numbers were greatly expanded from a core of IRA veterans to a larger unit, with many new recruits. On the outbreak of the Irish Civil War in June 1922, The Dublin Guard were heavily involved in securing Dublin for the Free State (see Battle of Dublin).

These troops were among the most experienced and motivated men possessed by the Irish Free State in the civil war. For this reason, they were to the forefront in the Free State offensive of July-August 1922 which took the so called Munster Republic and secured most of the territory of the new state for its government. They landed in Fenit in county Kerry in August 1922 and rapidly took Tralee and the other major towns in that county.

In the later stages of the war, the Dublin Guard, still stationed in county Kerry was charged with putting down the guerrilla activities of the local anti-treaty IRA. The Dublin Guard were perhaps embittered by the killing of their erstwhile commander in chief, Michael Collins and of their comrades in several ambushes. As a result, they acted with great severity in Kerry. On at least three occasions in 1923, they massacred republican prisoners, after inflicting great cruelty. This often led to reprisals by the anti-treaty IRA. (See Executions during the Irish Civil War).