Munster Republic
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The Munster Republic was a term used by Irish republicans to refer to the territory they held in the province of Munster at the start of the Irish Civil War, with its capital city being Cork.
After the first week of fighting in the Civil War (June 28 – July 5, 1922), Dublin was held by those in support of the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the Irish Free State. The main stronghold of Anti-Treaty forces (the Irish Republicans) became the self-styled Munster Republic — the counties south of a line between Limerick and Waterford. Liam Lynch, the republican commander-in-chief, hoped to use the "Republic" as a means of re-negotiating the Treaty, and ideally reconstituting the Irish Republic of 1919–21. For this defensive attitude, Lynch was bitterly criticised by some other republicans, who felt that he should be acting offensively to bring the war to a quick end.
However, the Anti-Treaty side (who were supported by most of the Irish Republican Army), lacked artillery and armoured units, both of which the Free State obtained from the British. The Free State launched offensive against the Munster Republic in July 1922. Limerick and Waterford were taken easily, and Cork became the last county independent of the Free State. Michael Collins sent the Free State Army by sea to Cork and Fenit, and Cork was retaken on August 10. The end of the Munster Republic resulted in the opposition to the Treaty being forced into the countryside and small-scale guerrilla warfare.
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