page_title: History of Cork
section_title: War of Independence
hierarchical_section_title: History of Cork / War of Independence
caption_attribution_description: St Patrick's Street in Cork, Ireland on (or around) 14 December 1920. The image captures the aftermath of what's known as en:the Burning of Cork. This event occurred on 11-12 December 1920 during the Irish War of Independence. The primary subject are destroyed buildings in the area from Cook Street to Robert street to Winthrop Street (off Patrick street)in Cork. To the right foreground are workers in clean-up efforts. The prominent building facade (right/middle-ground) has visible stonework signage which reads: Pharmaceutical &amp; Dispensing Chemist. This building was Sunner's chemist shop, #31 Patrick Street. Immediately to its left (behind the arched lamps) was where #29/30 Patrick Street stood. This was the Munster Arcade. Photographer: W.D. Hogan Date: Circa Tuesday, 14 December 1920. NLI Ref.: HOGW 153
context_page_description: Cork, located on Ireland's south coast, is its second largest city within the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and the third largest on the island of Ireland after Dublin and Belfast. Cork City is the largest city in the province of Munster. Its history dates back to the 6th century.
context_section_description: Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914 many of Cork's National Volunteers enlisted to served with the Royal Munster Fusiliers, suffering heavy casualties both in Gallipoli and on the Western Front.  In the period 1916–1923, Cork was embroiled in a conflict between Irish nationalists and the British state in Ireland. The turmoil of this period ultimately led to substantial Irish independence for 26 of the 32 Irish counties in 1922, but also to a bitter civil war between Irish nationalist factions in 1922–23.
  In 1916, during the Easter Rising as many as 1000 Irish Volunteers mobilised in Cork for an armed rebellion against British rule but they dispersed without fighting. However, during the subsequent Irish War of Independence 1919–1921, Cork was the scene of much violence.
  In particular, the city suffered from the action of the Black and Tans – a paramilitary police force raised to help the Royal Irish Constabulary combat the Irish Republican Army. On 20 March 1920, Thomas Mac Curtain, the Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Cork was shot dead, in front of his wife at his home, by policemen. His successor as Mayor, Terence McSwiney was arrested in August 1920 and died on hunger strike in October of that year. On 11 December the city centre was gutted by fires started by the Black and Tans in reprisal for IRA attacks in the city. Over 300 buildings were destroyed and two suspected IRA men were shot dead in their beds by British forces on the night. This atrocity did not stop IRA activity in the city however. Attacks and reprisals continued in the city until the fighting was ended in a truce agreed in July 1921.
  Another, highly disputed aspect of the War of Independence in Cork was the shooting of informers. Historians such as Peter Hart have written that 'enemy' groups such as Protestants and ex-soldiers were targeted at random by the IRA. Gerard Murphy's book "Year of the Disappearances" put the number of Protestants killed in Cork at 73. This thesis is disputed by other scholars such as John Borgonovo, who write that their studies suggest that the IRA's 30 or so confirmed civilian victims in Cork do seem to have been targeted because the IRA believed they were passing information to the British and not for any other reason.
caption: Aftermath of the "Burning of Cork" in December 1920
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