The Irish War of Independence in 1919 was fought between the Irish Revolutionary Army and British Forces, with support of the RIC and USC. Wounds of this conflict are still visible today, both in Ireland and across the world. While there's a tendency to view this conflict as an insular issue of the time, with most fighting rooted in the Irish countryside - the struggle for independence was actually reflective of a tumultuous time in world history. 1919 - 1921 saw not only conflict in Ireland, but mass violence across central and eastern Europe as empires collapsed in a post war world. But how did these world wide events come to affect the Irish Revolution?

In today's episode James is joined by Irish historian and author Professor Fearghal McGarry from Queen’s University in Belfast. Together they discuss the struggles Ireland faced for independence and the ways in which their fight for liberation fits into the broader international context.

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