Talk on The Civic Guard Mutiny Of May 1922 By Author & Historian Brian McCarthy
On the morning of 15th May, 1922, over 1,000 recruits of the newly established Civic Guard suddenly broke ranks during Commissioner Michael Staines' TD address at Morning Parade in the training depot at Kildare Barracks.
The recruits immediately set about raiding the armoury while Staines and his senior officers withdrew under armed protection and evacuated the barracks much to the annoyance of Michael Collins, the Chairman of the fledgling Provisional Government. For almost seven weeks, Collins and the mutineers struggled to reconcile their differences in the midst of the Irish Civil War. Both sides were unaware that their efforts to resolve the dispute were thwarted by a group of anti-Treaty Civic Guards intent on destroying the new force.
The County Kildare Decade of Commemorations Committee are organising a free illustrated online talk by author and historian Brian McCarthy on this seminal event. It is taking place on Thursday 12 May at 7.30PM, via Zoom.
Brian is the author of The Civic Guard Mutiny (published by Mercier Press).