10/07/2026
On this day in 1922, the people of the city were on the brink of a chapter of history that became known as the Battle of Limerick.
400 Free State soldiers had infiltrated the city, commanded by Michael Brennan and Donnachadh O' Hannigan, and comandeered several city centre buildings - Cruise's Royal Hotel, the former RIC Barracks on William St and Limerick Prison.
They were greatly outnumbered in the city by over 700 IRA Volunteers who were under the command of Liam Lynch.
Brennan and O'Hannigan brokered an agreement with Lynch, calling for a meeting of commanders from both armies "in the interests of a united Ireland, and to save our country from utter destruction".
Lynch believed that this ceasefire agreement was a great success, which could eventually lead to complete control of Munster by republican troops.
However, when Free State reinforcements arrived from Dublin on 11th of July, Brennan sends word to Lynch that this agreement was cancelled.
Many anti-Treaty troops had no idea that the ceasefire agreement had ended until they came under fire from Free State soldiers.
Over the following two weeks, both armies fought for control of the city's most strategic buildings. The Free State army eventually commanded the majority of the city, but Limerick's four barracks were still in the hands of the anti-Treaty forces.
On the 19th of July 1922, more Free State reinforcements arrived into Limerick, bringing with them, the dreaded 18-pounder artillery guns. From the city's Customs House (The Hunt Museum), they fired across the Shannon and bombarded Strand Barracks, until Captain Cornelius McNamara surrendered. This event marked the first time that a siege gun had been used in Limerick since 1691.
The remaining anti-Treaty IRA troops began retreating from the city of Limerick and into the surrounding countryside, burning their garrisons as they fled. The last group to retreat from the New Barracks (Sarsfield Barracks) as it burned were members of a local branch of Cumann na mBan.
26 people were killed during the Battle of Limerick -
9 Free State soldiers.
5 Anti-Treaty IRA volunteers.
12 civilians.
