Almost a century ago a small body of men engaged in combat with the armed forces of an Empire. Militarily they were weak. Their strength lay in their faith in their cause and in the unflinching support of a civilian population which refused to be cowed by threats or by violence.This new edition of Kerry's Fighting Stories features stories and reports from every aspect of the conflict, from the formation of the Volunteers in Kerry early in the twentieth century, through the first casualties as the Easter Rising took its toll and on to the campaigns in the East and West of the county during the war of Independence itself. With barracks attacks, ambushes, shootings and even engagements with warships, it brings to life a conflict that is fading from the collective memory of the county and country.Kerry's Fighting Stories offers a fascinating perspective on the struggle for independence in Kerry directly from the men who took part in the actions themselves.

Almost a century ago a small body of men engaged in combat with the armed forces of an Empire. Militarily they were weak. Their strength lay in their faith in their cause and in the unflinching support of a civilian population which refused to be cowed by threats or by violence. This new edition of Kerry's Fighting Stories features stories and reports from every aspect of the conflict, from the formation of the Volunteers in Kerry early in the twentieth century, through the first casualties as the Easter Rising took its toll and on to the campaigns in the East and West of the county during the war of Independence itself. With barracks attacks, ambushes, shootings and even engagements with warships, it brings to life a conflict that is fading from the collective memory of the county and country. This classic account, with a new introduction by Professor J.J. Lee, offers a fascinating insight into the struggle for independence in Kerry from the perspective of those who took part in the actions themselves.

The traditional view of the IRA in Ireland in the period 1916–1921 of heroes living only for the republic, courageous and undeterred, has come in for close scrutiny in recent years. Who joined and what were their motives and backgrounds? What was their general character like? Were there lapses in conduct? Were the fighting men an efficient revolutionary force? Did they maximise their resources against the occupying forces? Separating fact from fiction in history has always been problematic in Irish history. This study of the guerrilla war in Kerry dispels some of the myths and gives an accurate profile of the rebels active in Kerry during this period. Attempting to profile the character of those who got involved, it questions their reasons for joining and their commitment to the notion of a republic. Many young volunteers did not expect to become part of a war; volunteering allowed repressed youths escape the traditional and predictable lives mapped out for them. The result is sometimes critical as it considers the effects of the war on Kerry's civilian population and the varying level of support for the IRA. Overall this book presents a picture of what Kerry was like during this war taking account of the perceptions of the community as a whole, Irish or British, Catholic or Protestant, fighter, soldier or civilian.

Since Kerry's Fighting Story was published by the Kerryman in 1947, no attempt has been made to cover the period of the War of Independence and the Civil War in Kerry, which were fought with particular ferocity. This book seeks to fill a gap in providing a broad look at events in Kerry during the decade from the founding of the Irish Volunteers in November 1913 to the ending of the Civil War in April 1923.