The file comprises the following editions: An t-Óglác the official organ of the Irish Volunteers: 15 Mar. 1921 (vol. III, no. 1)-15 Apr. 1921 (Vol. III, no. 4); 1 May 1921 (Vol. III, no. 6)-10 June 1921 (Vol. III, no. 12); 24 June 1921 (Vol. III, no. 14); 2 Dec. 1921 (vol. III, no. 37) – 9 Dec. 1921 (vol. III, no. 38); An t-Óglác, the official organ of the army 20 Jan. 1923 (vol. iv, no. 32, new series) – 27 Jan. 1923 (vol., iv, no. 33 new series) An t-Óglác, the army journal 29 May 1926 (vol. iv, no. 20). The concluding edition in the file contains an article titled ‘Four courts and North King St. Area in 1916’ by John J. Reynolds, referring to the activities of Capuchin priests from Church Street during the 1916 Rising. (pp 3-4).
'Poblacht na hEireann (War News)', No. 47, 24 August 1922. This edition was published two days after the death of Michael Collins, the National Army's Commander-in-Chief, at Béal na Bláth in County Cork. Its editorial on Collins commences: 'Yesterday the Nation was shocked by the news of Michael Collins death … now his boundless energy and inexhaustible resource are no more ...' This is one of the last issues of 'War News' produced by Erskine Childers in West Cork before THE encircling National Army made anti-Treaty positions untenable, and he had to move the printing press into a vacant cottage at Ballyvourney. Helping him to print his news sheets were Sean O'Faolain, Frank O'Connor, Sean Hendrick (all famous writers), and R. Longford who later established the Lee Press in Cork city.
The file comprises the following: an undated first edition of 'Freedom' containing an ‘extract from a letter from Rory O’Connor’ regarding the attack on the Free Courts; 17 Sept. 1922 (no edition number) with a portrait of Lawrence Ginnell by Constance Markievicz; 24 Sept. 1922 (No. 7) with a drawing of the ‘the branded arm of James O’Reilly sketched from life’ by Constance Markievicz; 22 Oct. 1922 (No. 11), 3 copies; Dec. 1922.
The Report of the Royal Commission on the Rebellion in Ireland in 1916. A Royal Commission of Inquiry was established under Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst (1858-1944) to investigate the causes of the Rising. The commission commenced its work on 18 May 1916 and it heard evidence over nine days from key figures including Augustine Birrell, the Chief Secretary for Ireland (1905-1916), and Neville Chamberlain, the Inspector General of the Royal Irish Constabulary. The report of the commission was published on 26 June 1916. The report outlined conclusions drawn from the commission of inquiry. It criticized the administrative and intelligence systems in place in Ireland. It reached the general conclusion that the main cause of the rebellion, ‘appears to be that lawlessness was allowed to grow up unchecked, and that Ireland for several years past has been administered on the principle that it was safer and more expedient to leave the law in abeyance if collision with any faction of the Irish people could thereby be avoided'.
