An Anti-Treaty handbill (black type on buff coloured paper). Text on recto reads: (on left-hand side) ‘“Yesterday the RIC were Irishmen who took (includes image of a hand pointing to the following line in bold type in centre of handbill) "Guns and Orders from England". (On right-hand side) "To-day Free-State soldiers are Irishmen who take (includes another image of a hand pointing to the same line in bold type in centre of handbill) "Guns and Orders from England / in order to / Shoot down Republican Soldiers / Destroy Republican Printing Presses / Raid the homes of Irish Republicans / Fire on Irish Prisoners in the Jails / Fill the Jails with Irish Volunteers / Wage economic war on the Dependants / of the Irish Republicans. / You did not Join the Irish Volunteers for this. / (in larger font and bold type) Don't be any longer Blind. The Men against you are Fighting without / Pay for the Old Cause which/ will NEVER DIE”’.
A pamphlet written by Laurence Ginnell (1854-1923) who opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty that was ratified by the Dáil in January 1922. He was elected as an anti-Treaty Sinn Féin TD for the constituency of Longford-Westmeath at the 1922 general election on the eve of the Civil War. Imprint date based on p. 4. With typescript letter from Ginnell to the Most Rev. Edward Byrne, Archbishop of Dublin, referring to the ‘murder gang’ employed by the Free State Provisional Government. 14 Sept. 1922.
