The Irish Revolution

Cillian Murphy narrates a documentary marking the centenary of the Irish War of Independence, telling the story of how a small group of rebels forced Britain to withdraw after centuries of conquest and misrule.

Episode two begins in 1919 following the landslide victory of Sinn Féin and the formation of the independent parliament, Dáil Éireann. As the IRA swells to more than 100,000 volunteers, pressure begins to mount as violence intensifies across the country. As 1920 draws to a close events in Ireland capture the world’s attention.

The third and final episode of The Irish Revolution begins in late 1920 as Ireland is in the full throes of war. Towns and villages have been ravaged, raids on homes strike fear among the people and hundreds of republicans have been arrested. Despite having tens of thousands of troops on the ground, much of the countryside becomes ungovernable for the British as rebels escalate armed attacks. Under pressure from domestic and external forces, almost 1,500 people have lost their lives by 1921 as the British cabinet seeks a political solution to the ‘Irish Question.’