In August 1919 Cathal Brugha sought to formalise the relationship between the government and the Irish Volunteers by having them swear and oath of allegiance to Dáil Éireann. Brugha might also have been trying to out maneuver the Irish Republican Brotherhood who were recruiting Irish Volunteer officers with an aim to influencing the organisations course of action in the years ahead. The oath would have little impact on either the IRB or the government’s control of the army but it would cause the Irish Volunteers to adopt the title of the Irish Republican Army.
References:
Fergus O’Farrell “Cathal Brugha”
Peter Hart - “Mick; The Real Michael Collins”
Richard Abbott - “Police Casualties in Ireland 1919 - 1922”
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Main Sources:
Military Archives - www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie
Century Ireland - www.rte.ie/centuryireland
Atlas of the Irish Revolution
Maurice Walsh - “Bitter Freedom”
Charles Townshend - "The Republic"
Michael Hopkinson - ”The Irish War of Independence”
Diarmuid Ferriter - “A Nation and not a Rabble”
Photos:
Military Archives
NLI Flickr account
Wiki Commons