First Southern Division of the IRA was formed at a meeting held in Kippagh

100 years ago yesterday (April 26th 1921), the First Southern Division of the IRA was formed at a meeting held in Kippagh near Millstreet, Cork. This was a major move in the divisionalisation of the IRA. It consists of the 3 Cork Brigades, the 3 Kerry Brigades, the 2 Waterford Brigades.

https://twitter.com/OCibhleachain/status/1386772181045161989

If anyone knows where to find more information on the meeting, please do let us know.

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Formation of First Southern Division IRA

The First Southern Division consisted of the three Cork Brigades, the three Kerry Brigades, the two Waterford Brigades and the West Limerick Brigade.

Liam Lynch (formerly Brigade Commandant Cork No. 2) was appointed Divisional Commandant and Florence O’Donoghue (formerly Adjutant Cork No. 1) was appointed Divisional Adjutant. Ernie O’Malley represented GHQ. Sean Moylan is appointed Commandant of the Cork No. 2 Brigade. (Lynch says that Cork No.2 is split with Moylan given command of Mallow, Kanturk, Newmarket, Charville and Millstreet Battalions. While George Power is given command of Fermoy, Castletownroche and Mitchelstown battalions.)

Cork No. 1 was represented by Sean O’Hegarty and Florence O’Donoghue; Cork No. 2 by Liam Lynch and Sean Moylan; Cork No. 3 by Liam Deasy and Tom Barry; Kerry No. 1 (North) by Andy Cooney and Kerry No. 2 (South) by Humphrey Murphy and John Joe Rice. The other brigades were not represented. There was discussion of sending columns to less active areas and there was also a decision made to attack all Crown forces on a particular day in the divisional area in retaliation for the British execution policy.

Sean O’Hegarty, a ‘master of invective’, verbally tore O’Malley to shreds.

(Co-incidentally, in March 1921, Lynch took over as Divisional Centre of the South Munster Division of the IRB. The South Munster Division of the IRB consisted of Cork, Kerry and Waterford.)

For a discussion on IRA divisionalisation see Townshend (2014), pgs 274-280

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#OnThisDay #ArAnLáSeo 1921; Today the First Southern Division of the IRA was formed at a meeting held in Kippagh near Millstreet, Cork. This was a major move in the divisionalisation of the IRA. It consists of the 3 Cork Brigades, the 3 Kerry Brigades, the 2 Waterford Brigades. (pictured are Liam Lynch, Ernie o’Malley, and Seán O’Hegarty) – [twitter]

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https://twitter.com/OCibhleachain/status/1387028537761312769

References:
O’Donoghue (1986) p155
Lynch in the Kerryman (1955), p230
Deasy (1973) p266-268
O’Malley (1990) p300-302
Townshend (2014) p274-275