> Try the Irish Defense Force Archives. Go to > http://www.military.ie/military_archives/index.html > Don't think it is searchable via the web, just list what they have in > their collection. > > You also might try various sources in Cavan itself. The IRA of this > era split into Pro-Treaty and Anti-Treaty factions during the Civil > War. The IRA factions that allied themselves with the Free State > became the Irish Defense Force and the Anti-Treaty factions were > outlawed and are the ancestors of the Provos. > I too am interested in this period of Irish history. My father was born in 1905 in Dublin and like many people, I wish so much that I had asked him these questions before he and the rest of his contemporary family died. I have recently returned from a long-delayed trip to Dublin to re acquaint myself with my irish cousins and wish to discover the role my father played in the 'post treaty' days of the 1920s. I once recall him telling me of the time when, as a 'very young man', he travelled the country by train, armed with a pistol to deter 'rebels'. He never mentioned it again and I have no other clues, but later reading of the split of the pro and anti treaty republicans post 1922, he might have been employed in some official capacity by the new Free State government. Over meals with my Dublin family and the passage of much wine, guarded comments and arguments were made about the parts taken by the various membersof the family in that period, including those who were 'never to return' following the sides and favours taken by them. Where would I search for more information on this subject?