UCL History's Prof Heather Jones on 'Taking Sides: Britain and the Civil War' with Michael Portillo

On 10 May, Taking Sides: Britain and the Civil War, a television documentary on the Irish Civil War which ended 100 years ago this month, presented by Michael Portillo, aired on Ireland's state broadcaster RTE. Professor Heather Jones from UCL History Department was a contributor and discussed the Anglo-Irish negotiations of December 1921 that led to the Anglo-Irish Treaty that ultimately caused the Civil War of 1922-23. The documentary revealed for the first time that the Irish Free State and the British government had considered the use of gas grenades to remove rebel forces from occupying Dublin's Four Courts building at the start of the Civil War and that Winston Churchill had considered using RAF planes to bomb Dublin. Neither plan was ultimately implemented but the documentary highlighted the radicalisation of the Civil War that these plans illustrated.

“In Dublin they are still expecting this delegation to come home with a Republic and with a removal of the border and the delegation themselves in London are increasingly aware that they can't deliver on that." - Prof Jones