Dear Delegates and Moderators, Welcome to NAIMUN LV and more specifically welcome to the Royal Irish Constabulary! The staff of NAIMUN LV has been working day and night to make this the most rewarding and educational experience yet, and we are excited to welcome you all to DC in February! This document is the topic abstract for the Royal Irish Constabulary. It contains three key elements to allow you all to prepare well in advance for the committee: topics, structure, and research avenues. The goal of this abstract is to give you a better understanding of the content in the committee. As well, it is meant to be a jumping off point for further research about the content of this committee. By reading and understanding the topic abstract, you will more fully get a sense of how this committee will be run at NAIMUN and what specific issues the NAIMUN staff want you to focus on. We hope to be of assistance to you in your preparation for NAIMUN LV. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact the Secretary- General or Director-General. We look forward to welcoming you to the NAIMUN family! Best, Christian and Brendan Christian Mesa Secretary-General c.mesa@modelun.org Brendan Stelmach Director-General b.stelmach@modelun.org
Topic Abstract: The Royal Irish Constabulary What is the United Kingdom National Security Apparatus? This year at NAIMUN, the UKNSA will serve as our coordinated crisis organ. The British House of Commons (BHOC), British Cabinet, Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), British Secret Intelligence Service (BSIS), and Irish Republican Army (IRA) will all be operating on the same timeline throughout the conference, beginning on December 14, 1918. The primary conflict to be addressed, by all committees, throughout the weekend will be the Anglo-Irish War, which was triggered in part by the events of the 1918 parliamentary elections. The delegates participating in these committees will have the opportunity to impact not just their own committee through their directives and crisis actions, but also the rest of the committees in the organ (for example, a declaration of war in one committee will be announced to the other committees in the organ). For a more in depth explanation of this coordinated crisis organ, please see this attached explanation here. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the Undersecretary- General and Deputy Undersecretary-General of this organ, Georgina Kenchington (g.kenchington@modelun.org) and Charlotte Phillips (c.phillips@modelun.org) or the Secretary-General Christian Mesa (naimunsg@modelun.org). Introduction The primary goal of this committee is to develop an understanding of the military side of the Irish War of Independence. Starting on December 14, 1918, delegates in this committee will represent the leadership of The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), British Army, Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary (ADRIC), Black and Tans, and Ulster Special Constabulary (USC), all important
actors used by the British government against the Irish Republican Army and other groups fighting on behalf of Irish independence, or Home Rule. While the RIC coordinated many of these efforts, the body was established as a police force, not an army, and as a result was supported by former British soldiers and other English recruits. At the same time, the British government did not want to wage a full scale war in Ireland. This interplay is crucial to understanding the different goals and roles of traditional officers, members of the army, and impromptu paramilitary recruits. This committee will be both engaged in a war with the IRA and maintaining order on the island. The remainder of this abstract will provide a brief description of the topics as well as sources upon which to base your research. Topic A: The Protestants vs. the Catholics The conflict between Protestants and Catholics in Ireland is a defining expression of Irish nationalism. In the 16th century, for instance, Catholicism united the traditionally opposed native Irish and Normans against Protestant forces sent by the Tudors in England to conquer Ireland. Since then, Catholics in Ireland (the majority) have supported Home Rule while Protestants have supported retaining Union with the United Kingdom. This historical religious dispute was reflected in a mismatch in representation within RIC forces: while 60% of senior officers were Protestant, 70% of the rank and file were Catholic. Even more apparent was the religious representational disparity among members of the paramilitary groups supporting the RIC: the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary (ADRIC) and the Black and Tans. Of these, 82% were Protestant. This committee must consider these religious tensions when dealing with the primarily Catholic Irish Republican Army (IRA). Promoting Catholic police officers to higher positions within the RIC could garner favor with Irish citizens and quell conflict, but may alienate the British Parliament and the existing guard of RIC leadership. Topic B: Ulster Unionist Party vs. the Rest of Ireland
The split between Ulster in the north of Ireland and the rest of the island began, similarly to the Catholic-Protestant dispute, with the Tudor conquest in the 1500s. The English sought to civilise the underdeveloped northern Ireland region of Ulster by transplanting thousands of British citizens to the region. Since then, most Northern Irish have identified as British while those outside Ulster identify with Ireland. In the early 20th century, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Ulster Unionist Council (UUC) advocated against Home Rule in local and national government. With the establishment of the Ulster Volunteer Force in 1912, the Unionists also used violence to resist implementation of Home Rule legislation. This ideological fervor in the north gave a different tenor to violence in Ulster. While violence in the rest of Ireland mainly pitted British forces and the RIC against the IRA, conflict in Ulster featured sectarian violence between Catholic Nationalists and Protestant Unionists. The RIC must contend not only with opposition from some hardline Unionists who distrust the primarily Catholic RIC, but also with Nationalists enraged by seeming RIC favoritism towards Unionists. This suspicion was further aroused when the UVF essentially became the Ulster Special Constabulary (USC), lending credence to the argument that the RIC was taking sides in the sectarian conflict. Topic C: The Rise and Threat of the IRA The IRA was first formed in 1919 from a group called the Irish Volunteers, a military organization composed of Irish nationalists that sought to counter the UVF and regain Irish rights. In 1916, the Irish Volunteers staged the Easter Uprising, a bloody event that sought to end British reign and control of Ireland. Occurring primarily in Dublin with isolated attacks in other countries, the Irish Volunteers seized various locations and proclaimed the beginning of an Irish Republic. They were quickly overwhelmed by the superior British forces however their actions led to a massive increase of support for Sinn Féin, a pro-republican party, which won in a landslide in the British Parliament general election. Sinn Féin refused to take their seats, instead proclaiming Irish independence and convening the First Dáil. The Dáil
Éireann subsequently recognized the Irish Volunteers as the official army, thus leading to the reorganization and gradual renaming of the Irish Volunteers to the IRA. The IRA quickly began fighting the RIC and later the British military forces in Ireland. The conflicts are quickly escalating and the IRA poses an ever increasing threat due to their use of guerilla tactics and terrorist methods. It is up to the RIC to effectively combat the grave danger posed to civilians and RIC officers alike. Topic D: Terrorist Tactics Used by the IRA The IRA was particularly well known for their extensive use of guerilla methodology and terrorist tactics during the Irish War of Independence. Organized into guerrilla units, the IRA ambushed British troops and RIC forces, using guns and grenades to assassinate the opponent in surprises attacks. They would often shoot from behind walls or hedges that concealed them from view and worked in small groups. As they often had issues with obtaining arms and ammunition, the IRA would also resort to destroying property through fires. The arms that were obtained were often taken forcibly from British troops in raids on homes, schools, barracks, and other community locations. These tactics, along with the strategic use of sabotage, were a key part of the IRA s violent campaign. Characteristic techniques used by the IRA include attacks where one IRA unit would create a disturbance for the RIC to investigate and another unit would ambush the RIC officers as they left their barracks. Other tactics included a systematic undermining of the RIC through verbally denouncing them as the eyes and ears of the British Crown and government, issuing a journal named An tóglác, The Official Organ of the Irish Volunteers which sought to teach people how to engage in terrorist operations, and employing double agents within the various British agencies. Ultimately, the guerilla nature of the IRA and the terrorist tactics they used contributed greatly to equalizing the battle between the two sides. Resources for Further Research
Below is a list of resources that will be useful for preparation for committee. Overall, an understanding of the Irish War of Independence, the general mission and powers of RIC, the standard operating procedure of the IRA, and your own portfolio powers will be the most beneficial to perform well in committee. Tactics, Politics, and Propaganda in the Irish War of Independence, 1917-1921 http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1045&context=history _theses Insight into the tactics used during the Irish War of Independence by both RIC and IRA. Ireland Timeline http://www.schudak.de/timelines/ireland1922-1919.html A good general timeline of the war. The Auxiliary Division of the RIC http://theauxiliaries.com/ A vast resource about the Auxiliaries role within the RIC and actions during Irish War. Royal Irish Constabulary http://www.royalirishconstabulary.com/ A short history of the RIC. Who were the Black-and-Tans www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/who-were-theblack-and-tans/ An introduction to the paramilitary group the Black and Tans. Belfast s Unholy War http://www.historyireland.com/revolutionary-period-1912-23/belfasts-unholywar/
History of the conflict in Belfast with information about the Ulster Special Constabulary.