Diarmuid Grainger

Witnesses to Freedom Diarmuid Grainger

'We were almost a self-contained republic in the 8th Battalion area.'Patrick O'Sullivan, Irish Republican Army officer, Cork 1919-1921. Based on almost seven thousand pages of witness statements collected by the Irish Army from 1947 to 1958, this book is a day by day account of the War of Independence in County Cork. It shows in detail how the IRA, with the able assistance of Cumann na mBan, the women's corps of the Irish Volunteers, managed to defy the militarily superior British forces, to bring to an end seven hundred and fifty years of British rule in Ireland. The witness statements show that this feat was achieved by tremendous bravery, determination and discipline on the part of the IRA and Cumann na mBan, and with the support of the vast majority of the Irish people. Diarmuid Grainger graduated from University College Cork in 2005. He is a teacher at Bishop Galvin Central School, Newcestown, Co. Cork. He lives in Cloughduv with his wife and two daughters.