Bloody Sunday 1920 Croke Park Michael Comyn

On November 21, 1920, during the Irish War of Independence, an event known as Bloody Sunday unfolded in Dublin, marked by significant violence at Croke Park. That morning, the Irish Republican Army (IRA), under Michael Collins, executed a coordinated operation, assassinating 15 individuals, primarily British intelligence officers from the “Cairo Gang,” to disrupt British intelligence operations. This action heightened tensions in the city.

In the afternoon, British forces, including the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), Black and Tans, and Auxiliaries, raided a Gaelic football match at Croke Park between Dublin and Tipperary, attended by around 5,000 spectators. The official intent was a cordon-and-search operation to screen for IRA members, but the situation escalated rapidly. Shots were fired shortly after the forces arrived at the southwest gate around 3:25 p.m., leading to 90 seconds of chaotic gunfire. Fourteen civilians were killed, including Tipperary player Michael Hogan, and dozens were injured. Civilian witnesses reported that the RIC opened fire without provocation, though some police claimed they were fired upon first, a claim unsupported by most evidence. The Hogan Stand at Croke Park was later named in memory of Michael Hogan.

Michael Comyn KC, an Irish barrister, was involved in the aftermath. He and his brother James Comyn BL represented the family of Jane Boyle, a 26-year-old woman killed at Croke Park. During a military court of inquiry held in camera (closed to the public), they sought to present witnesses on behalf of Boyle’s family. However, Michael Comyn objected to the secretive nature of the proceedings, stating that the closed inquiry prevented fair representation. He withdrew from the inquiry, refusing to participate under those conditions. The inquiry’s findings, kept secret for over 80 years, suggested the police intended to search the crowd but panicked after initial shots, leading to indiscriminate firing.

The Croke Park massacre, alongside the morning assassinations and the later killing of two IRA leaders in Dublin Castle, marked Bloody Sunday as a turning point in the Irish War of Independence, highlighting British forces’ loss of control and fueling Irish resistance.