Irish Citizen Army

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The Irish Citizen Army (Arm Cathartha na hÉireann) was a Dublin-based group formed in 1913 to defend workers during the Great Dublin Lockout. Led by James Connolly and trained by former British Army captain Jack White, the ICA started as a workers’ self‑defence force. It included women as equal members and was based at Liberty Hall, Dublin. The Starry Plough banner became its symbol.

Origins and purpose
- During the 1913 lockout, employers tried to crush the ITGWU union. The Dublin Metropolitan Police used violence to break demonstrations.
- James Connolly helped organize a workers’ militia to protect pickets and protests. The ICA trained workers to defend themselves with sticks and, later, rifles.
- The movement grew from the lockout’s tensions and brought in Connolly’s socialist ideas alongside Irish republican aims. It was one of the first groups to welcome both men and women as soldiers.

Rise and reorganization
- In 1914, after tensions with authorities, Connolly took control and the ICA restructured. The group bought Mauser rifles through the Irish Volunteers, and many members trained in Dublin and beyond.
- The ICA’s principles included Ireland belonging to its people and a future in which differences of birth, property, and creed were set aside for all Irish people.
- The ICA’s headquarters stayed at Liberty Hall. Although mainly Dublin-based, branches were also planned in other parts of Ireland.
- The organization remained small, with numbers varying from about 1,000 in 1913 down to a few hundred as time passed.

Easter Rising, 1916
- In April 1916, around 220 ICA members joined the Easter Rising alongside the Irish Volunteers. They helped seize key sites in Dublin, including the General Post Office (GPO), St Stephen’s Green, Dublin Castle, City Hall, and Harcourt Street station.
- The Rising caused heavy casualties among ICA members. James Connolly became Dublin’s rebel commander, and both he and Michael Mallin were executed weeks after the Rising ended. Many ICA members were interned afterward.

After the Rising
- The ICA largely stepped back from direct fighting in the Irish War of Independence, choosing to support the Irish Republican Army with weapons and supplies rather than lead attacks.
- In July 1919, the ICA decreed that members could not belong to both the ICA and the IRA, which caused resignations and desertions.
- By 1920, the ICA’s military activity had faded, and it functioned more as a social and veteran’s group within Dublin’s labor movement.

Civil War and later years
- During the Irish Civil War, the ICA declared neutrality, and many members moved toward the Labour movement rather than taking sides.
- In the 1920s and 1930s, veterans kept the ICA alive as a smaller comrades’ association. In 1934, left-wing republicans formed the Republican Congress and briefly revived the ICA as a paramilitary wing.
- The revived ICA tried to form a “triple alliance” with the Republican Congress and the ITGWU, but the Congress split, and so did the ICA. The last public appearance of the ICA was at James Larkin’s funeral in 1947.

Banner, uniform, and symbolism
- The ICA wore a dark green uniform with armbands and used blue or red armbands for officers. Its banner was the Starry Plough, symbolizing a future where Ireland’s destiny was in the hands of the people, from the plough to the stars.
- The Starry Plough flag became associated with various Irish labor and republican groups over the years.

Key people
- Leaders and organizers included James Connolly, Jim Larkin, Jack White, Constance Markievicz, Michael Mallin, Kit Poole, and Seán O’Casey.
- The ICA worked closely with the Irish Volunteers and was connected to broader Irish republican and socialist movements.

Impact
- The ICA began as a workers’ self‑defence force during a major strike and lockout.
- It played a major role in the Easter Rising and influenced later Irish republican and labor movements.
- Over time, it faded as a military force but left a lasting legacy in Ireland’s struggle for independence and workers’ rights.