General Liam Lynch was a key figure in the Irish Revolution, and remains one of the most celebrated of his era. In this long-awaited new biography of Lynch, the first in nearly forty years, historian Gerard Shannon delves into a wide array of archival material to create a detailed, nuanced portrait of a hugely significant and influential figure in Irish history.
Liam Lynch’s republicanism was shaped both by his upbringing in Limerick and the aftermath of the Easter Rising when working as a shop assistant in Cork. By the time of the Irish War of Independence, Lynch was in the role of O/C of the IRA’s Cork No. 2 Brigade and planned several prominent guerilla actions against British forces. Adamantly opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty, regarding it a betrayal of the Irish Republic, Lynch became the Chief-of-Staff of those in the IRA against the settlement.
Yet he remained determined to find a compromise with former comrades, which left him little prepared for the outbreak of the Irish Civil War in June 1922. Lynch would die before the end of the bitter conflict – mortally wounded following a dramatic pursuit by Free State forces across a mountain in south Tipperary – yet his controversial leadership of the IRA during the eleven-month civil war continues to shape his legacy today .
Liam Lynch: To Declare a Republic, by Gerard Shannon, published March 2023, Merrion Press

Gerard discusses Liam Lynch on RTÉ News Report
Gerard was interviewed by RTÉ News as part of a report on events held to mark centenary of Liam Lynch's death.
Praise for Liam Lynch: To Declare A Republic
‘This excellent biography will hopefully bring his story to a new generation, and is well worth reading for everyone interested in Irish history.’
– David McCullagh, RTÉ
'Gerard Shannon delivers a nuanced portrait of Lynch'
– John Walshe, The Irish Times
‘This is a superb biography, so deeply researched and fluently written that it could also serve as a general history of Ireland’s revolutionary period.’
– Andrew Lynch, Sunday Business Post
‘… a satisfyingly human portrayal of a man normally either demonised or mythologised in Irish history.’
– John Dorney, The Irish Story
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