The Burning of Cork 1920: A City in Flames

The History of Ireland: Rebellion, Empire, and Independence — Fexingo History · May 25, 2026 · 5m · transcript

In December 1920, the city of Cork was engulfed in flames as British forces retaliated against the Irish Republican Army's ambush of an auxiliary patrol. This episode tells the story of the Burning of Cork — a key event in the Irish War of Independence that saw Black and Tans and Auxiliaries torch over forty buildings, including the City Hall and Carnegie Library. We explore the context of the IRA's Kilmichael Ambush, the British strategy of collective punishment, and the human cost of the destruction. Through eyewitness accounts and historical records, Lucas and Luna examine how…