Weather Warning

Explore the Timeline

War of Independence in colour: women protest outside Mountjoy Prison during the 1920 Hunger Strikes

Adding colour to black and white photographs allows us to reimagine the past and view it in a new way. In his Old Ireland in Colour project, Professor John Breslin uses DeOldify, an open source tool, to bring colour to archive images.

Kathleen MacKenna in 1921

Kathleen McKenna: 'Dáil Girl' who spread the word about the War

Elizabeth Mernin. Image courtesy of the National Library of Ireland

Elizabeth Mernin: The "Little Gentleman" in Dublin Castle

Clashes occur between unionist shipyard workers and striking republicans on York Street, Belfast in September 1920. Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

'A carnival of terrorism': the story of the Belfast riots of 1920

The Wallace Sisters

Documentary on One: The Little Shop of Secrets

Colourised photo by John Breslin. Original image courtesy of the National Library of Ireland

Explore the War of Independence in colour

Australian support for the British empire

The Australian supporters of Irish self-determination

Michael Portillo in Dáil Eireann

How the British authorities viewed the War of Independence

Auxilaries outside Amiens Street, now Connolly Station, 1920

National Library of Ireland: From Turmoil to Truce

Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family in the 1910s. (Image by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

How Russian crown jewels went from the Romanovs to Harry Boland

The Irish Revolution: watch the documentary series

The RIC

Mary McAulliffe on the changing role of the R.I.C. during the War of Independence

The RIC

Mary McAulliffe on the changing role of the R.I.C. during the War of Independence

The Dáil Ban

John Borgonovo on how the ban backfired on the British

The First Dáil

Helene O'Keeffe on the first TDs

Cumann na mBan

Helene O'Keeffe on the crucial role women played in the War of Independence

War of Independence in Colour.

War of Independence in colour: Armoured car graffiti

Auxiliaries in Dublin City Centre during the War of Independence. Image colourised by John Breslin

War of Independence in colour: Auxiliaries on the move

British soldiers inspect a train in Kerry during the war of Independence. Original image from the National Library of Ireland, colourised by John Breslin

War of Independence in Colour: Soldiers search a train

The History Show on RTE Radio 1

Bringing the past to life with Myles Dungan and guests

From the RTÉ Archives.

"Nothing Else Mattered": Sighle Humpreys of Cumann na mBan

What was it like to be involved in Cumann na mBan during its first revolutionary decade? In this 1984 interview, Sighle Humphreys shares her memories.

Earnán de Blaghd, Robert Barton and James Ryan (1969)

Standing For An Irish Parliament

Maire Comerford remembers the first meeting of the Dáil

Dan Breen on the Soloheadbeg ambush

About the War of Independence project

The War of Independence project is a partnership between RTÉ History, the Department of Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht and The Atlas of the Irish Revolution

RTE History.

World War 1

Gallipoli: An Irish Story

The 1916 Rising

Century Ireland

Discover the history of your land

History on Brainstorm.

John Hume addresses a meeting in Derry following violence at the Apprentice Boy Parade, August 1969. Photo: Mirrorpix via Getty Images

John Hume: the Derry boy who went global

Tuam Mother and Baby Home survivor Teresa O'Sullivan as a baby

What the Tuam Oral History Project tells us about Ireland's past

'He was somebody who MI5 suggested was quite deranged, but could be very effective in terms of how he could ignite an audience, which is very much a part of the fascist campaigning at that time'

How William Joyce became Nazi propagandist Lord Haw-Haw

Clashes occur between unionist shipyard workers and striking republicans on York Street, Belfast in September 1920. Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

'A carnival of terrorism': the story of the Belfast riots of 1920

The foundation of an alternative legal system by the first Dáil played a key role in the setting up of a counter-state

The story of the first Dáil's 'illegal' legal system

A Sheela-na-gig found at Balleen, Co Kilkenny

Sheela-na-Gigs: Ireland's mysterious medieval genital carvings

Dublin's Sinéad Goldrick and Niamh McEvoy celebrate victory over Mayo in the 2017 TG4 Ladies Football All-Ireland final at Croke Park. Photo: Cody Glenn/ Sportsfile

How ladies' football went from carnival sideshow to Croke Park

Thomas Conneff: "in 1891, he reduced the American mile record to 4 minutes 21 seconds and ran it in 4 minutes 17.8 seconds two years later"

'The little Irish wonder': Ireland's greatest unknown athlete

Henry Essex Edgeworth: "he stayed with the king overnight in Temple prison, administered the last rites to him and said mass"

The Irish priest who fled the guillotine in revolutionary France

Thousands attended the funeral of former Provisional IRA member, Bobby Storey, causing much controversy owing to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions

The troublesome world of paramilitary funerals

Pope Pius XI in his private study in the Vatican in 1922 before of the arrival of the Irish carpet. Photo: Getty Images

The story behind Ireland's 1931 gift of a carpet to the pope

Members of the Royal Irish Constabulary being inspected before duty at the Derry by-election in 1913. Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The uneasy relationship between unionists and the RIC