who were the black and tans

The Black and Tans were special police reinforcements recruited by the British government to fight Irish republicans during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921).

Who they were

• The Black and Tans were constables added to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) starting in January 1920, mainly to combat the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

• Around 10,000 men enlisted, most of them unemployed British ex‑soldiers from England, Scotland, and Wales who had fought in the First World War.

• Their nickname came from their improvised uniforms : dark green RIC police tunics worn with khaki army trousers, giving a black‑and‑tan look.

What they did in Ireland

• They were deployed to support British rule and suppress the guerrilla campaign of the IRA, including ambushes, attacks on barracks, and intimidation of police.

• Very quickly they gained a reputation for brutality, including murder, beatings, arson, and looting, often carried out as reprisals against civilians after IRA attacks.

• In summer 1920 they burned and sacked multiple Irish towns and villages, such as Balbriggan, Tuam, Trim, and Cork city, destroying homes and businesses.

Bloody Sunday and major incidents

• On 21 November 1920, after the IRA killed suspected British intelligence agents in Dublin that morning, Black and Tans opened fire on the crowd at a Gaelic football match in Croke Park.

• Fourteen civilians were killed and about 60 wounded in Croke Park, an event remembered as Bloody Sunday.

• They also “besieged” Tralee in November 1920, closing businesses, blocking food, and killing civilians, and were implicated in murders such as that of Father Michael Griffin in Galway.

Why they are controversial today

• Their actions turned much Irish public opinion more strongly against British rule and drew criticism even within Britain, because they were seen as out of control and excessively violent.

• In Irish memory, “Black and Tans” has become a byword for state‑backed violence and collective punishment, and the name still carries a strong emotional and political charge in discussions of British–Irish history.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.