One hundred years ago, during the Irish Civil War, the executive council of the British dominion of the Irish Free State executed four Irish republicans on December 8, 1922

Rival establishment parties Fianna Fail and Finn Gael have agreed to form the new government in the Republic of Ireland with the support of the Green party which is led by Eamon Ryan 

The government faced sharp criticism over its plans to commemorate the police forces that were involved in the repression of the independence struggle which critics alleged would be a celebration of the infamous ‘Black and Tans’