Editing Irish War of Independence (section)

===Early 1922===
Despite the [[Dáil]]'s acceptance of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in January 1922, which confirmed the future existence of Northern Ireland, there were clashes between the IRA and British forces along the new border from early 1922. In part, this reflected Collins' view that the Treaty was a "stepping stone", rather than a final settlement. That month, Collins became head of the new Irish Provisional Government and the [[National Army (Ireland)|Irish National Army]] was founded, though the IRA continued to exist.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chronology of Irish History 1919 - 1923: February 1922 |url=http://www.dcu.ie/~foxs/irhist/january_1922.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319151112/http://www.dcu.ie/~foxs/irhist/january_1922.htm |archive-date=19 March 2012 |publisher=[[Dublin City University]]}}</ref>

In January 1922, members of the [[Monaghan GAA|Monaghan Gaelic football team]] were arrested by Northern police on their way to a match in Derry. Among them were IRA volunteers with plans to free IRA prisoners from Derry prison. In response, on the night of 7–8 February, IRA units crossed the border and captured almost fifty Special Constables and prominent loyalists in Fermanagh and Tyrone. They were to be held as hostages for the Monaghan prisoners. Several IRA volunteers were also captured during the raids.<ref>Lawlor, ''The Outrages'', pp. 204–209</ref> This operation had been approved by Michael Collins, Richard Mulcahy, [[Frank Aiken]] and [[Eoin O'Duffy]].<ref name="Fox Feb 1922">{{Cite web |title=Chronology of Irish History 1919–1923: February 1922 |url=http://www.dcu.ie/~foxs/irhist/february_1922.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319151140/http://www.dcu.ie/~foxs/irhist/february_1922.htm |archive-date=19 March 2012 |publisher=[[Dublin City University]]}}</ref> The Northern Ireland authorities responded by sealing-off many cross-border roads.<ref>Lawlor, ''The Outrages'', p. 211</ref>

In February and March 1922,  violence in the North reached levels that had not been seen before. Between 11 February and 31 March, 51 Catholics were killed with 115 wounded, with 32 Protestants killed and 86 wounded.<ref>Glennon, Kieran (2013), ''From Pogrom to Civil War'', Mercier Press, p. 103, {{ISBN|9781781171462}}</ref> On 11 February, IRA volunteers stopped a group of armed Special Constables at [[Clones, County Monaghan|Clones]] [[Clones railway station|railway station]], County Monaghan. The USC unit was travelling by train from Belfast to [[Enniskillen]] (both in Northern Ireland), but the Provisional Government was unaware that British forces would be crossing through its territory. The IRA called on the Specials to surrender for questioning, but one of them shot dead an IRA sergeant. This sparked a firefight in which four Specials were killed and several wounded. Five others were captured.<ref>Lawlor, ''The Outrages'', pp. 212–246</ref> The incident threatened to set off a major confrontation between North and South, and the British government temporarily suspended the withdrawal of British troops from the South. The Border Commission was set up to mediate in any future border disputes, but achieved very little.<ref name="Clones affray">[https://www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/the-clones-affray-1922-massacre-or-invasion/ "The Clones affray, 1922 – massacre or invasion?"]. [[History Ireland]], Volume 12, Issue 3 (Autumn 2004).</ref>

These incidents provoked retaliation attacks by loyalists against Catholics in Belfast, sparking further sectarian clashes. In the three days after the Clones incident, more than 30 people were killed in the city, including four Catholic children and two women who were killed by a loyalist grenade on Weaver Street.<ref name="Clones affray"/>

On 18 March, Northern police raided IRA headquarters in Belfast, seizing weapons and lists of IRA volunteers. The Provisional Government condemned this as a breach of the truce.<ref name="mckenna266">McKenna, ''Guerrilla Warfare in the Irish War of Independence'', pp. 266–267</ref> Over the next two weeks, the IRA raided several police barracks in the North, killed several officers and captured fifteen.<ref name="mckenna266"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Chronology of Irish History 1919–1923: February 1922 |url=http://www.dcu.ie/~foxs/irhist/march_1922.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319151311/http://www.dcu.ie/~foxs/irhist/march_1922.htm |archive-date=19 March 2012 |publisher=[[Dublin City University]]}}</ref>

On 24 March, six Catholics were shot dead by Special Constables who broke into the home of the [[McMahon killings|McMahon family]]. This was in revenge for the IRA killing of two policemen.<ref>Parkinson, ''Unholy War'', p. 237.</ref> A week later, six more Catholics were killed by Specials in another revenge attack, known as the [[Arnon Street massacre]].<ref>Parkinson, ''Unholy War'', p. 316.</ref>

Winston Churchill had arranged a meeting between Collins and James Craig on 21 January and the southern boycott of Belfast goods was lifted but then re-imposed after several weeks. The two leaders had further meetings, but despite a joint declaration that "peace is declared" on 30 March, violence continued.{{sfn|Hopkinson|2004|pages=79–83}}