From Bullets to Ballots

Civil War politics has defined the Irish political landscape for generations. The parties which emerged from the divisions over the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 dominated elections for decades. The war cast a long shadow over party politics and elections in subsequent years.


In Kerry, the Civil War was more divisive, violent and protracted than in any other county. Political discourse and electioneering in Kerry were infused with the divisions and hatreds which the war had created. Elections brought underlying tensions to the surface and were often occasions of violence fuelled by fiery rhetoric from election platforms.

From Bullets to Ballots offers unique insights into the origins and characteristics of Civil War politics in Ireland with particular focus on Kerry. It is an in-depth examination of how politics developed in this constituency in the decade after 1923. It reveals that, despite the underlying tensions and a profound legacy of suffering and loss, democracy endured and the ballot prevailed over the bullet as a means of settling political differences.

The results of elections for the Civil War parties, as well as other parties who were not defined by the Treaty split, are considered in detail and highlight significant deviations from national results. Key influences on electoral behaviour are considered, including the extent of party organisation, the role of party members, the dynamics of election campaigns, how the memory of the Civil War was used to persuade voters, and the crucial role of newspapers and their coverage of elections.

Owen O'Shea forensically investigates Kerry's Civil War politics by presenting the lived experience of elections for the party member, the candidate and the voter; how parties organised and campaigned; and what influenced the choice of voters at the polls. Thus, From Bullets to Ballots provides the first ever examination of politics at the constituency level in this divisive and decisive period in Irish history.