1/9 On the afternoon of the 21st of November 1920, British security forces surrounded Croke Park stadium - bastion of the Gaelic League and iconic symbol of the Irish nationalist movement in Dublin. The day would become one of many in Ireland to be later dubbed "Bloody Sunday" 
2/9 Earlier that morning, Michael Collins -the IRA's chief of intelligence- had ordered the assassination of 18 British spies, leading to a series of ambushes around Dublin. 14 were murdered, some as they slept in their beds.
3/9 At the time, Ireland was in the grips of a guerrilla war. An autonomous government had been formed in Ireland: Dáil Éireann, with its own rebel army, the IRA. In response, Westminster had sent in paramilitaries to crush the new Republic - the notorious Black and Tans.
4/9 Hours later, armoured cars quietly surrounded Croke Park stadium. Inside, 5,000 unwary spectators watched Tipperary play Dublin at Gaelic Football. The British security forces claimed they wanted to search every man in the park, in the hopes of discovering IRA weapons
5/9 Almost immediately, however, things got out of hand. Shots rang out and panic took hold in the stands. As desperate spectators stampeded towards the blockaded exits, British officers opened fire into the crowd for a full 90 seconds.
6/9 "The spectators were startled by a volley of shots ... men were seen entering the field ... scenes of the wildest confusion took place. The spectators made a rush for the far side of Croke Park and shots were fired over their heads and into the crowd" - Freeman's Journal 1920
7/9 One player, Michael Hogan (for whom one of the stadium's stands is now named) was shot dead on the pitch. A young Wexford man, Tom Ryan, was reportedly shot as he prayed over Hogan's body. The youngest fatal casualty was 10 years old.
8/9 While the murdered British spies were given a public funeral in Westminster Cathedral, attempts to cover up the Croke Park massacre fuelled outrage among Nationalist and Unionists alike. One MP was assaulted in the House of Commons when he tried to raise the issue.
9/9 The event, like so many others, only hardened anti-British sentiment among the Irish Public, becoming a defining moment in the War of Independence. You can hear more about the dramatic history of Gaelic Games in our brand new episode, available now: theirishpassport.com/podcast/s2-epi…
