Following The Signing Of The Anglo-Irish Treaty In December 1921, Which Ended The War Of Independence And Established The Irish Free State, A Split Emerged Within The Ranks Of The Irish Republican Army (IRA) Over Whether To Accept The Treaty Or Continue Fighting For A Republic. Those Who Opposed The Treaty Became Known As The Anti-Treaty Forces And Began A Campaign Of Violence Against Those Who Had Accepted The Treaty.
In March 1922, anti-Treaty forces in Limerick, led by the IRA’s 2nd Southern Division, took control of the city and began to seize key buildings, including the courthouse and the military barracks. St. John’s Pavilion was also seized and occupied by the anti-Treaty forces, who used it as a base for their operations.
However, on the night of June 4th, 1922, a fire broke out in St. John’s Pavilion, causing extensive damage to the building. It is believed that the fire was started deliberately by the anti-Treaty forces as they withdrew from the city, in order to deny the building to the pro-Treaty forces who were moving in to take control.
The burning of St. John’s Pavilion was a significant event in the Irish Civil War and was widely reported in the national and international press. The building itself was fully restored, but the site is still remembered as a key location in the history of the Irish struggle for independence.