At War with the Empire
Ireland's Fight for Independence

The Easter Rising of 1916, with its Proclamation of Independence, lit the spark that would eventually blaze into a full-scale War of Independence in Ireland. Though the 1916 Rising was put down within a week, the harshness of the British response greatly increased support for Sinn Fein, the Republican party. By 1918 disaffectation with British rule was widespread.
When Sinn Féin won a majority of seats in the 1918 election they vowed to set up their own Irish parliament. The first Irish parliament, the Dáil, was formed on 21 January 1919. It reaffirmed the 1916 proclamation with the Declaration of Independence, and issued a ‘Message to the Free Nations of the World’ that stated that there was ‘an existing state of war between Ireland and England’. On that same day, the first shots were fired in the Irish War of Independence.

Praise for Blood Upon the Rose:

'excellent illustrations and artwork ... an impressive work' Evening Echo

'a landmark Irish graphic novel' Irish Times