Thomas MacCurtain, the Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Cork and commander of the 1st Cork Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), was assassinated in his home on March 20, 1920. He was shot dead by members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). A subsequent coroner's inquest controversially returned a verdict of wilful murder against the RIC, directly implicating the British government and its officials, including Prime Minister Lloyd George. MacCurtain's death was a pivotal event during the Irish War of Independence, highlighting the brutal nature of the conflict.
