What was the significance of the Burning of the Four Courts during the Irish War of Independence?

What was the significance of the Burning of the Four Courts during the Irish War of Independence?

The Burning of the Four Courts during the Irish War of Independence was significant as it marked a turning point in the conflict. It symbolized the end of the Irish Republican Army's (IRA) attempts to establish a separate Irish state through negotiation and diplomacy. The destruction of the Four Courts, which housed the IRA's headquarters and the Irish Republican government, demonstrated the British government's determination to crush the Irish independence movement by force. This event led to an escalation of violence and a shift towards guerrilla warfare tactics by the IRA, ultimately leading to the intensification of the war and the eventual signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921.