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Free State Army was just a normal (legal) Army.
You're getting a bit caught up with the good bad thing.
It's important not to colour events of the past with more recent events.
The original IRA are Irelands heroes. Michael Collins and such like.
The Free State Army was formed out of the IRA.
The later forms of the IRA were made up of people who would have objected to the Free State and its Army.

Yes, that's basically what I wanted to know, and why I wanted to know what the difference was because I presumed the IRA of yesteryear, was not the same as we know it today, but I have no clue about this stuff at all so wanted to check I was interpreting the internet correctly. I don't live in Ireland so just wanted to be sure.

Thank you for your help, you've been really helpful.

He would have been about 43 when he was in the Warwickshire Reg. That photo he looks a lot younger. The cap badge does look like the 'FF' badge on the Free State Army uniform.

Could I presume that once he came back from WW1, he joined the Irish Army and/or gained civilian employment as a labourer until he moved to Birmingham in 1929ish (and until he was called up for service in WW2 in 1939).

And, if he was in the Free State Army - was this a good thing?

Just noticed this - Is there anything here?

https://www.nam.ac.uk/records-regiments-disbanded-after-irish-war-independence-go-online

Yes he is on there, but it doesn't tell me any new information.

Was he living in Northern Ireland after 1922?

Where did the marriage and birth take place?

OK, so, 1922 onwards:

Married at the Pro Cathedral, Dublin in May 1922.

First child was born in Dublin. Their address Middle Gardiner St. Second child also born here in late 1927. Third child then born in early 1930 in Birmingham.

Official discharge from Connaughts (on Army form B2079) in Aug 1924. Place: Warwick.

Would Warwick have been just the 'payroll' office as such, that's why it's down as that, and he wasn't actually there. It may be just a co-incidence that they chose to move to Birmingham which was under Warwick in those days, or maybe he was actually there doing some form of military service? I wish people wrote on the back of photos - it would save a lot of hassle! 

Labourer is the usuall occupation on Certs when someone has just left the Army.
Is it also labourer on the birth cert?

I don't have the birth certificate unfortunately. But everything else I have, or have seen, during this period states he was a labourer.