Ireland The course will follow the following structure:

Transcription

1 Ireland The focus of this unit is on examining what happened in Ireland after the signing of the Act of Union in 1800, from the rise of Daniel O Connell and the Catholic Association to the partition of Ireland into Northern Ireland and Eire in The main attention will be towards Irish nationalist groups and how they tried to gain better representation in Ireland during this period. Remember that the end assessment will be a two-part piece of coursework of totalling a maximum of 4,000 words. The course will follow the following structure: i. Introduction What happened in Ireland before 1801? The geography of Ireland. ii. Catholic Emancipation under O Connell Who was Daniel O Connell? What did the Catholics want at this time? How well did they achieve what they wanted? What were the Unionist responses to this movement? iii. The Great Famine What was the great famine? What was the impact of the great famine? iv. Gladstone and the Irish Problem Gladstone s initial Irish reforms. The Home Rule Movement Role and Importance of Charles Stewart Parnell The Land League and its importance. v. The Ulster Problem, What were the origins of the Ulster problem? How did it get worse during the years ? vi. World War 1 and the aftermath What was the Easter Rising/Rebellion and why was it so important? How did the nature of Nationalist challenge change after the war? How did Ireland come to be partitioned in 1921? What were the consequences of the partition?

2 Bibliography P. Adelman and R. Pearce, Great Britain and the Irish Question , Hodder and Stoughton, Access to History, R.F. Foster, Modern Ireland, , Penguin, K.T. Hoppen, Ireland since 1800: Conflict and Conformity, Longman, R. Kee, The Green Flag: A History of Irish Nationalism, Penguin, F.S.L. Lyons, Ireland since the Famine, Fontana, J. Smith, Britain and Ireland: From Home Rule to Independence, Longman, It will be crucial to do some background reading as you are going along - remember this is coursework and you will be required to know how different historians interpret events in Ireland during this time. Internet Sites There are many internet sites about Ireland during this period. The following are a list of websites you may find useful at different points of the course groupid=2915&historyid=ac70 Articles Throughout the course you will be given various articles about Ireland during this period. These are not meant to be filed in your folder and forgotten about - read them as some parts of the course will be based on them.

3 Key Figures Herbert Asquith Andrew Bonar Law Thomas H Burke Became Prime Minister in Reluctant to introduce Home Rule because of the outcry it would cause until he was forced to do so in 1912 when the Liberals were dependent on the Nationalist party to stay in power. Criticised for his handling of the Irish situation. He failed to understand the true nature of the Irish problem. Born in Canada. Educated in Scotland. Became an MP in 1900 for the Conservative Party. Became the leader of the Party in Was strongly opposed to Home Rule and assured the Ulster Unionists o his support of their cause. Became Prime Minister Retired due to ill health and died shortly afterwards. Under Secretary for Ireland who was a murder victim of the Invincibles in Phoenix Park on 6 May The murders severely compromised negotiations between Gladstone and Parnell. Isaac Butt Donegal Protestant who established the conservative Home Government Association which later evolved into the more radical Home Rule League. Edward Carson Lawyer and political leader of the Unionist Party. Educated in Trinity and trained as a lawyer. Opposed any move to weaken the links between England and Ireland. Became leader of the Irish Unionists in Took a leading part in the formation of the UVF. After the war he became an MP for Belfast and advised the Ulster Unionists to accept the Government of Ireland Act 1920 which established the state of Northern Ireland and partition. Joseph Chamberlain Liberal radical who led a revolt against the 1886 Home Rule Bill. He eventually joined the Conservative and Unionist Party in 1895 preferring only a limited devolution of power to Ireland.

4 Michael Collins James Connolly Revolutionary leader born in Cork. Joined the IRB in London and came to Dublin to fight in the Easter Rising. Imprisoned until December 1916 and on release became prominent in Sinn Fein and the volunteer movement. Minister of Home Affairs and later Finance in the Dail. Organised loans from America. Organised the supply of arms and intelligence to the volunteers in the Anglo-Irish War Negotiated the treaty in Shot in an ambush in Socialist revolutionary born in Edinburgh. He was the son of Irish immigrants. Grew up in harsh working class surroundings. Self-educated, left school at 10. Became active in Socialist and Trade Union affairs. Came to Dublin in Founded the Workers Republic, the first Irish socialist newspaper. Organised the Transport Workers Union in Ulster in Was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising and was executed for his part in it. James Craig Unionist leader born in Belfast. Second only to Carson in leading the Ulster Unionists. In 1921 became the first Prime Minister of the new state of Northern Ireland. Michael Davitt The founder of the Land League in 1879 who campaigned for fair rents and an equitable solution of the Land Question in Ireland. He was also a fervent Republican. John Dillon David Lloyd George Prominent supporter of Parnell within the Land League. He began the Plan of Campaign for fair rents with William O Brien in Dillon became chair of the anti-parnell group after the O Shea divorce case in Supported Asquith s effort to introduce Home Rule. Tried to persuade Nationalists and Unionists to accept the compromise of some form of partition especially after the 1916 Rising. Failed in that he promised both sides something different. Negotiated the Anglo-Irish Treaty 1921.

5 William Gladstone British Prime Minister on four occasions from who did make Ireland a central part of his government s policies. He addressed church, land and Home Rule issues but failed to pass Home Rule Bills in 1886 and In the process he split the Liberal Party. Arthur Griffith Marquis of Hartington James Larkin Countess Markievicz Eoin Mac Neill Leader of Sinn Fein. Born in Dublin and was Catholic. Joined the Gaelic League and the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Became editor of a new weekly paper The United Irishman. Believed in passive resistance to gain an Irish Republic. He believed that Irish members of parliament should form a national assembly in Dublin and Whig grandee who co-operated with the radical Chamberlain to opposed Gladstone s 1886 Home Rule Bill. Many Whigs followed his policy of preserving the Act of Union. Born in Liverpool and was the son of impoverished Irish immigrants. Became the Union organiser for the National Union of Dockers. In 1908 he came to Dublin and in 1909he founded the Irish Transport and General Workers Union for unskilled workers. Had a magnetic personality and his success alarmed employers sufficiently to form a Revolutionary born in Ireland. In 1908 she joined Sinn Fein. In 1909 she formed Na Fianna an organisation for boys who were taught drill and the use of arms. She participated in the 1916 Rising and was condemned to death. Her sentence was commuted to penal servitude for life. Released in 1917 under general amnesty. Stood for election to parliament in 1918 and was the first woman to win a seat. As a member of Sinn Fein she refused to take it. Scholar and Patriot. Formed the Gaelic League. Elected chairman of the Irish volunteers in He was against an armed rising because it had little hope of success. Without his knowledge, the IRB proceeded with the rebellion. He was arrested after the rising but was released in He was elected an MP and supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

6 William O Brien Daniel O Connell Editor of the Land League journal United Ireland in 1881 and was arrested due to its militant tone. In 1886 he initiated the Plan of Campaign with John Dillon, which aimed to force landlords to reduce rents to reasonable levels. He turned against Parnell in the aftermath of the O Shea divorce scandal. Established the Catholic Association in 1823 and led the movement to success in He was a successful barrister and charismatic speaker who later campaigned against tithes to the Church of Ireland and for the Repeal of the Union in the 1830s and 40s. Charles Stewart Parnell Irish Home Rule MP who dominated the movement from the early 1880s. As an Anglo-Irish politicians he had creditability on both sides of the Irish Sea and impressed Gladstone greatly. Patrick Pearse Joined the Gaelic League in Edited its newspaper and lectured in Irish at the Catholic University. Joined the IRB in In 1915 claimed that Ireland unfree shall never be at peace. He was the leader of the forces of the Irish Republic at the Easter Rising. He was executed in May 1916 for his part in the Rising. Robert Peel Initially responsible for harsh coercive and anti-catholic legislation in Ireland. Later seen as a betrayer by Ultras for agreeing in urgency of Catholic Emancipation in William Pitt Prime Minister from , He introduced the Act of Union in 1800 to stabilise Ireland. He is also said to have promised Catholic Emancipation in return for abolishing Irish Parliament. This was not granted.

7 John Redmond Became leader of the reunited Irish Parliamentary Party in Supported the Land Act of 1903 and persuaded the Liberals to push for the Third Home Rule Bill in He believed in reform by constitutional methods and was not supportive of the more extreme tactics of the IVF. He believed Ireland was one nation not two, but was prepared to consider temporary partition. Encouraged Irishmen to support the British during WW1 and join the army. Died in March Richard Lalor Sheil Established the Catholic Association. Another barrister who played a supporting role to O Connell. Eamonn De Valera Revolutionary, politician and President of Ireland. Born in USA. Was brought up in Ireland. 908 joined the Gaelic League and in 1914 the IVF. Sworn into the IRB and led a unit in the 1916 Rising. Sentenced to death but the sentence was commuted to penal servitude for life. Elected President of Sinn Fein in 1917 and MP for East Clare. Jailed for anti-conscription work in Escaped in Elected President of the First Dail. Led the forces that opposed the Treaty in William Vesey- Fitzgerald Appointed as President of the Board of Trade in 1828 and had to be re-elected in County Clare in order to take up his government post. He was defeated by O Connell, bringing the issue of Emancipation to a head. Duke of Wellington Ex-General who became Prime Minister Initially vehemently opposed to Catholic Emancipation, but became persuaded that it was the only realistic alternative to Civil War in 1829.

8 Key Words Act of Union An Act passed in 1800 uniting the British and Irish parliaments. Anglo-Irish Treaty The treaty which ended the Anglo-Irish War Anglo-Irish War The newly formed IRA fought for complete independence from Britain. Ascendancy The wealthy, educated people (usually of English descent) who considered themselves as much British as Irish. Black and Tans Unemployed ex-soldiers recruited to reinforce the Royal Irish constabulary in their fight against the IRA in Conservative Party Linked to the unionist cause and opposed to Home Rule. Constitutional Nationalist E.g. the Home Rule Party who worked within parliament and avoided violence. Disestablishment The Irish Church Act 1868 end the privileged position of the Anglican Church of Ireland as the official church in Ireland. As a result the Church of Ireland lost its right to collect tithes.

9 Dominion Status A self-governing country with connections to the mother country, Great Britain. It has a Governor General. Fenianism A movement founded in 1858 which built upon the physical force tradition in Irish politics. It advocated a violent overthrow of the Union and the establishment of an Irish Republic. An abortive rising in Ireland in March 1867 was followed by some violent outbreaks on the mainland such as the Clerkenwell explosion in Free State The Irish state which was formed after the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty Gaelic League Government of Ireland Act 1920 Gun running Home Government Association Home Rule This was the product of a revived interest in the Irish Catholic sense of identity which ranged from sports clubs to Ultramontanism (closer links to the Catholic Church) to a renaissance in Gaelic literature. It was established in 1893 to restore the Irish language. Formed in 1893 by Douglas Hyde and Eoin Mac Neill. The Act which partitioned Ireland into two states. Both the Unionist UVF and the Nationalist IVF smuggled guns in from Germany to arm their organisations. This was a constitutional conservative movement established by Isaac Butt in It demanded an Irish Parliament for control over domestic affairs. Initially led by conservative Protestant activists. This meant the granting of a large degree of autonomy to an Irish Parliament. However according to Gladstone s Bill of 1886 the British Parliament would retain key economic and political powers and Irish MPs were only to be granted representation at Westminster in the 1893 Bill.

10 Home Rule League This movement evolved from the Home Government Association. It was more radical and broad in outlook demanding Home Rule, land reform and nondenominational education. In 1874 it boasted 60 MPs which increased to 85 in Parnell had established firm control by this time. Inghinidhe na heireann (Daughters of Erin) Maud Gonne was President. Aimed to re-established the complete independence of Ireland and promote Irish things. By the 1920s it was gradually fading away. Irish Citizen Army Founded in 1913 to protect the workers against police brutality during the lock-out. Led by James Connolly in the 1916 Rising. Always small in number. Irish National League Irish Republican Brotherhood This was set up in 1882 to mobilise Irish nationalist support and had 1,000 branches by the 1885 Election, therefore contributing greatly to the success of the Home Rulers. Believed that Ireland should be completely free from Britain and a Republic. The IRB did not have much success in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century because the Home Rule Party was so successful. However, many IRB men joined the Gaelic League and the Irish Volunteers. The Brotherhood was prepared to use violence to achieve their aims. They were also known as the Fenians. Irish Republican Army An organisation that grew out of the Irish Volunteers which took part in the 1916 Easter Uprising and which was ready to use force to create an Irish Republic. Land League Set up in 1879 to protect tenant farmers from high rents and eviction and helped break the political dominance of landlords in Irish elections. Its mass organisation put great pressure on Gladstone to take action to solve the Land Question.

11 Liberal Party It had split over the 1886 Home Rule Bill. After 1910 the Liberals needed the support of the Irish Nationalists to stay in power so they were persuaded to introduce the Third Home Rule Bill in Loyalists Those who totally reject any move away from the union and who have a tendency to accept or use violence to maintain it. Nationalists Those who wished to see Ireland separated from Britain. The nature and extent of the independence they wanted varied. Orange Order A Protestant organisation named in honour of William of Orange and dedicated to the continuation of British and Protestant ruler in Ireland. Partition The division of a country into separate spheres. In the case of Ireland the division was between the six counties which formed Northern Ireland and the twenty-six which formed the Free State. Ulster Volunteer Force Formally recognised in January It was established to show the British government how determined Ulster men were to resist Home Rule and was prepared to use physical force. In April 1914 it was armed with guns brought in from Germany. Unionists Irish Protestants who had a majority in the province of Ulster. They feared intolerance in a united Catholic Ireland, and therefore campaigned both constitutionally and violently for the maintenance of the Union between Britain and Ireland.