Summer Exam 2026 (History)

How long was Ireland under British Rule

Since the Plantations

2 Events that happened before the 1798 Rebellion

Plantations & Battle of the Boyne

Who controlled the Irish parliament at that time

Protestant Ascendancy

Percentage of land owned by protestants and what percent of the population where they

80% of land, 15% of population

Population of Catholics and percentage of land they owned

75% of population, 15% of land

4 Causes of the Rebellion

Power of the Protestant Ascendancy
The position of Catholics
The position of Presbyterians (dissenters)
Influence of the French and American Revolutions

Who were the Protestant Ascendancy

The wealthy land-owning Church of Ireland minority

What were the Penal laws and why were they made

The Penal laws were designed to keep Catholics poor and powerless

2 Examples of Penal laws

Catholics couldn’t open or attend schools
Catholic priests were banned

Why were Presbyterians called dissenters

They disagreed with the official Church of Ireland

Name of Wolfe Tone’s pamphlet

An Argument on Behalf of the Catholics in Ireland

What did Wolfe Tone’s pamphlet argue?

It argued that Catholics should have the same rights as Protestants.

Where and when was the United Irishmen founded?

Belfast, 1791

What did the United Irishmen want (2 aims)?

Religious equality
Removal of British influences from Ireland
All men to have the right to vote and sit in parliament

2 things British did to keep Catholics happy

Freedom of worship and the right to vote

1st Military support from the French

43 ships and 15,000 men under General Hoche

Why did the Bantry Bay ships not succeed?

The ships returned after several days of bad weather

3 Responses from Government after Bantry Bay invasion

General Lake landed in Ulster, demanding weapons, did half hangings and pitch-cappings.
Part time armies set up.
Orange order created to encourage unity between Anglicans and Presbyterians against Catholics.

Part time armies for Catholics and Protestants

Militia for loyal Catholics, Yeomanry for loyal Protestants

Leader of Dublin Rebellion

Lord Edward FitzGerald

Physical force nationalism

Nationals were prepared to use violence to fight for Irish independence from Britain

Leaders of Antrim and Down rebellions

Henry Joy McCracken, Henry Munro

Leader of Rebels in Wexford

Fr John Murphy

3 locations Rebels defeated the government

Oulart Hill, Saintfield, Castlebar

Name where the main rebels in Wexford were defeated

Vinegar Hill

Name a British General

General Lake

Describe an incident that took place in Wexford

200 Protestants were burned alive in a barn in Scullabogue and another 100 were massacred in Wexford town.

What was Wolfe Tone found guilty of?

Treason

Why was it too late for French help?

It was nearly two months after the rebellion was crushed.

3 reasons why the Rebellion failed

The rebels were badly organised and trained
No useful French help
Infiltrated by British spies

Sectarianism

conflict and hatred based on a religious divide

Explain Act of Union in Dublin and effects

It abolished the parliament in Dublin. Irish MPs went to Westminster; Ireland was run from there for the next 120 years.
Dublin became poorer.

Wolfe Tone is remembered as

The Father of Irish Republicanism

The 1798 Rebellion inspired

The Fenians (1867) and the Easter Rising (1916)

3 Consequences of the Rebellion

Growth of sectarianism
Act of Union
Irish republicanism

Irish nationalist

Someone who believes the Irish people are their own nation.

Constitutional nationalists

Wanted an Irish parliament restored and aimed to achieve this through politics.

Home Rule

Ireland stays in the UK but has its own parliament in Dublin for local affairs.

Radical nationalists

Wanted full independence from Britain and believed force could be used if needed.

Cultural nationalism

focuses on promoting a national identity shaped by shared cultural traditions and language

Anglicisation

the spreading of English culture throughout Ireland

Founders of the Gaelic League

Douglas Hyde and Eoin MacNeil

When and why it was founded

It was founded in 1893 to promote the Irish language and identitty

Gaelic League’s aim

To promote the Irish language

What the Gaelic League did to promote nationalism

Founded the Irish‑language newspaper An Claidheamh Soluis to publish Irish poems and stories

Trained travelling Irish‑language teachers (timirí)

Organised feiseanna and céilidhe to promote traditional music and dance

Worked to improve the standard of written Irish nationwide

3 impacts of the gaelic league

The Gaelic League renewed enthusiasm for the Irish language, slowing its decline.
The Gaelic League contributed to the formation of Irish identity.
The Gaelic League ran successful campaigns, e.g. St Patrick's Day as a national holiday. The Irish language became associated with radical nationalism.
The Irish language movement played a strong role in the building of the Irish Free State. Government documents were published in Irish as well as English.
English placenames were replaced with Irish placenames.
Irish was made compulsory in primary and secondary schools.
The 1937 constitution declared Irish the official language of the state.
Conradh na Gaeilge continues to protect and promote the Irish language.

Founder of GAA

Michael Cusack

GAA what it stands for

Gaelic Athletic Association

First President of the GAA

Maurice Davin

3 developments of the GAA

Games organised on Sundays
Clubs formed throughout the country
First All Ireland held in 1887 among parish teams

3 impacts of the GAA

Revivied Irish sport
Linked sport and nationalism
Strengthened national identity

Living and working conditions in Dublin, early 1900s.

Working and living conditions were very poor. Some 25,000 of the city's 40,000 workers were unskilled. Many found work as dockers and carters.

Founder of the ITGWU

James (Jim) Larkin

Why the ITGWU was founded

In response to the appalling working and living conditions Dublin's working class.

Union of the Labour party

Trades Union Congress (TUC)

Summary of strike and lockout 4 points

Workers led by Jim Larkin demanded the right to join the ITGWU, but employers like William Martin Murphy refused.
Employers then locked thousands of workers out of their jobs unless they left the union. Families suffered severe poverty, relying on soup kitchens and support from British trade unions.
After months of struggle, most workers returned without winning union recognition, though the labour movement grew stronger.

3 Impcts of labour movement

Improvements to working conditions
1913 Strike and Lockout
Establishment of Trade Unions

Causes of the Famine

Rise in population
Widespread poverty
Small farms
Reliance on the potato
Cottiers worked in exchange for rent rather than money
The potato blight

Irish Labour Party founders

James Connolly, Jim Larkin, William O’Brien

Who was for Home Rule?

Charles Stewart Parnell, John Redmond, James Stephens

Who was against Home Rule?

Edward Carlson, Walter Hume Long, Colonel Edward Saunderson

John Redmond: entry into politics

Elected MP for New Ross in 1881 at age 25

Why Redmond entered politics

Came from a strong Home Rule family and believed in peaceful parliamentary change

Redmond’s early influence

His father William Archer Redmond was one of the first Home Rule MPs

Redmond and Home Rule fundraising

Travelled to the USA and Australia to raise support for Home Rule

Redmond and the Second Home Rule Bill

Supported Gladstone’s 1893 bill, which was rejected by the House of Lords

Redmond and the Third Home Rule Bill

Played a key role in passing the 1912 Home Rule Bill through the House of Commons

Home Rule delayed

World War I postponed Home Rule from taking effect in 1914

Redmond’s role in Parliament

Leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party from 1900

Reuniting the Irish Parliamentary Party

Redmond reunited the party after the Parnell split

IPP balance of power

After 1910, his party held 84 of 103 Irish seats, giving major influence in Westminster

Parliament Act 1911

Reduced the Lords’ power, helping Redmond push Home Rule through

Redmond’s success

Widely credited with achieving Home Rule for Ireland

Redmond’s failure: split in Volunteers

His call to support WWI caused a split between National Volunteers and Irish Volunteers

Redmond’s failure: loss of support

After the 1916 Rising, public support shifted away from parliamentary politics

Death of John Redmond

Died suddenly in 1917, marking the end of the parliamentary Home Rule era

Life in Dublin during the Rising

Over 485 killed, 2,600 injured, huge destruction, looting, and €4 million worth of damage

Who signed the Proclamation

Pádraig Pearse and James Connolly

Two consequences of the 1916 Rising

15 leaders were executed and almost 3,000 people were imprisoned

Why public opinion changed

Harsh executions and high civilian deaths created sympathy for the rebels

Civilian impact

54% of deaths were civilians, including 40 children

British response

Reinforcements arrived quickly, the Helga shelled the GPO, and rebels were surrounded

Why the Rising failed

Lack of weapons, small numbers, confusion, and Britain’s superior forces