Topic 1 - Irish Nationalism: from Agitation to Civil War

Explain 3 of the main tensions Between Ire and Br at the start of the course?

• Proximity - Br control of Ire with the potential of Fr using Ire as lading base to attack Br

• Religion - Prot favour in Br so Ir Caths felt oppressed

• Geographically divided nation - North more influence by Br and prot (Ulster)

When were the Penal Laws instated? List key aspect of the Penal Laws?

1691. They couldn’t…

• vote

• Buy inherit land from prots

• Intermarry with Cath

The must…

• Operate system of gavelkind - splitting land equally between sons → land divided up over generations

Pre 1870 what % of people in Ireland were Catholic? What was the official religion of Ireland?

80%

Protestant

Give the definition for the Protestant Ascendancy

The Complete domination by members of the of the Church of Ireland of Irish Land, Politics and Religion lasting into the 19th century.

Began after victory of William of Orange over Catholic James II

Describe the Plantation of Ulster

Northern part of Ireland that was left to Br settlement in 1610. Irish landowners were evicted and new Landlords, mainly Scottish Presbytarians took up residence

It was closest part geographically to Br and most fertile land

What did the 1720 Declaratory Act do?

Gave Britain legislative independence over Ireland

When was the American war of independence?

1775-83

How did the American War of Independence impact Ireland?

Independence from br → inspiration

Irish Migrants to American → Familial links

When was the anglo-french war?

When was the French Revolution?

1778-83

1789-94

How did the French Revolution impact Ireland?

France proximity to Ir → threat of using Ire as landing base in a war against Br

80% cath Ire may wish to ally with France ganging up on Br oppression

How was legislative independence for Irish Catholics limited?

1. Penal Laws meant they couldn’t sit in parliament or vote

2. Viceroy (representative of the crown) meant that any laws/ideas proposed had to be approved by him.

What religion were the Irish Volunteers? What influence did this have on the organisation

Protestant

• Identity crisis - split between Irish nationality and owing their wealth/status/land to Britain

What was formed in 1778? How could this be seen in two ways?

Irish Volunteer’s militia (well-trained)

Could be seen as loyalty to Br to defend Ire or could be seen as beginnings of challenge due to the regular meetings they held where they discussed political issues

How many were part of the IV militia?

60,000

Name two key leading figures in the campaign for greater legislative independence in the 1770s/80s (Give brief background on each of them)

Henry Grattan - MP in Dublin Parliament. Prot who supported Cath emanc

Henry Flood - MP in Dublin Parliament. Patriot willing to push further in their cause but failed to get anything greater passed. Powerful Orator.

What were the IV aims?

Legislative independence from the constraints of the viceroy but weren’t prepared to use violent means

What was the successes of the IV? How was it limited?

Getting the Constitution 1782 - technically grants legislative independence (- revoking 1720 Declaratory Act) e.g Mutiny Act - Ir control over Army punishments and right to appoint judges

HOWEVER

Viceroy still present with right to veto laws so no legislative independence in practice

What happened to the IV?

Failed 2nd convention (parliament refused attempt to dress Br control)

3rd Convention 1784 → failed and lost public interest

IV fizzled out

What religion was the United Irishmen?

Protestant and Catholics (United)

How do the UI differ from IV?

Younger, more radical, want full independence, mixture of prots and caths so appealed more widely

What were the aims of the UI?

• Independence from Br

• Romanticising Nationalism - hark back to celtic legends/myths, old languages before Br intervention

What were the 2 aspects of the 1794 UI?

• 300 equal constituencies

• Every man can vote

Who was the leader of UI? What religion was he?

Theobald Wolfe Tone

Protestant

When was the first UI society founded?

1791

How did UI use the french?

Knew the threat France posed to Br so wanted to ally themselves with them

Explain the events of the 1796 UI rebellion

• Tone organised a deal with French allyship

• Invasion of 14,000 in Bantry Bay (S. Ire) to eject Br occupation

• Poor weather led to the landing failing

How many members of the UI were there in 1797?

200,000

When was the main UI uprising?

1798

How many men fought as part of the 1798 rebellion?

15,000

What happened at Vinegar Hill?

As part of 1798 rebellion, prots rounded up and killed easily by Br.

Why did the 1798 rebellion fail?

• Limited to countryside (no focus in Dublin/Belfast)

• Patchwork (disorganised)

• French were late to arrive with few numbers (priorities in Egypt)

• Br vulnerability with American Civil war → Br keeping Ire closer

• Not well equipped

What phrase epitomises the 1798 rebellion?

Pistols vs Pitchforks

How many died in the 1798 rebellion?

30,000 - most violent episode in Irish history, only furthered Ire hatred for Br

Explain the significance of Wolfe Tone’s death

He was arrested but refused have be subject to Br control so committed suicide

Became a martyr

Did the UI completely die after the 1798?

No - defeated militarily however the romantic seed of nationalistic independence is still lingering. Ire hatred for Br ^

What did PM William Pitt do as a result of the uprising?

Passed 1801 Act of Union to ^ control of Ireland (got rid of Irish Parliament and Viceroy and bought Ir MPs in Westminster)

How many Irish MPs were in Westminster after 1801 Act?

100

What were the disadvantage of the Act of Union for Ireland?

• Symbolic loss of autonomy

• Ire had own interest and institutions not considered in Westminster

• Nothing in 1801 negotiation guarantees progress e.g cath emancipation, better eco

What were the advantages of the Act of Union for Ireland?

• Better defence for Ireland

• Parliaments would be more efficient joined

• ^ eco growth and trade (free trade) - example being Scot Union

• Caths not as much of a threat → possibility of Cath emancipation ^

  • Pre 1801 Prots fear caths overthrowing them (“Rome Rule” → foreign rule over Ir) so prots refuse to give power to caths.

  • After 1801 even if caths got the vote and could sit in parliament as all 100 Ir, within Westminster those MPs would still be the minority so they’re less of a threat

How did the Act of Union fail politically and economically for its supporters?

Politically - Viceroy remained, prot ascendency continued to be prominent

Eco - Ir still no chance of competing with UK

When and where did the Tithe wars begin?

1830 in County Kilkenny (S Ire)

How did the Tithe Wars successfully differ from UI and IV?

Put a lot of pressure on Br (unlike IV)

Not radical (Unlike UI)

What were Tithes? What happened to Tithes after the reformation?What happened in 1823 to worsen conditions?

Goods based tax to support the church

Pre-reformation Catholics payed to Cath church but now they had to pay official Prot Church as well as their own Church

1823 Tithe Composition Act → Tithes on Pasteur land (livestock) as well as Tillage (crops), money based (not goods based), 2x a year

What were two bits of context where key to the Tithe wars → hope and ^ anger?

Cath emancipation 1829 was a recent example of how peaceful mass campaigning could achieve change (gave hope)

Agricultural depression → more anger fuelling campaign

Tithe wars can be seen as a … of payment

boycott

By 18…, … counties were refusing to pay Tithes

By 1833, 22 counties were refusing to pay Tithes

What significant institution supported the Tithe wars and why?

Cath Church - peaceful and directly impacting their people

TRUE or FALSE: the Tithes wars were entirely peaceful

FALSE - some violence e.g police seizing property in absence of payment → outbusrts in Country Wexford (14 farmers killed) and Kilkenny in 1831

How did Irish Farmers mock/humiliate Br?

• Br seize cattle in absence of payent

• Sold cows at auction

• Public bid ridiculously high prices which they couldn’t pay → humiliation

Why did the Tithe Wars come to an end?

• Br prestige damaged and humiliated

• 1831 violence → gov want to replace Tithe system before relationship decr more

• Losing money e.g Clergy aren’t getting money from Tithes → clergy going to gov → gov having to give money to clergy

What Act came about as a result of the Tithe Wars? When? What did it change?

1838 Tithe Rent Charge - Tithes only payed by landlords

When was the Repeal Association founded and who by?

1840 - Daniel O’Conell

Who was Daniel O’Connell? What did he want from Br?

Founder of RA

• Cath - rare example of well edu, successful cath after 1829 cath emancipation

• MP - well connected

• Barrister - well educated

Wanted ‘friendly connection’ with Br - moderate , balanced

What were the aims of the RA?

Repeal of the Act of Union

How did O’Connell plan of raising money for RA?

‘Repeal rent’ - Small subscription payment

What key method did RA use to gain support? Give an example

‘Monster meetings’ - 40+ meetings in 1843

Key examples: Tara meeting in 1843 750,000 attendees

Why did the RA fail?

1843 - gov banned monster meeting hour before one meant to take place. O’Connell chose to follow the law → organisation dying out and O’Connell’s health declining too

Where did Young Ireland come from? Who were they inspired by?

First supporters of RA - splinter group from it after frustration with failure of RA

Inspired by more radical leaders of Tone and Emmet (leader of 1803 rebellion)

How did YI aims differ from RA?

Embracing broader ideas of independence - wanting complete separation with romantic view of nationalism

Prepared to use whatever means necessary

What were YI’s newspaper? What did it initially support?

Nation set up in 1842 advocating repeal

What happened with YI in 1847?

Official split from O’Connell and RA establishing YI own platform (Irish Confederation) no longer willing to support O’Connell’s want to renounce use of force

Who didn’t support YI? Why was this significant?

Cath Church (and didn’t have much support outside of Dublin) → couldn’t build up strong support base → divided leadership

Name two moderate YI leaders and two radical YI leaders. What did this lead to?

Duffy and O’Brien (moderate) vs Mitchel and Lalor (radical)

Overall → dived leadership

When was the YI rebellion?

1848

How prepared where YI for their 1848 rebellion?

Not prepared at all - poorly organised, underesourced

The intention for the YI uprising was to copy that of a revolution in France at start of 1848. How did this fail?

Because of network of Br spies, gov knew of Ir discontent so was prepared for rebellion →

Br troops of 10,000 in Ire and suspending habeas corpus (essentially stopping lawful arrests) in July 1848.

In 1848 during the YI rebellion, Habeas Corpus was suspended. What is Habeas Corpus?

Requires someone under arrest to be bought to court to establish if detention is legal.

Suspending it makes it legal to carry out unlawful arrests.

How did YI try and rally support?

Moved from Dublin to S countryside to ^ support in farming communities. Assertive nationalism

Explain the events of the Battle of Ballingarry.

July 1848 - Between YI and police, two rebels killed and when reinforcements of police came, YI disappeared

As part of the YI 1848 rebellion, YI sought to rally troops in the South → Battle of Ballingery, after Br had deployed troops in Ir.

What does this action from YI symbolise?

Symbolises a shift in nationalism.

Being repressed and stopped by Br forces → assertive nat, taking a stand against Br forces

How did YI end?

YI leader e.g O’Brien arrested and sentenced to death (eventually transported to Australia)

Conclude the legacy of YI? (Consider similarities to previous groups)

Failed to gain any tangible results, disorganised (like UI disorganised patchwork). Key romantic approach to nat but this isn’t new (UI)

Did use poetry, ballads newspapers (new). Br don’t squash their nationalist sentiment.

What key factor was going on amongst the YI’s 1848 rebellion?

Irish Famine - ^ anger and desperation for some but also perhaps meaning not as much support for YI as many people have other priorities and problems

How did France impact IRB?

• Radical influence of revolution

• Stephens (member of YI) fled to Paris after 1848 picking up ideas e.g organisation of ‘cell structure’ - operating in small circles that have no contact to one another preventing spy infiltration

Who founded the IRB and when?

James Stephens 1858

What were the aims of the IRB?

• Complete independence form Br

• Willing to act with violence/aggression

What were the recruitment figures of the IRB?

1864 - 80,000 (members according to Stephens), 54,000 (according to NY)

Who was Terrance MacManus and how did he influence the IRB?

• Involved in 1848 YI, taken to Aus then fled to Amer and dies their

• Body shipped back to Ire

• 1861 Public procession, 50,000 following coffin

• More people joined IRB in 2 weeks after funeral than 2 years IRB had been running for before

What was another nickname for the IRB?

Fenians (from a Celtic legend) idea of romanticism

Who opposed the funeral procession of MacManus?

Cath Church and old YI (e.g O’Brien) - fear of public burial → ^ Br hostility

How were the IRB tactical with their beginning rebellion?

Postponed twice

• 1857 with Br distracted with war in India with optimal but IRB sensible realising not sufficient weaponry and strength. Chose to wait.

• 1865 - not sufficient weaponry (6,000 firearms for 50,000 people)

When was the IRB rebellion?

1867

Why was the 1860s the good time for the IRB rebellion?

• Support had ^ for IRB

• American Civil War ended → American soldiers with Irish heritage coming back to Ire to support

Why was Stephens not involved in 1867 IRB uprising? Why was this significant?

Just been arrested and forced to flee

Absence of Stephens → not well-organised → patchwork like YI and UI and insufficient weapons

How did the fighting style of IRB → failure of 1867?

New leader after Stephens, Millen wanted ‘hit and run’ tactic which commanders of IRB ignored → failure

Who was Godfrey Massey? How did he undermine IRB?

A senior IRB leader who (along with others) turned himself in when made clear IRB wouldn’t be successful

What happened in the aftermaths of the 1867 IRB revolution?

Leaders of IRB … and … (fugitives) were found in … … and arrested. One policeman was shot and killed (first police officer shot in …)

An investigation followed → … arrests and 3 men were sentenced to death by hanging. They were …, … and …

There were … spectators and the three men became known as the ‘… …’

This created a harsher …-… feeling

Leaders of IRB Kelly and Deasy (fugitives) were found in Manchester Park and arrested. One policeman was shot and killed (first police officer shot in Manchester)

An investigation followed → 26 arrests and 3 men were sentenced to death by hanging. They were Allen, Larkin and O’Brien

There were 8,000 spectators and the three men became known as the ‘Manchester Martyrs’

This created a harsher anti-British feeling

Do the IRB continue after 1867?

Yes - but they’re activity quiets (not in a position to stage a rebellion)

With key figures from the IRB killed, this is no core leadership → a … … . This gives spaces for more … groups to enter into power such as the … … …

With key figures from the IRB killed, this is no core leadership → a power vacuum. This gives spaces for more moderate groups to enter into power such as the Home Rule League (HRL)

When was the HRL set up? Under who?

1870 under Isaac Butt

What were the aims of HR? What did it bear similarities to?

An Ir parliament for domestic affairs but would remain under Wesminster for foriegn/non-domestic affairs

Similar to the Irish Parliament during the IVs time

How were the aims of HR similar and different to what had been seen before?

Similar

• legislative independence wanted

• Similar to IV goal in 1780 - Ir parliament but not complete separation

Different

• Not radical like IRB and YI

• Not wanting complete independence

What kind of nationalism did HR focus on? Explain it

Constitutional nationalism

• operates using political/legal power within constitution to achieve nationalist goals

• moderate, not radical or illegal

Isaac Butt (leader of HR)

• Religion?

• Job?

• What idea did he believe in? Explain it

• What event strengthened the validity of his arguments?

• Protestant

• Barrister and MP - well educated with good connections

• Federalism - central power controlling fundamental issues with equally divided states who have their own power (like USA)

• 1867 IRB rebellion - validated moderate HR approach

How many of all the Irish seats did HRL win in their first election? Why was this so significant?

60/101 - first election was 1874, and HRL was set up in 1870 (only running for 4 years and then dominates the Irish seats of westminster)

What were the limits of the 60 HRL MPs in the 1874 election?

only about 20 of the 60 were fully devoted to HRL - many just HRL to get into Westminster

What were the problems with Butt’s leadership?

Drunk, gambler, womanizer, lots of debt - distracting him from parliament and losing respect from supporters → HRL not tightly organised.

Why was it important for the Br PM to get the HRL on their side during the 70s?

unstable time in Br politics frequently flipping from libs to cons with PMs Gladstone and Salsbury. Therefore PM needed as much support as possible from smaller group in parliament e.g HRL.

Why did HRL become divided?

Younger more radical people such as Parnell, Biggar and Power used techniques of obstructionism/filibustering to make a nuisance in parliament vs Gentlemanly Butt who wanted the size and influence of HRL to be enough