anglo-irish relations

define the 3Fs

fixity of tenure - holding property or land for a fixed period of time

fair rents - landlords charged too much rent “rack rents” so wanted fair rent

freedom to sell - want to sell their “interest” in their holding to another tenant.

Identify the aims and methods of republicans like the Fenians and the Irish republican Brotherhood.

seeking independence for Ireland, both are secretive and conspiratorial and both welcome to promote revolutionary violence to achieve their aims.

What did the republicans do in GB and abroad that so shocked British public opinion?

they attacked british forces in Canada and Manchester & Clerkenwell transporting fenian prisoners in a failed attempt to release the prisoners 

What quote is associated with Gladstone and Ireland in 1868?

“my mission is to pacify ireland”

Identify two achievements of the Irish Church Act 1869.

disestablishment of Protestant Church of Ireland, tithe is abolished and property of the Church is used for hospitals, workhouses and schools.

Identify three proposals of the Irish Land Act 1870 designed to solve the Irish land problem.

• customary rights like Ulster Custom were to be recognised in all of Ireland where it was agreed they existed

• some regulation of evictions

• tenants can borrow up to ⅔ of the value of the land (at 5%) repayable over 35 years to buy the land they rent if the landlord will sell

Why was the Irish Land Act 1870 a failure and why would this be a major problem in 1879?

• there was no rent control, so rent rises preceded and justified eviction

• so a lot more people were unfairly evicted which led to creation of Irish National Land League

Why did Gladstone’s policies indicate he was treating Ireland as a special case in GB?

there used to be an attitude of “laissez faire” where the government would not intervene with issues however now that Gladstone was intervening with Ireland it suggested that Ireland was a special case which deserved special treatment.

What is meant by ‘Bright’s Clause’ and what happened to it?

It was an idea put forward by the radical, Liberal Bright, the idea was to loan money to tenants so that they could buy the land they lived on 

It was shot down by the Conservatives in the House of Lords

What was proposed by the Irish Universities bill 1873 and why did it fail?

it was an attempt to reform denominational (separate Catholic and mostly Protestant) universities however it was defeated by Anglican and Catholic opposition. Catholics wanted more Catholic unis not non-demoninational unis.

What were the political consequences of Gladstone’s reforms for the Irish Liberals and the Liberal government in 1874?

defeat in parliament meant resignation of Gladstone’s first ministry

Who set up the Home Rule League in 1874?

60 of the Irish Liberal MPs back home rule and support the HR League which is loosely organised by Butt in the Commons

Define Irish Home Rule (IHR) and explain how it differs from national independence.

IHR - the establishment of an Irish parliament and government elected by Irish male citizens; both institutions would be responsible for domestic Irish affairs and Ireland would remain in the Union of GB. 

this differs from national independence because they aren’t fully separated from GB and GB still control foreign affairs.

Identify the policy Parnell and his supporters implemented in the House of Commons to press for IHR.

Parliamentary Obstructionism

Identify the economic factor contributing to the Land wars.

Unusually wet summers led to bad harvests and low crop yields + a fall in the price of British wheat = fall in profits for farmers

How many tenants were evicted between 1879-1883?

14600

Who mainly led the Irish Land League, what was his political background and what did the League demand?

Charles Parnell, elected to Parliament as a home ruler. considered himself irish but saw Fenian methods as futile but he was influenced by his irish-american mother who had sympathies for Fenian objectives. League demanded the 3Fs and land purchase

Who was the president of the League in 1879 and what is meant by the ‘Great Departure’?

Charles Parnell was the president and the Great Departure was where the constitutional and revolutionary organisations departed from their tradition of working independently of each other

Identify the methods organised by the League in the Land wars and the number of deaths and outrages involved.

campaign of boycott, non-payment of rent, occupation and violence towards landlords, their agents and police. 2600 incidents of “outrages” (assaults, threats, intimidation) against landlords (67 murders from 1879-1882) 

In one word describe what the Land Wars did to rural Ireland.

made it virtually ungovernable

Using legislation, explain ‘Kicks and Kindness’.

legislation : land purchase schemes introduced in 1891,1893,1903 and the Wyndham’s Act

Why was Parnell the ‘uncrowned King of Ireland’ in 1880?

he had just returned from a successful tour of the USA and he became the elected leader of the IPP

Identify three reasons why the Irish Land Act 1881 largely achieved the 3 Fs.

• fair rent was fixed for 15 years by Land Courts

• eviction was only justified on the grounds of rent arrears (fixity of tenure)

• tenant’s interest in land was legally recognised with compensation for a tenant when the land was sold (freedom to sell)

What two problems in rural Ireland inhibited the success of the Irish Land Act 1881.

• rent arrears accumulated during the land wars (130,000)

• land purchase scheme not as popular with tenants as anticipated and in the west of Ireland the problem of smallholders consisted of a lack of cultivable land and small plots of land (land hunger) not unfair rent. 

What political problem did the Irish Land Act 1881 present to Parnell and how did Forster resolve it for him in 1881?

Parnell had to decide whether he should support Gladstone’s legislation and lose radical Irish support or reject it and lose moderate Irish support but Forster arrested him and placed him in Kilmainham 

What was involved in the Kilmainham Treaty and why did it suggest progress resolving the Land Wars?

government agreed to release Parnell from prison, relax coercion and help hose in rent arrears in exchange for Parnell’s support of the Land Courts and the ILA 1881. This suggested progress because it suggested that they were cooperating and maybe Ireland would soon achieve peace.

Who committed the Phoenix Park murders and what were the consequences for the progress suggested by the Kilmainham Treaty?

a revolutionary splinter group of the Fenians called The Invincibles murdered the new Irish secretary and his under-secretary in broad daylight. this resulted in the treaty not going through.

How did the Catholic Church, the Secret Ballot Act 1872 and the third Reform Act 1884 benefit Parnell and his supporters?

• Third reform act - extended vote to rural households and enabled Parnellites to dominate the rural vote 

• Secret Ballot Act 1872 - allowed everyone to vote without fear of being judged for their vote

• Catholic Church - openly supported Parnell and the National League which gained more support for Parnell since Ireland was majority Catholic

What measures did Salisbury take in Ireland to weaken the link between Gladstone and Parnell?

formed a caretaker government until the general election and relaxes coercion in Ireland and passes the first effective land purchase scheme for Ireland - the Asbourne Act

Which party did Parnell advise his supporters in mainland Britain to vote for in 1885 and why?

Conservatives because they indicated support for Irish self-rule

Summarise the 1885 election results in Ireland for the IPP and the Liberals.

the IPP had won every seat in Ireland south of eastern Ulster and held the balance of power in the commons (Libs - 335 MPs, Cons - 249 MPs, a difference of 86 MPs 

Why was ’86 in 86’ so important to the composition of the Commons in 1886?

it held the balance of power in the Commons - it decided which party would make up the government

Summarise the provisions of the IHR Bill 1886.

Gladstone wanted to create a bi-cameral (lower and upper house) Irish parliament similar to the houses of parliament. An Irish government would come from this Irish parliament and sit alongside the existing Lord-Lieutenant, the representative of the British monarchy. The new Irish parliament would be responsible for domestic Irish affairs whilst the Westminster parliament would be responsible for foreign affairs. Irish MPs excluded from Westminster parliament.

Identify three reasons why the Whigs, Chamberlain and the Conservatives opposed the Bill.

• argued that IHR was a “stepping stone”2 to Irish Independence which would break up the Union of GB and weaken the empire

• Churchill thought that the IHR would lead to religious violence 

• argued that IHR rewarded Catholic Irish violence and the Irish parliament would be dominated by those who had practised it.

What is the ‘Orange Card’ and who said it?

said by Randolph Churchill, orange is the colour associated with Irish Protestantism 

What happened to the IHR Bill and what were the consequences for the Liberal Party immediately afterwards and in the general election of 1886?

it was lost by 30 votes and Gladstone’s government resigned; in the general election a Conservative government returned.

What happened to (a) Parnell, (b) the IPP and IHR between 1886 and 1893?

1. Parnell - remained committed to a constitutional path to resolve problems of Ireland, but then was accused of adultery and lost support of the Catholic Church

2. IPP - remained the predominant party of Ireland, but then Parnell was removed as leader due to the adultery so the party was then divided 

3. IHR - reintroduced IHR in 1893 but was largely rejected in the House of Lords so Gladstone gave up and retired