Struggle for Independence

The 1916 Easter Rising

  • Organised by IRB Secret Military Council ‘Britain’s difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity’. The ‘Castle Document’ was forged to convince Eoin MacNeill to involve the Irish Volunteers

  • Arms and ammunition bought from Germany were lost when the Aud was sunk evading capture from the British Navy. MacNeill finds out ‘Castle Document’ is a forgery.

  • Rising goes ahead in fewer locations, with fewer people and weapons than planned on Easter Monday instead of Sunday. It was mainly in Dublin city. Pearse believed in blood sacrifice -rebels would give up their lives for the good of the future of Ireland

  • British taken by surprise but quickly brought in soldiers from the Curragh Barracks and England and used a gunboat called the Helga to shell the GPO from the Liffey.

  • The Rising failed because of a small number of Irish fighters and weapons, there was confusion leading up to the Rising, the rebels based themselves in areas that could be easily surrounded, Britain had more soldiers and better weapons, many civilians did not realise the significance of the event and it was not the nationwide rebellion that was intended.

  • Pádraig Pearse surrenders on behalf of the rebels on Saturday 29th of April; Rising over nationwide by Monday May 1.

  • About 500 were killed, 2,500 injured and buildings were destroyed. 3,000 were sent to prisons in Britain, 90 leaders were sentenced to death, and 15 of these were shot between 3 and 12 of May in Kilmainham Gaol. (incl. proclamation signatories)

The Rise of Sinn Féin

  • Newspapers gave credit to Sinn Féin for Rising. Their popularity soared. They won 73 of 105 seats in the 1918 General Election
  • Sinn Féin abstained from attending Westminster and formed Dáil Éireann in Dublin in the Mansion House on January 21 1919.

War of Independence

  • RIC unit ambushed by volunteers led by Dan Breen and Seán Treacy in Soloheadbeg, Co. Tipperary, January 21 1919 (Start of War of Independence)
  • The IRA used Guerrilla warfare, the Squad and flying columns (local units, guerrilla warfare, sheltered by locals - hard for British to locate)
  • British used Black and Tans (ex-British soldiers) and the Auxiliaries (ex-army officers)
  • November 21 1920 - Michael Collin’s Squad kill 13 British intelligence agents in the dawn hours. In retaliation Auxiliaries enter Croke Park during a Dublin vs Tipperary football match and opened fire on the crowd, killing 12 people - Bloody Sunday
  • 25 May 1921 - IRA burned Dublin’s Custom House. Centuries of records were destroyed. 80 IRA men were killed or captured.
  • De Valera and Lloyd George call a truce on 11 July 1921
  • Negotiations began in London in October 1921 between the Irish delegation led by Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins and the British delegation which included David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill. The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed on 6 December 1921

Civil War

  • The Dáil debated the Treaty from December 1921 to January 1922 and split into Pro-treaty and Anti-treaty sides. On January 7 1922 Treaty was accepted 64 votes to 57
  • IRA splits into Pro-treaty Irish Free State Army or Regulars and Anti-treaty Irregulars
  • (In the same week a leading British Unionist named Henry Wilson was assassinated and General O’Connell of the Free State Army was kidnapped. Collins was forced to act.) The Irish Civil War began on 28 June 1922 when Michael Collins shelled the Four Courts, the occupied by the Irregulars under Rory O’Connor.
  • Irregulars forced to retreat to Munster where they had a lot support and control of old RIC barracks. South of the Limerick-Waterford line became known as the Munster Republic. Recruitment drives allowed the Free State Army to outnumber the Irregulars. Cork fell to the Free State Army on August 12
  • August 1922 Arthur Griffith (brain haemmorhage) and Michael Collins (ambush) both died. They were mourned by members of Pro-treaty and Anit-treaty sides.
  • The Free State passed the Special Powers Act which allowed its forces to arrest, try, imprison and even execute IRA members. As a result 12,000 Irregulars were arrested.
  • Liam Lynch the Chief-of-Staff of the Irregulars was killed. Éamon de Valera and the new Chief-of-Staff Frank Aiken persuaded the Irregulars to agree to a ceasefire on 24 May 1923.

Results of Civil War

  • Death -1,500 killed

  • Damage to property - €38 million in damages

  • Divided country and bitter divisions

  • Political developments - Pro-treaty side renamed themselves Cumann na nGaedheal in 1923

                                        - Constitution written for the Irish Free State 
                                    - Garda Síochána 

                                - reorganised court system

  • Border between North and South left unchanged

  • Fianna Fáil and Cumann na nGaedheal (Fine Gael) roots in the Treaty politics of this time

Northern Ireland

  • Northern Ireland was created in 1920 under the Government of Ireland Act. It’s first Prime Minister was James Craig. The parliament was Unionist-dominated
  • Sectarianism and gerrymandering seriously affected Catholics in Northern Ireland.