The Rise and Impact of Nationalism and Unionism in Ireland 1911-23

Nationalists

What did they want?

They wanted changes in the way Ireland was ruled. They wanted some sort of self-government with a parliament in Dublin

Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP)/Home Rule Party
  • Very popular
  • Main nationalist group
  • Wanted: Parliament in Dublin to deal with internal affairs and a Parliament in London to deal with external affairs
  • Peaceful
Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB)/Fenians
  • Small
  • Secret
  • Wanted: Complete independence => Republic
  • Physical force/Rebellion
Sinn Féin
  • Founded by Arthur Griffith
  • Small
  • Parliament in Dublin
  • Abstentionism from British Parliament
  • Passive resistance
Cultural Nationalism
  • GAA: James Craig
  • Gaelic league: Douglas Hyde
  • Anglo-Irish Literary Movement: W.B Yeats

Unionists

What did they want?

They wanted to keep the system as it was, Parliament in Westminister making laws for Ireland

Unionists
  • Leaders: Edward Carson and James Craig
  • Majority in North-East Ireland

Homerule Crisis 1912-14

Unionists
  • Ulster Solemn league and Covenant
  • Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) founded
  • Larne gun running
Nationalists
  • Irish Volunteer Force founded in Dublin
  • Howth gun running

The 1916 Rising

IRB made plans for a Rising while England was busy with WW1 => formed military council

England’s difficulty was Ireland’s opportunity

Arms from Germany
  • Roger Casement got arms from Germay
  • Aud
  • Casement was captured
Castle document
  • Castle document said the british government was planning to disarm the IVF
  • Eoin MacNeill => allowed IVF drills and manoeuvres to go ahead
  • MacNiell found out the Castle Document was a forgery
  • He cancelled manoevuvres for Easter Sunday
The Rising
  • Easter Monday
  • Pearse’s idea => blood sacrifice => dying for your country => inspire others
  • Headquarters: GPO
  • Rebels outnumbered 20:1
  • Helga => brought up the liffey
  • Pearse read the Proclamation of Irish Independence
  • End of Rising: Pearse Surrendered

Why did the Rising fail?

  • IVF outnumbered
  • British army had greater fire power
  • Confined to Dublin
  • Capture of the Aud
  • IVF had bad tactics
  • IVF failed to get the support of the people
British government make a mistake
  • 15 leaders executed in Kilmainham Gaol over the couse of about 2 weeks
  • People were angry
Results
  • Deaths: 500
  • Rise of Sinn Fein: Blamed for Rising “Sinn Fein Rising”
  • Destruction of Dublin
  • Executions: people angry
Rise of Sinn Féin
  • Eamon De Valera took over from Aurthur Griffith
  • Sinn Féin won elections in 1917 and 1918

Independence Struggle 1919-21

Nationalists organised a campaign, which took two forms:

  1. [[Sinn Féin: passive resistance[[
  2. <<IVF (Irish Republican army/IRA): Guerrilla warfare<<
[[Passive resistance[[
  • January 21st 1919: First Dáil in Dublin
  • 27 TDs
  • Declaration of independance   * Message to free nations of the world   * Improve living and working conditions
21st of Jan 1919
  • Outbreak of War of Independence   * Soloheadbeg, Tipperary   * First shots of the War of Independence   * Dan Breen and Sean Tracey
<<Guerrilla Warfare<<
  • Hit and run tactics
  • Attack on RIC barracks   * Raids for arms and ammunition   * RIC intimidated
  • Flying columns developed
  • Large scale ambushes
Role of Micheal Collins
  • Created The Squad   * Killed spies and detectives
British response
  • David Lloyd George   * Prime Minister
  • Recruited Black and Tans (Auxiliaries)
  • Introduced Government of Ireland Act 1920   * Parliaments     * 1 in Dublin     * 1 in Belfast   * Rejected by Sinn Féin
  • Bloody Sunday   * In the morning Cairo Gang killed by The Squad   * Black and Tans killed civilians in Croke Park     * Micheal Cusack => Tipperary => Cusack Stand
Major Incidents of the War of Independece
  • Assasination of Cairo gang by The Squad
  • Terence MacSwiney: major of Cork => Died on Hunger Strike
  • Kilmicheal ambush => Tom Barry
  • Crossbarry ambush
  • Murder of Tomas MacCurtain: New Major of Cork   * In front of his wife and kids
  • Burning of Cork City

The Anglo-Irish Treaty 1921

People
  • Aurthur Griffith => ex-leader of Sinn Féin
  • Robert Barton
  • Eamon Duggan
  • George Gavin Duffy
  • DeVelera => Didn’t go
  • Micheal Collins
  • Lloyd George   * Sign or war within 3 days
Created
  • Irish Free State
  • Northern Ireland
  • Ireland: defence, finance, trade

Treaty Debates

Pro-TreatyAnti-Treaty
Collins and GriffithDeVelera and Brugha
Stepping stones toward full independenceDid not deliver a republic should have continued negotiations
RegularsIrregulars
7th of January
  • 64 to 57 in favour of the treaty => YES to treaty
  • DeVelera resiegned as president and left with his followers

Civil war

Causes of the civil war
  1. Anglo-Irish treaty
  2. Anti-treaty only accepted a full republic
  3. Anti-treaty took over four courts to challenge the pro-treaties
  4. British Government pressure
  5. General election put pro-treaty in a stronger position
Collins
  • Shelled anti-treaty
  • 200 surrendered
  • Public record office destroyed
Munster Republic
  • South limerick to waterford
  • Free state army => 60,000
Deaths
  • Authur Griffith   * August 12nd   * Brain Haemorrage
  • Micheal Collins   * Aug 22nd   * Béal na Bláth   * Ambushed

WT Cosgrave and Kevin Higgins took over

Guerilla Warfare
  • Anti-T => returned to guerilla warfare BUT…
  • Pro-T => already used this tactic
Ceasefire

May 1923

Concequences

Death and Destruction
  • Civil War: 1,500 killed
  • Property damage: 38,000 euros
Lost Leaders
  • Collins
  • Griffith
Bitterness
  • Lasted decades
  • Anti-T asassinated government TDs
Political Parties
  • Pro-T   * Cumman na Gaeladh => Fine Gael
  • Anti-T   * Fianna Fáil

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