3.1 Irish Nationalism: from agitation to Civil War Flashcards
Irish Volunteers
1778
- USA encouraged nationalism
- French Rev = left GB vulnerable
- Loyal Protestants
- Belfast
- Military drills (frequent)
- 1782 = 60,000 militia
- debating societies
- Henry Grattan = principle advocate for greater legislative independence, MP Charlemont
- Feb 1782 = meeting in Ulster
- Whig gov wanted to consolidate with Irish
- Constitution of 1782
- Repealed 1820 Act
- Mutiny Act = Irish Judges irremovable
- 2nd Convention = 10th Nov 1983, Henry Flood
United Irishmen Uprising
1798
- Promotion of republican values
- younger generation
- demanded greater political autonomy
- Protestant barrister Theobold Wolfe Tone
- published pamphlet in 1791
Demands
- published pamphlet in 1791
- Ireland divided into 300 parliamentary constituencies (equal in population)
- every man can vote
- further Catholic emancipation necessary
Outbreak of war (GB/France 1793) - GD resistant to extend powers
-United Irishmen more aggressive tactics - 1796, Bantry Bay = 14,000 attempted to land, poor weather
1798 Uprising - United Irishmen strong numbers
- Tone coordinated - had French alliance
- not well executed
- 15,000 men couldn’t take Belfast/Dublin
- GB victory, Vinegar Hill, no French support
- Tone committed suicide
- PM William Pitt = 1801 Act of Union
Tithe Composition Act passed
1823
- tithes resented
- in place since c12th
- a tax of 10% on produce/earnings given to Church
- Catholics paid for Protestants - 2x
- added 1823 = new legislation extending to pasture land and tillage land
- TITHE COMPOSITION ACT
- tax = a general land based monetary charge
- payable 2x yearly
- antagonised farmers
- example of GB opposition
When was Catholic emancipation granted? What was it?
1829
Right for Catholics to sit and vote in Parliament
Tithe Wars
1830-33
BEGINNING
- boycott of payment = farmers refused to pay tithe
- 1833, 22 counties = £1m
- supported by Catholic Church
- violence = police seized property, i.e. Co. Wexford
ENDING
- after June 1833
- gov abandoned the use of force
-seized stock, publicly sold = farmers put up prices, gov humiliated
- result = most ministers feeling relief from gov
- Tithe Rent Charge Act, 1838
- payable only to landlords
- reduced agitation
Daniel O’Connell and the Repeal Association
1840
Daniel O’Connell
- barrister
- founded the Catholic Association
- MP for Co. Clare
Repeal Association
- intention of raising funds via ‘repeal rent’ and public opinion = pressurised parliament
- ‘monster meetings’
Failure
- huge attendance at meetings
- Parliament reluctant to consider the issue
- GB parliament went to great lengths to prevent repeal
- October 8th, 1843 = gov banned meeting, O’Connell had to chose between obeying or risking conflict
- cancellation of meeting = end
Young Ireland Uprising
1848
- associated with newspaper ‘Nation’
- Thomas Davis, Charles Gavin Duffy, John Mitchel
- broader set of ideads
- bigger ideas than O’Connell
-whatever means necessary
-regardless of religion/faith - demanded complete separation from GB
-more romantic view of nationalism - inspiration from 1798 uprising - initially created to support repeal association
1846, O’Connell demanded they renounce all force - 1847, established own nationalist platform ‘Irish Confederation’
-very popular - not much support outside Dublin or Catholic clergy
-lack of support
1848 REBELLION - hastily and poorly organised
- lack of resources
- arrest of John Mitchell, May 1848
- intention to copy coup from France (Louis XIV)
- GB gov aware of discontent = network of spies established
- 10,000 troops in Ireland suspended habeas corpus on 21st July 1848
- Young Ireland moved from Dublin into southern countryside, farming troops recruited
- more assertive nationalism
- battle of Ballingarry = Young Ireland/Police
- failiure of rebellion = Young Ireland’s demise
Irish Republican Brotherhood
1858
- James Stephens
- involved in underground revolutionary movement in Paris
- 17th March 1958 = IRB established
- sought to create an Irish Republic to repeal the union
- similar to Young Ireland = more aggressive methods
- oath-swearing for secutiry = system of ‘cells’
- opposition to GB presence in Ireland
DEMANDS - complete independence
- willing to use violene
STRATEGY - to take advantage of any war that GB were involved in = gov distracted
- Terrence McManus Funeral, 1861 - huge processions, opposed by Catholic Church
- IRB members increased dramatically
Fenian Uprising
1867
- IRB had growing support = better opportunity for success against GB, improved by end of USA CW
- US soldiers claiming Irish heritage = support
- postponed, failiure to acuire enough weapons (6,000 firearms for 50,000 people)
- March 1967 = uprising staged after Stephens was arrested, he escaped
- not well managed
- no sufficient weapons
- replacement aware of short coming and planned guerrilla style attack, ‘hit and run’ rather than battle - ignored by IRB commanders
- some leaders handed themselves in - order began to be restored
- fugitives Thomas Kell and Timothy Deasy, travelled to GB to revive movement
- 11th Sept, arrested, IRB attempted rescue
- many Irishmen in Manchester were targeted
- 26+ arrested, 5 charged, 3 hung
- Allen, Larkin, O’Brien hung before a crowd of 8,000
- product of public demand for justice and a desire to stamp out any challenge to GB authority by underground organisations
- martyrs created, propaganda value
Home Rule League established
1873
ISAAC BUTT
- Protestant barrister
- headed the movement
- sought home rule
- constitutions tactics ignored by Parliament - obstructionism, Bigger and Power
- Butt’s own nationalism different from the Communist dominated ideas of IRB = GB oppressor
- instead, placed greater value on the benefits of a positive relationship with GB could bring
- recognised the increasing disaffection among Irish, political change necessary
HOME RULE LEAGUE
- contested the general elections on 1874
60/101 seats
First Home Rule Bill is rejected
CHARLES STEWARD PARNELL
- gave obstructionism the upper hand
- motivated in giving Ireland greater legislative powers
THE IRISH PARLIAMENTARY PARTY (IPP)
- committed to securing home rue
- structured organisation/direction
- Parnell had substantial influence
1ST HOME RULE BILL
- April 1886
- Gladstone’s HRB proposed to grant a new parliament, Ireland would take responsibility for all domestic affairs
- GB retained significant powers - control of defence, foreign affairs and coinage
Failiure of HRB = turning point for Parnell
April 1887 - the Times published letters (Phoenix Park Murders)
O’Shea = adultery affair
Party only reunites in 1900 under the leadership of John Redmond
Second Home Rule Bill is rejected
1893
EDWARD CARSON AND THE UVF
Ulster Unionist Party
- set up to protect the interests of those in Northern Ireland (especially Ulster)
- Protestants (majority) were worried the Home Rule = Catholicism being forced upon them
- Est. 1886
- after 1910, led by Edward Carson
- Dublin born Barrister
- Unionist MP for Trinity College
- well respected
The Province of Ulster
- population = 1,500,000+
- almost 900,000 were protestants
- the Ulster Unionists had blocked the 2nd HRB in 1893 along with the conservatives
- April 1912 = a 3rd was proposed by the Liberal Party
- this time, the IPP held the balance of power in Westminster, so the unionists were less likely to block it
Ulster Covenant is signed
1912
- 28th September 1912
- declaration that the signatories would oppose home rule and use all means necessary to stop it
- 471/414 signed it
- very public gesture, designed to highlight the strength of feeling
- Belfast factories closed
- special church services held
- people admitted to city hall in groups of 500 throughout the day to sign
- appeal to the conservatives in Westminster
Third Home Rule Bill is passed
1914
ULSTER VOLUNTEER FORCE
- Jan 1913, a militia was set up to defend the province
- 90,000+ men many retired GB officers
- GB gov determined that no parliamentary organisation should be allowed to exist
THE CURRAGH INCIDENT
- March 1914 - 3rd HRB looked set to be passed
- GB army officers garrisoned at Curragh in nearby Co. Kildare were concerned they would be used against fellow Britons and threatened to resign their commissions
- Most of these men were protestant
- highlighted the depth of feeling in favour of Unionists
- gave unionists confidence, clear the GB gov couldn’t use GB troops against them
- strengthened the growing divisions in Ireland
- April 1914, Unionists took possession of arms shipped from Germany into Larne = 25,000 rifles, 3m rounds of ammo
- Home Rule Bill passed in Sept 1914
- BUT immediately postponed due to WW1
Easter Rising
1916
Key Figures - Pearse - Plunkett - McDermott - Ceannt - Clarke - Connolly Occurred whilst GB were at war and distracted - Irish volunteers - 24th April 1916 - Armed volunteers - 200 Irish citizens and army personnel - Buildings around Dublin (including the general post office) - 29th April = Rising over Death toll - 64 rebels - 132 British personnel - 200 civilians - 90 men condemned to death alienated the Irish and British further
