IRISH NATIONALISM : FROM AGITATION TO CIVIL WAR Flashcards
Protestant Ascendancy
Domination of the Anglo-Irish Protestant minority in Ireland, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries
Penal Laws
Laws that restricted the lives of Irish Catholics
When were the Penal Laws introduced?
1691
Lord Lieutenant
Chief representative of the British monarch in Ireland
Why did some agree with Britain’s policies?
Protestant landowners benefitted from the favourable economic environment
Why did the American revolution influence some of the Irish?
Irish had a shared experience with the Americans and watched the revolution closely and educated themselves on Republicanism
Why did the French revolution place Ireland in a vulnerable position?
French and Spanish rivals might use the opportunity to invade the country and exploit it as a staging port for an attack on Britain
Who were the Irish Volunteers?
Loyal-spirited Protestants who undertook military drills and paraded ready for an invasion against them
Act of 1720
Declaring the right of Britain to legislate for Ireland
Why was Britain’s power reduced by 1780?
The influence of the American revolution and the creation of a well-organised and armed militia to support any new demands
Who was the principal advocate for greater legislative independence in the 1700’s?
Henry Grattan
Patronage
Granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support
Constitution of 1782
Repealed the 1720 act and reduced Britain’s control over legislation to a simple right of veto
Mutiny Act
Gave Irish parliament the authority to punish soldiers who refused orders
Why was the Constitution of 1782 not a reality?
Government was still under control of the lord lieutenant
What did younger men believe would help them achieve their goal of greater political autonomy?
A union between Protestants and Catholics to challenge dominant conservatism
What were the United Irishmen’s demands?
- Ireland would be divided into 300 parliamentary constituencies equal in population.
- Every man should have a vote.
The 1798 Uprising
- Organised by Theobald Wolfe Tone
- May 1798
- 15,000 fighting men
- Poorly co-ordinated
- Confined to countryside
- Failure of immediate French support
- Even when French arrived no reignition
- Transformed future of Ireland
Tithes
A tax of 10% on produce or earning that was given to the church
Reformation
Split within Christianity - Protestantism and Catholicism
Why did Tithes anger Catholics?
They had to pay for the new Protestant church
Tithe Composition Act
Made the tax a general land-based monetary charge that consequently became payable twice-yearly by larger numbers of Irish farmers
What resentment did the Tithe Composition Act create?
- Resentment towards paying the tithe
- Example of British oppression
When did the Tithe Wars begin?
October 1830
What did the Tithe Wars follow after?
Period of agricultural depression that saw reduced prices and less money coming to farmers
How many counties refused to pay the Tithes?
22
What violence was used during the Tithe Wars?
Police and yeomanry used to seize property in absence of payment
Where were some of the violent outbursts during the Tithe Wars?
- County Wexford, June 1831, 14 killed.
- County Kilkenny, December 1831, bailiff and 12 police killed
Tithe Rentcharge Act 1838
Payable only by landlords
Catholic Emancipation 1829
The right of Catholics to vote in elections and to be politicians
When was the Repeal Association founded?
1840
What was the Repeal Association?
- Raise funds via ‘repeal rents’
- Then could pressurise Westminster into granting repeal
How did Daniel O’Connell sought to achieve pressure to Westminster?
‘Monster meetings’
How many people attended these ‘Monster Meetings’?
100,000-500,000
What monster meeting was undoubtly noticed by the British?
Tara meeting in august 1843, 750,000 attended
Why did the Repeal Association fail?
the British gave O’Connell a choice to either submit to the ruling or risk conflict with military
Who were the members of Young Ireland?
- Thomas Davis
- Charles Gavin Duffy
- John Mitchel
What differed between Young Ireland & O’Connell?
Embraced much grander ideas and resolved to achieve them through whatever means necessary
What did the older generation think of Young Ireland?
Too naive and hot-headed
Why did YI separate from O’Connell?
His ideas were too conservative
Did Young Ireland have support outside of Dublin?
No, it’s open minded stance did not win much support amongst Catholic clergy
The 1848 Rebellion
- Transpired after the arrest of John Mitchel in may.
- British government aware of Irish discontent and sent spies who exposed conspiracy.
- 21 July 1848, British pour 10,000 troops into Ireland and abandon habeas corpus.
- YI moved from Dublin to countryside.
- Several leaders sentenced to death or arrested.
Why was the 1848 Rebellion different from previous nationalist activities?
Instead of being cowed by the show of the British force they sought to make a stand, this was a more assertive nationalism that was prepared to push for its objectives
How are the Fenian’s different to previous Irish Nationalists?
Much more radical in demands - wanting complete independence and willing to act with violence in order to achieve it
How were the Fenian’s able to recruit so many members in the 1860s?
Philip Coyne, a New York Fenian who was able to make a tour of the organisation, achieved by Stephens own hardworking and skill
How did Fenian’s maintain secrecy?
Used oath-swearing and system of ‘cells’
Who was the founder of the IRB?
James Stephens
What were the aims of the IRB?
Create an Irish republic
What were the failures of the 1867 Fenian Rising?
- Event postponed because of failure to acquire sufficient weapons, 6,000 firearms for 50,000 people.
- James Stephens arrested in March without his organisational skills it wasn’t well managed.
- Division of leadership and poor management of resources.
- Only 1,500 weapons in dublin.
- Francis Millen wanted guerrilla style attack but ignored by other IRB commanders.
- By April more than 200 IRB prisoners taken.
- Leaders such as Godfrey Massey turned into government informants.
What was a success of the 1867 Fenian Rising?
Men arrested and executed in Manchester seen as Martys to the Irish cause, offered propaganda value
Who headed the new Home Rule movement after the failure of the Fenian Rising?
Isaac Butt
Why was Butt’s own nationalism different from the Catholic-dominated ideas of the IRB?
Placed greater value upon the benefits that a positive relationship with Britain could bring
How did Butt aim to achieve his objectives?
Home Rule League established in 1870, contested the election in 1874 and won half of the Irish seats (60 out of 101) giving them a useful degree of influence in parliament where they pressed for HR.
What were the people’s alternative to Butt’s objectives?
Obstructionist policy - slowing down parliament
What was the significance of Isaac Butt & the Home Rule League even though it failed?
Maintained and renewed interest after the failed Fenian Rising and his movement acted as a lifeline for nationalist sentiment
What was the Home Rule Confederation renamed?
Irish Parliamentary Party
What were members of the IPP required to uphold?
‘The pledge’ to vote and act as they were told by Parnell and the party hierarchy
How many seats did the IPP win?
86 out of 103
What British prime minister was motivated to introduce a home rule bill for Ireland?
William Gladstone
Why did William Gladstone want home rule?
As a means of securing the Irish vote
What did the Home Rule proposal say?
- New parliament to Ireland that would take responsibility for all domestic affairs.
- Retaining Ireland as a member of the British Empire
Which significant powers would Britain still have control over, even after Home Rule?
Control of defence, foreign affairs and coinage
Who opposed the 1886 Home Rule proposal bill?
- Irish unionists in the north
- Conservative party
- Disapproving Liberal MP’s
What was the result of the 1886 Home Rule bill vote?
311 in favour, 341 opposed
What were the long term successes of the 1886 Home Rule bill?
- Prospect of future success
- Irish had won significant support from one of Britains largest political parties
- Important achievement that bode well for future aspirations
Orange Order
Protestant organization set up to protect Protestants and their interests
What split the IPP?
Parnell’s affair with William O’Shea (one of his loyal supporters) wife, Katherine.
Who opposed Home Rule?
People in Ulster
Why did Ulster’s community reject Home Rule?
Feared that Catholicism would take over
When was the Ulster Unionist Party established?
1886
Who was the leader of the UUP?
Edward Carson
Who held the power in Westminster in 1910?
IPP
What was the ‘Unionist Identity’?
Viewed themselves as ‘British’ not Irish
When was the Ulster Covenant organised?
September 1912
What was the Ulster Covenant?
A document that declared it’s signatories opposition to home rule and more threateningly, their willingness to use all means necessary to prevent the bills passage
When was The Ulster Volunteer Force formed?
January 1913
How many members were there in the UVF?
90,000
Why was the ‘Curragh incident’ significant?
- Highlighted the depth of feeling that existed towards the unionists plight.
- Gave the unions greater confidence to challenge the proposed legislation.
What happened during the Curragh incident?
British army officers garrisoned at Curragh in County Kildare threatened to resign their commissions rather than be used to coerce the unionists to accept home rule
What did the British document say about the UVF?
Britain could not use British troops to subdue the unionists because of the evident sympathies that existed amongst the army on the issue of home rule
What was the Larne gun-running incident?
In April 1914 the unionists strengthened their position by taking possession of a cache of firearms shipped from Germany in Larne.
When was the third Home Rule bill finally passed?
September 1914
What happened to the third Home Rule bill?
Postponed because of WW1
When was Sinn Fein founded?
1905
What did Sinn Fein want?
Greater independence
Who organised Sinn Fein?
Arthur Griffith
How did Sinn Fein out to achieve independance?
More radical policy of obstructionism
Who were the members of the small military council in May 1915?
- Patrick Pearse
- Joseph Plunkett
- Sean MacDermott
- Eoin Ceannt
- Thomas Clarke
When did the Easter Rising take place?
24th April 1916
Easter Rising
- Seized prominent buildings around Dublin.
- 1,000 armed volunteers, 200 irish citizen army personnel.
- Issued a proclamation of independence
- Britain quick to respond
- 29 April rising was over
- 64 rebels and 132 british dead
- 200 civilans dead
- Immense damage to property
What was a result to the Easter Rising?
Hardened Irish hearts to the British authorities and did more to alienate Irish minds than anything before
What were the results to the 1918 General Election?
- 6 seats to the IPP
- 26 seats to the Unionists
- 73 seats to Sinn Fein
What did Sinn Fein call their own parliament?
Dail Eireaan
What did obstructionism by the Sinn Fein cause?
- Anger from unionists
- Britain sent troops into the country to break up the parliament and assert British authority there
War of Independence/Anglo-Irish War
- 9 IRA members killed two police officers in County Tipperary on 21st January 1919
- Encouraged british deployment of troops
- IRA employed guerrilla warfare
- Micheal Collins deliberately targeted and killed detectives in police force
- Increased britains use of aggressive techniques
Guerrilla Warfare
A hit-and-run technique used in fighting a war; fighting by small bands of warriors using tactics such as sudden ambushes
What were the British’s two new auxiliary forced sent to Ireland in 1920?
The Auxiliaries & Black and Tans
Croke Park Stadium Massacre (Bloody Sunday)
- 21 November 1920
- Detachment of Black and Tans drove an armoured car into a sports field during a match
- Killed 14 people
Who was David Lloyd George?
British Prime Minister (Liberal)
Government of Ireland Act 1920
British law that created the state of Northern Ireland from 6 of the 9 counties of Ulster
Dominion Status
Recognition as an autonomous community within the British Empire of equal status to Britain itself
Fiscal Autonomy
Control over their own money
Who rejected the Anglo-Irish Treaty?
Eamon de Valera - contained an oath of allegiance that they felt continued to subordinate Ireland to Britain
When was the Anglo-Irish Treaty formally accepted?
7 January 1922
Civil War
- Liam Lynch commander
- 28 June 1922
- Government troops attacked anti-treaty force’s headquarters in Dublin
- Anti-treaty Irregulars didn’t perform well
- More effective in countryside
- Defeated by December when government introduced
When did the Civil War end?
24 May 1923
