The condition of Ireland and Anglo-Irish relations 1851-86

Question 1

what is home rule?

Answer 1

a system by which Ireland would have their own parliament, responsible for domestic affairs, but would also remain under the ultimate control of Westminster

Question 2

why were irish farmers agitated?

Answer 2

sometimes evicted without reason, rarely had money to invest in improvement, yields low

Question 3

why did Gladstone want to disestablish the church?

Answer 3

90% of the irish population were catholic and it meant that 5.3mill/5.8mill were paying a tithe (10% of their income to the anglican church which they did not attend

Question 4

what was a quarter of the church’s assets used for?

Answer 4

16 million - improving schools, hospitals and workhouses. the poor in Ireland benefitted

Question 5

who were the Fenians?

Answer 5

a militant nationalist group who wanted to end union with Britain, willing to use violence eg Manchester 1867

Question 6

what were the two main issues causing unrest?

Answer 6

1. the desire for an independent Ireland or home rule

2. land ownership, rents and evictions

Question 7

did the irish church act bring an end to violence?

Answer 7

no, it failed so Gladstone moved on to land reform

Question 8

what had the irish tenant league wanted in 1850s?

Answer 8

the three F’s

fixed tenure, free rents and free sale

Question 9

what did the land act 1870 do?

Answer 9

• tenants not to be evicted if they were up to date with their rents
• evicted tenants had to be paid compensation by landlords

Question 10

why did the land act 1870 fail?

Answer 10

• did not fully dress the major concerns of the Irish people

- eviction clauses largely ineffective as rent control not efficiently imposed

Question 11

why was coercion introduced in 1871?

Answer 11

bc violence continued after the land act

coercion gave extra power over arrests and imprisonment

Question 12

what made the situation worse?

Answer 12

series of bad harvests 1877-79, famine returned, failure of the potato crop, suffered due to imported US grain which was much cheaper, farmers income fell, estimated 6000 people lost their homes

Question 13

what was the irish land league?

Answer 13

formed in 1879, by Michael Davitt.
Parnell was president
the land lead provided practical help for evicted tenants as well as carrying out a campaign of violence against selected landlords.

Question 14

what was the home rule association?

Answer 14

founded in 1870 by Isaac Butt, in 1874 60 irish MPs claimed to be in favour of home rule
Butt was unable to convince Disraeli’s govt that it should be a priority

Question 15

why was the 1880 election successful for Parnell?

Answer 15

home rule association now called Irish parliamentary party had won 61 seats

Question 16

why was Coercion 1880 introduced?

Answer 16

in response to the violence of the land league, which had assassinated the leading landowner Lord Mountmorres

act gave greater authorities of arrest -> Davitt imprisoned + 36 IPP MPs expelled from parliament

Question 17

what did the second irish land act 1881 do?

Answer 17

gave legal status to the three F’s + included creation of land courts to ensure fair rent

demands of the irish had changed by 1880, they wanted their own land, 10 yrs too late

Question 18

coercion 1882

Answer 18

Parnell advocated non payment of rent, this boycott made the land act inoperable, + the govt had to reset to more forceful measures. Parnell + other leaders were arrested.

Question 19

what was the Kilmainham treaty?

Answer 19

1882, an agreement where Parnell was released in return for assurances that the land war would end

Question 20

what was the phoenix park murders?

Answer 20

lord Cavendish and his secretary burke were murdered by the invincibles (republican organisation)

Question 21

what was the irish universities bill?

Answer 21

an attempt to create a state catholic university

Question 22

how far did the British govt solve the ‘irish question’ 1868-85

Answer 22

land
religion
politics

despite some progress made in religion, they didn’t solve the issue ‘irish question’ as there was also still some religious tension

Question 23

what was the irish question?

Answer 23

1868, Gladstone wanted to ‘pacify Ireland’
land - poor quality rights
religion- 85% catholics but protestants in authority
politics - relationship between Ireland + Westminster

Question 24

what was the prevention of crimes act 1882?

Answer 24

suspending trial by jury, provided Parnell w opportunity = he distance himself from his militant approach -> breaking with Davitt and setting up the irish national league committed primarily to the cause of home rule

Question 25

conclusion of Gladstone’s efforts to pacify Ireland

Answer 25

although he was genuinely interested in helping the irish, overall he failed to pacify Ireland, he made a good effort on the religious side of it but there was still conflict shown by the 2nd irish land act - on the right lines but 10 yrs too late