2. What was Home Rule?
• Press for an Irish Parliament to manage many services
inside the country
• It was the idea that Ireland would be able to manage as
an independent country away from British rule
3. Which Political Parties supported
Home Rule?
• The Liberals: mentioned in their Newcastle Programme
• Gladstone tried to design Irish Home Rule Bill In 1893
• The Irish Nationalists led by John Redmond
• Asquith needed Irish Nationalist votes to support Lloyd
George’s Budget (1909) and to win the 1910 Election
• Asquith promised to reduce power of the House of Lords
to allow for Irish Home Rule Bill (Parliament Act 1911)
4. Which Political Parties were against
Home Rule?
• Conservatives who had been in a 10 year rule (1895-
1905) had pushed Home Rule into the background
• Lords were majority Conservatives who rejected Home
Rule
• Irish Unionist Party
5. Ireland caused trouble to the Liberal
Government
• The Liberals needed Irish Nationalist support in order to
remain in power
• The Irish Nationalists put pressure on them to set up
Home Rule
• Ireland was split into Catholics and protestants: Catholics
wanted Home Rule, Protestants didn’t
• Ireland had militant groups like the Ulster Volunteers and
IRA who were prepared to use violence
• The Easter Rising, 1916
6. The Government’s Position
• Conservatives introduced the Land Act, 1903: tenants
could borrow money to buy their land, they paid 3.25%
of what they borrowed for 68.5 years (less than normal
rate) and the landowner got 12% above normal market
price for land. Both the tenants and the landlords got a
fair deal. 62% of farmers owned their holdings by 1914
• Liberals were pledged to introduce Home Rule which saw
them win the 1906 Election with majority
• However the Liberals were more concerned with their
social reforms 1906-1909
• Asquith thought Home Rule would bring a Constitutional
crisis causing Labour to lose majority in parliament
7. Sinn Fein
• Sinn Fein meant ‘ourselves alone’
• Founded by Arthur Griffith in 1905
• Griffith wanted a system of peaceful resistance in which
voluntary parliament would be formed
• He wanted complete independence from Britain gaining
equal status as Britain
• Aim: for capitalism to flourish to benefit the Irish
• They had little support until after WW1
8. The Third Home Rule Bill, 1912
• Created by Herbert Asquith
• Similar to the 1886 and 1893 Bills
• Its terms were:
• Irish Parliament with an elected House of Commons and a
Senate (was restricted in financial affairs, had limited powers)
• 42 Irish MPs at Westminster instead of over 100
• Ulster would be included in Home Rule
• Westminster Parliament was supreme and responsible for
decisions like foreign policy, trade and military affairs
9. Home Rule Bill Cont.
• John Redmond said it was barely acceptable and could be sold
only to the extreme INP members
• Unionists saw it as entirely unacceptable for the same reason and
the inclusion of Ulster
• January 1913: It was passed with a safe majority in the Commons
although it had fierce opposition from Conservatives and
Unionists
• The Lords rejected it, however due to the Parliament Bill it was
only delayed
• Ulster Unionists, backed by Conservatives, were against Home
Rule
• The delay allowed the Unionists and Irish Nationalists to mobilise
10. Resistance in Ulster
• Began as soon as the Parliament Act became law as it
made Home Rule more likely
• There were two main reasons for the resistance:
• Protestants being the majority in Ulster: they were against
Home Rule saying it was ‘Rome Rule
• Businessmen fears over industry: thought it would ruin
industry since no longer part of UK Empire which had allowed
better trade and best jobs for protestants. Some businesses even
moved to England
• Edward Carson, Irish Unionist Parliamentary Party Leader,
and James Craig, Ulster Unionist Council Leader, formed
the Unionist Resistance
• This resistance was countered by Irish Nationalist forces
•
11. Resistance Cont.
• September 1911: James Craig organised mass meetings
attended by 50,000 people: ‘Rallying call’
• September 1912: Carson drew up the ‘Solemn League
and Covenant’ on Covenant Day, 470,000 people
signed it with some in their own blood
• January 1913: Ulster Volunteer Force( UVF), an armed
paramilitary organisation was set up, by March 1914 it
had 100,000 members
• The UVF provoked Irish National Volunteers set up which
was infiltrated by Irish Republican Brotherhood
12. Resistance Cont.
• December 1913: Asquith’s government put a ban, by
Royal Proclamation, on importation of arms and
ammunition into Ireland
• Asquith was also preparing to extract more concessions
from the Irish National Party in hope to reduce
opposition to Home Rule
• Able to made decision that Ulster would be excluded
from the Home Rule for 6 years
13. Conservatives Reaction
• Linked firmly to the Unionist cause
• July 1912: Bonar Law (Conservative Leader) attended mass meeting at
Blenheim Palace
• Reasons Conservatives were against Home Rule:
• Been out of office since 1905 and believed opposition would gain them
popularity
• Maintained Liberals didn’t have a mandate to introduce Home Rule since
they didn’t gain more seats in the second 1910 Election
• Believed Liberals were ‘jumped’ into Home Rule by needing Irish
Nationalist support for the Parliament Act and majority rule
• Against the Liberals as saw their policies as an attack on the Empire and
property
14. Nationalist Response
• Fenians started recruiting and hired a shooting gallery
• July 1914: Irish Volunteers smuggled in rifles although
they still had less than the UVF
• 4 were killed when they drew their guns too soon by
British troops
15. The Curragh Mutiny, March 1914
• The Government place extra guards on arms depots in Ulster
• Many of the officers were from Anglo-Irish protestant background so
were sympathetic to protestants
• Officers whose homes were in Ulster were allowed temporary leave from
duty since they were less likely to obey orders
• 58 officers didn’t follow the orders and resigned
• This force the Government to conciliate with rebels which made it
appear weak and indecisive
• Ulster Volunteers got armaments landing on the coast with no
interference however the Irish Nationalists got guns landed in Dublin
and the authorities intervened killing 3 and injuring 40
16. Situation in August, 1914
• Brink of Civil War
• British army soldiers stationed in Ireland wouldn’t take orders
against the protestant UVF (Curragh Mutiny)
• UVF smuggled from Germany 20,000 rifles and 3 million
rounds of ammunition
• Police and military had been physically prevented from
interfering
• Ulster Volunteers got armaments landing on the coast with no
interference however the Irish Nationalists got guns landed
in Dublin and the authorities intervened killing 3 and injuring
40
• Home Rule was suspended till the end of war
•
18. Compromise
• Asquith and Bonar Law agreed addition of Amending Bill to
the Home Rule Bill saying some form of partition of Ulster
was needed
• Carson wanted to end Home Rule completely, however saw
in 1914 partition was the only way to keep part of Ulster
• June: Government suggested Ulster be excluded from Home
Rule for 6 years
• Redmond (Nationalist leader) agreed but Carson didn’t
• King George V held Constitution Conference at Buckingham
Palace, 21st July 1914 but it broke down after 3 days
19. Compromise Cont.
• Asquith decided the 4 countries with mostly protestants
would be left out of Home Rule
• Antrim, Down, Armagh and Londonderry were left out
• War then broke out in which both sides of Ireland agreed
to help the war effort
• The Home Rule Bill became law on 18th September 1914
• It was promptly suspended till the end of the War due to
a suspensory order
•
20. The Irish in WW1
• America and Germany believed Britain wouldn’t be able to fight due to
Ireland as resources would need to crush rebellion
• However Irish support was assured in saving ‘little Belgium’
• Ulster was full of loyalism to the British Crown, patriotic
• 1915: 29,000 men from Carson’s UVF volunteered to fight
• 80,000 men from Redmond’s Irish Nationalists served under their new
name: National Volunteers
• This new name caused a split in which Padraic Pearse and Eoin
MacNeill led the Irish Nationalists who refused to fight
• Horrific losses in 1st year caused more to join Pearse and MacNeill
21. The Easter Rising 1916,
Background
• Extreme Irish Nationalists formed the Irish Republican
Brotherhood
• The IRB planned armed insurrection against the hated
British
Leaders
• Roger Casement: Former member of British Consular
Service
• James Connolly: Believer of socialism and Irish nationhood
• Padraic Pearse: School teacher with views on Irish history
• Eamonn de Valera: Born in New York, maths teacher
• Eoin MacNeill: Chief of staff of the Irish Volunteers
22. Background Cont.
• Marked by dissent and disarray, MacNeill only said he would
support an armed insurrection if it would be successful
• The Military Council of Irish Republican Brotherhood
deceived him by forging a letter that said British were going
to disarm volunteers
• Since MacNeill was fearful of disbarment he agreed to
support the rising, however when he found out he tried to
sent order to counteract the rising
• Roger Casement had been to Germany to try to recruit Irish
prisoners of war but there was lack of support
•
23. The Easter Rising
• The IRB seized several key points in Dublin including the
General Post Office in hope the rest of Ireland would rise
up in sympathy
• No support was gained and the police with British troops
stopped the rebellion
• Most Irish people condemned the rising, one Irish
Nationalist said ‘this piece of criminal folly’
• Street fighting in Dublin lasted 1 week
• 1600 rebels faced 12,000 British troops and a gunboat
• 450 Irishmen were killed and 2,614 were injured
• 116 British soldiers were killed and 368 were wounded
24. Consequence for the Nationalist
Leaders
• General Maxwell took 2,430 men and 79 women into
custody
• 90 of the people were sentenced to death
• 15 was the number actually executed including Padraic
Pearse, they were considered martyrs by many
25. Conciliation Attempt by the
Liberals
• Asquith stopped shooting prisoners and decided
negotiations for Home Rule should go ahead
• July 1917: Irish Convention summoned for, however
attitudes had hardened and most republicans had
combined under Sinn Fein refusing to attend
• Ulster Unionists wouldn’t move from their position
regarding need to treat Ulster separately
26. Threats by the Liberals
• May 1917: Lloyd George was sent to Dublin for negotiations
to find a settlement that Redmond and Carson agreed
• He promised Redmond, Ulster would be excluded from Home
Rule only temporarily
• He told Carson it would be errantly excluded
• Lloyd George extended conscription to Ireland and said he
would offer Home rule in exchange
• It caused the united opposition against the British Government
with Irish Nationalists withdrawing from the House of Commons
and joining Sinn Fein
• 87,500 British troops had to be stationed in Ireland to keep the
peace
27. Mistakes by the Irish
Republicans in the Easter Rising,
1916• There was no organisation
• German support wasn’t gained so the Leaders tried to
call off the rebellion however others went ahead
• Most Irish condemned the Rising
• They didn’t have enough support to defeat the British
• The rising only took over Dublin not widespread
28. Irish Reactions to the Easter
Rising
• No sympathy for the Irish extremists at first
• Most Irish condemned it
• Central Dublin was reduced to rubble by British artillery
• 14 of the leaders including Connolly and Pearse were executed
• Mood in Ireland then changed
• The rising became known as Sinn Fein Rebellion even though
they had no involvement
• People who were completely against the rebels calling them
traitors now demanded for their release
• Protestant Unionists called the rebels traitors
• Catholic Nationalists called them hero's
29. British Government Action 1917-
1918
• Summer 1917: Government restricted meeting and banned groups
drilling with uniform and weapons
• Further arrests of strong Irish Nationalists
• Asquith immediately offered Home Rule with provision for exclusion
of the 6 countries of Ulster with Protestant majority
• There was no chance of success it was only done so the
relationship with the USA didn’t sour
• End 1917: Rebels on mainland were released as a good will
gesture, it did little to improve Government image
• Spring 1918: conscription was introduced in Ireland causing Irish
MPs to withdraw from Westminster in protests
• There were bans on Irish Volunteers, Gaelic League and
associations with Sinn Fein ideas
30. Growth of Sinn Fein
• Many Irish revolutionaries released in 1917 formed Sinn
Fein clubs, total members was at 250,000
• Eamonn De Valera became the president in 1917
• Sinn Fein won many parliamentary by-elections in 1917
and 1918
• Roman Catholics showed sympathy for Sinn Fein
31. The 1918 Election
• It marked the end of the Irish Nationalist Party
•
•
•
•
•
• Sinn Fein gained 66 seats showing Ireland wanted a degree of
independence from Britain
• Sinn Fein refused the seats at Westminster and set up the Dail
Eireann (Irish Parliament) with own law courts and Irish Republican
Army
• Only Irish representation in the Commons was MPs with Unionist
leanings
