The document discusses various cultural and political movements in Ireland, highlighting the efforts to maintain Irish distinctiveness against English influence, including the establishment of organizations like the Gaelic Athletic Association and Gaelic League. It also details the rise of political groups such as Sinn Féin and labor movements focused on improving living conditions for the poor, led by figures like James Connolly and Jim Larkin. Additionally, it mentions the feminist movement led by Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, which successfully campaigned for women's suffrage in 1918.

2. New Cultural Movements
 The culture of a country are some of the non-physical
characteristics that make a country distinctive. Some examples
are:
 Language
 Sport
 Religion
 Traditions
 Art and Literature
 Dress

3. Anglicisation…
 This was the fear that Ireland was becoming more like
England every day – if we didn’t do something about it
we would be unfit to govern ourselves
 Most Unionists had no problem with this but Nationalists
didn’t like it and set up organisations to halt the spread of
English Influence
 Did they succeed?

4. A success?

5. Gaelic Athletic Association
 Set up by a Clare teacher named Michael Cusack in 1884
 As well as establishing a new sport, it gave Irish men (always
men at this time) a chance to run a national organisation
democratically
Michael Cusack

6. Gaelic League
 Set up in 1893 by Douglas Hyde (who later became 1st
President of Ireland) and Eoin MacNeill. Wanted to end the
decline in people speaking the Irish language
 It was also felt that Protestants and Catholics could cooperate
to revive the language – wishful thinking!
 The Organisation published a paper called An Claidheamh
Soluis (Sword of Light) promoting the Irish Language
 Still in existence today
Eoin MacNeill

7. The Literary Revival
 WB Yeats and other poets and playwrights began writing plays
about Irish topics in the 1890s – up to this point most plays
were about English issues and topics (e.g. Shakespeare)
 Yeats helped Lady Gregory set up the Abbey Theatre in 1904 –
at last Ireland had a theatre dedicated to promoting Irish plays
 Most famous play was The Playboy of the Western World –
riots broke out in Dublin when it was first performed!

8. New Political Movements
 Sinn Fein – set up in 1905 by Arthur Griffith. Same party is still
in existence today (current leader is Gerry Adams)
 “Sinn Fein” means “ourselves alone” – wanted independence
from Britain but at the beginning was committed to peaceful
means (no IRA around in 1905).
 Thought Irish people should just set up their own Parliament
in Dublin and ignore the British
 Willing to keep the King as head of state so Unionists would
feel comfortable in an independent Ireland.
Gerry Adams

9. Labour Movement
 For many poor people it did not matter if Ireland was free or
not – they just wanted their living conditions to improve
 There were people who wanted to end the poverty that
affected these people – they were known as Socialists
 Some Socialists wanted to have a revolution to get rid of the
old system – James Connolly was one of these people
 Statue of Connolly near Connolly Station

10. Trade Unionists
 Other Socialists, like Jim Larkin wanted workers to form Trade
Unions. A trade union is a group of workers who act together
to improve their wages and living conditions.
 Larkin set up the ITGWU to work for better wages. Workers
then went on strike (stopped working) to force their employers
to grant a pay rise
 Biggest strike – 1913 lockout
 Connolly formed Irish Citizen Army to protect
Workers from police attack

11. Police attacking Strikers in Dublin,
1913

12. Feminists
 At the beginning of the 20th Century women had no right to
vote in Ireland – Feminists wanted to change that.
 Hanna Sheehy Skeffington was the most prominent feminist.
She campaigned for “suffrage” – the right to vote
 Peaceful and violent protests were used to give people the
right to vote.
 Voting rights was finally granted to women in 1918 after World
War 1.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9qI34r3Nqk