Ulster Unionists: Resisting Change to the Ireland-Britain Relationship What signs were there of growing Unionist opposition and organisation before 1911? Why did Unionist opposition become so much more intense in Ulster from 1912? What evidence of huge support for Ulster Unionists and their determination to resist Home Rule from 1912? What means did Ulster Unionists have of resisting Home Rule through force from 1912? Why did the British government feel unable to deal with Ulster’s threat of force?

British Government Dilemma: How to answer the Irish Question? Asquith – PM of Liberal Government Implement Home Rule Act Allow Ulster to be temporarily excluded from any Irish Home Rule Parliament Allow Ulster to be permanently excluded from any Irish Home Rule Parliament Refuse to implement Home Rule Act Other options?

‘Two weeks ago Ireland was divided so much that the only point of agreement between Ulster and the Nationalists was in their common vituperation of England and their government. The Kaiser threatens the power of the British Empire and Hey Presto! Ulster and the Nationalist make common cause again, but this time to help John Bull.’ Ireland on the outbreak of WWI What does this cartoon suggest about the initial impact of the outbreak of World War One on the situation in Ireland? What did both Unionists and Irish Nationalists hope to gain from their support for Britain in the war?

World War One: A Barrier to Change in the Relationship between Ireland and Britain? World War One: A ‘Brake’ on the Process of Change Divisions amongst Irish Nationalists? How did it disrupt the fragile unity of the Nationalist cause behind Redmond and INP? How did it change the British government in a way which made it more difficult for Nationalists to influence British decisions? How did it make it more difficult to ignore Ulster’s demands? British Coalition Government 1916

The Easter Rising, 1916

The Easter Rebels “A splinter group of a splinter group” IRB (Minority Republican military group ) Irish Volunteers (Irish Nationalist military force - led by Redmond) National Volunteers (majority group led by Redmond – 170,000 strong) Irish Volunteers (minority group - 10,000 strong - led by MacNeill) Socialist trade unions, Gaelic Leaguers EASTER REBELS (Small group within IRB and Irish Volunteers – acting independently)

The Easter Rebels – ‘Romantic revolutionaries’ Patrick Pearse Joseph PlunkettThomas MacDonagh James Connolly Thomas Clarke Sean MacDermott Eamonn Ceannt (Edward Kent) Realistic about chances of success – Connolly before event “We are going out to be slaughtered” So why the rebellion? Pearse’s romantic attachment to ‘blood sacrifice’ and old idea that ‘a dead Republican is worth far more to the cause than a living one’

The Easter Rising 24 April 1916 Dillon (INP MP) wrote to Redmond from Dublin on Easter Sunday 23 April 1916 “Dublin is full of the most extraordinary rumours…you must not be surprised if something very unpleasant and mischievous happens this week”

Reasons for failure of Easter Rebels? Lack of support? Context of time? Authorities’ response? Poor leadership and organisation? “Volunteers were often no more than idealistic adolescents, ill-trained, badly equipped and hopelessly outgunned” “Positions occupied by the rebels had limited strategic or symbolic value” “by early 1916 Ireland appeared to most observers remarkably stable” “The rebels faced the ignominy of being jeered by the very people they imagined they were fighting to liberate” Seized arms shipment planned for rebels ‘so destroying any prospect of a national rebellion’ “Irish popular opinion turned to indignation”

British response to rebels Sentenced to death – later changed to life imprisonment Executions

Easter 1916 – ‘All changed, changed utterly’ Redmond’s decline Sinn Fein given ‘political kiss of life’ British response to rebellion? Sinn Fein propaganda Authorities’ actions Myth of ‘Sinn Fein’ rising of 1916

Why did Sinn Fein become so popular? General election results in Ireland, Dec 1918

Easter Rising 1916: A turning point in Ireland/Britain relations? Before Easter Rising Irish support for Home Rule Support for co-operation with Britain to achieve Irish demands Electoral support for INP Trust in British government to deliver on its promises After Easter Rising Home Rule no longer seen as sufficient Growing support for confrontation towards Britain to achieve Irish demands Electoral support for Sinn Fein Suspicion and anger at British treatment towards Ireland How significant a turning point? How close to change in relationship before 1916? Were conditions created by Rising likely to impede change in relationship? Was Easter Rising solely responsible for the growth of Sinn Fein?

Why did Sinn Fein overtake the IPP as the main mouthpiece of Irish Nationalism? Effective leadership, tactics and organisation for Sinn Fein? Other reasons – British actions, Redmond’s failings, changed mood post- 1916? Eamon De Valera

Easter 1916 and The Rise of Sinn Fein Eamon De Valera John Redmond Decline of INP, Home Rule and Co- operation with British Rise of Sinn Fein, Republicanism and Confrontation against British Give 2 examples of Sinn Fein’s refusal to co-operate with the British between 1916 and 1918 What proof of growing support for Sinn Fein and declining support for the INP before the 1918 General Election? In what ways do Sinn Fein appear to be more organised and effective than previous Republican organisations and groups?

Easter 1916: Sinn Fein’s ‘Political Kiss of Life’ Produce a poster showing the importance and influence of the following (provide evidence, explanations and quotations) to Sinn Fein’s increasing support and strength from : 1.Arrest of Sinn Fein members and British authorities’ approach to Sinn Feiners (pages 77-78) 2.Redmond’s policy of continued co-operation with the British (page 78) 3.Sinn Fein’s link to Easter Rising widening support base (page 79) 4.Sinn Fein’s tactics and policies widening support base (pages ) 5.Conscription Crisis of 1918 (page 81-82) 6.Creation of an alternative state in Ireland from 1919 (pages 83-84)

How significant was Easter 1916 as a turning point in changing the relationship between Ireland and Britain? Highly Significant?Not so Significant? Did it make the prospect of change in relationship less or more likely? Did it strengthen or remove the obstacles to change?

Effective leadership, tactics and organisation for Sinn Fein? Sinn Fein by late 1917 = ‘an umbrella organisation’; ‘a wide and unstable mix of political beliefs’ Sinn Fein’s response to 1918 Conscription attempt – “launched a campaign of mass resistance that drew in the wider nationalist community Sinn Fein from 1919 ‘increasingly concentrated its efforts upon constructing a viable counter-state’ By 1921 Ireland had seen ‘the decline of British authority and power, for which the Dail’s military campaign was largely responsible’

Context – British response and Redmond’s lack of credibility? British policy in 1917 = ‘too weak to root out opposition but provocative enough to nurture it’ Plan for Conscription in Ireland in April 1918 – ‘almost at a stroke it radicalised the situation’ Government actions in 1918 seemed to ‘drive what remained of the Sinn Fein organisation underground, from where it became tighter, more efficient and less easy to monitor’ By early 1918 ‘The influence of the Nationalist Party began to weaken in Ireland’

1920 Government of Ireland Act 1.What were the main terms of the 1920 Government of Ireland Act? 2.Why did the Ulster Unionists accept this? 3.Why did Sinn Fein refuse this and what was their response? 4.Why was this Act described as “essentially constructed to solve the Irish problem as it stood in 1914 not in 1920”?

The Military Response of Sinn Fein Anglo-Irish War The IRA ‘A tiny murder gang’? (Lloyd-George) What made the IRA such an effective force? Leadership/MethodsBritish authorities response Smith pp 86-89

Croke Park – Nov 1920 What happened and why?

Anglo-Irish Treaty 1921 Security and Defence –Britain was to have 3 naval bases in Ireland. Ulster –Would be able to opt out of the Treaty – so could end up being partitioned permanently. –A Boundary Commission would be set up to examine the boundaries of Ulster and make recommendations. The powers of the new Irish state –Southern Ireland would have dominion status – granted Ireland the same powers as Canada and other Dominions within the Empire. This was not full independence but was more than just Home Rule. This meant full control of domestic affairs, membership of the Empire and the Irish would have to swear allegiance to the Crown. –Oath of allegiance was watered down.

Ireland Sinn Fein tactics Refusal to compromise Create alternative state British Authorities’ approach Coercive methods Relaxation of coercion IRA influence in Ireland 1919 Causes Tactics/aims/organisation Anglo-Irish Civil War British response to IRA Exhaustion of both sides Government of Ireland Act 1920 Ulster’s influence & response Sinn Fein’s response Truce and Anglo-Irish Treaty 1921 Achievements for Sinn Fein Compromises made