1. Pursuit of Sovereignty & Impact of Partition
1912 – 1922

2. Background
Act of Union 1800 – came into effect in 1801: created the ‘United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland’
Home Government Association founded by Isaac Butt in 1870
Became the Home Rule Party in 1873
Parnell’s leadership of Home Rule Party (1880 – 1890) brought about the 1st Home Rule Bill (1886) : defeated by House of Lords’ veto
2nd Home Rule Bill (1893) defeated again by House of Lords
*Parliament Act (1911) reduced the House of Lords’ veto to a delay of 2 years*
3rd Home Rule Bill passed in 1914

3. Cultural Nationalism 1880’s - 1910
With the failure of Parnell’s Nationalist movement and the 1st & 2nd Home Rule Bills, Nationalists inevitably looked to more homogenous characteristics of Irish identity. This occurred as a natural process of re-awakening Irish identity in language, sport and literature provoked and encouraged by the political process of nationalism.
Gaelic Athletic Association (1884)
Gaelic League (1893)
Anglo-Irish Literary Revival (1900’s)

4. The Parliament Act (1911)
The Parliament Act of 1911 was a culmination of a struggle between the Liberal Government of Britain & the House of Lords in Westminster.
The Liberal Government had attempted to bring in a controversial ‘Peoples’ Budget’ in 1909 which would have resulted in a greater distribution of wealth and a ‘supertax’ on wealthy landowners. The Conservatives opposed the Bill also.
In an effort to remove the veto of the House of Lords, the Parliament Act was passed which reduced the House of Lords’ Veto to a delay of 2 years. *Considering how the House of Lords had vetoed both the 1886 & 1893 Home Rule Bills, this would prove to be a very significant legislative event for Ireland.

5. 1912 – 1920: Growth of Extremism & Partition of Ireland
- 3rd Home Rule Bill
- Solemn League & covenant
- uvf & Irish volunteers
- split in irish volunteers
rising
general election: Sinn féin victory
- 1st dáil eireann
- declaration of independence
- irish war of independence
- Truce & treaty negotiations
- Sinn féin split

6. 3rd Home Rule Bill (11th of April 1912)
Introduced on 11th April 1912 by Prime Minister H.H. Asquith of the Liberal Government (supported by the Irish National Parliamentary Party)
Provisions:
Bicameral Parliament (upper & lower houses – a ‘Senate’ & ‘House of Commons’) to be created in Dublin, dealing with internal affairs such as education, agriculture, policing etc.
A limited number of Irish MPs to continue sitting in Westminster
Abolition of Dublin Castle
Retention of Lord Lieutenant
passed in House of Commons; rejected by House of Lords
1913 – passed in House of Commons; again rejected by House of Lords
1914: - passed in House of Commons; again rejected by House of Lords.
(Parliament Act utilised: House of Lords by-passed - sent for ‘Royal Assent’ which it received.
‘Government of Ireland Act (1914)’
*Government of Ireland Act (1914) ‘shelved’ due to outbreak of World War One

7. Religious Distribution in Ireland (1912)
Unionists constituted a very small minority of the population in Munster, Leinster & Connaught, but held a slight majority in the province of Ulster.
This slight majority would become a key area of concern for Unionists in Ulster and would result in a ‘specific local partitioning’ of Ulster itself:
IN: 6 counties of Armagh, Antrim, Down, Derry, Fermanagh & Tyrone would be included as they contained a majority of Unionists
OUT: Cavan, Donegal & Monaghan would be excluded as they contained a minority of Unionists

8. Unionist Party of Ireland (1910)
Sir Edward Carson
- Unionist Party leader
Sir James Craig
- Unionist Party deputy leader
Political Allies:
Ever since Gladstone’s Liberal Government support for Home Rule in the 1880’s, the Conservative Party of Britain, had diametrically given support to Irish Unionism.
Conservative Party was also very pro-Empire

9. 3rd Home Rule Bill: Unionist Reaction
Unionists outraged at proposition of Home Rule – declared their opposition to HR in ‘Ulster Solemn League & Covenant’ signed by over 200,000 male Unionists in Belfast on September 28th, 1912.
A similar, but separate Covenant was signed by over 250, ooo Unionist women.
Reasons for Unionist Opposition to Home Rule:
- Religious
- Political
- Economic
Edward Carson & supporters signing the Solemn League & Covenant in Belfast on September 28th,1912

10. Ulster Volunteer Force (1913)
The Ulster Volunteer Force was formed in 1913 as a direct expression of the Solemn League & Covenant
Limited to 100,000 men who had already signed the Covenant, enlistment began on the 13th January 1913.
A retired General, Sir George Richardson, was appointed as their commander.
“...using all means that may become necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule parliament in Ireland...”
Solemn League & Covenant (1912)

11. ‘The North Began’
“There is nothing to prevent the other twenty-eight counties from calling into existence citizen forces to hold Ireland "for the Empire". It was precisely with this object that the Volunteers of 1782 were enrolled, and they became the instrument of establishing Irish self-government.”
Eoin MacNeill
‘An Claidheamh Soluis’
1st November 1913

12. Irish National Volunteer Force & IRB
Bulmer Hobson (IRB)
EoinMacNeill (Gaelic League)

13. Irish National Volunteer Force & IRB
The IRB was always interested in any group espousing Irish cultural, linguistic, economic or political independence. IRB underwent a revival from 1900 on, with Denis McCullagh, Bulmer Hobson (Dungannon Clubs & ‘The Republic’ [newspaper]) & Seán McDermott all contributing hugely to a recruitment drive towards renewed physical force nationalism.
Many older Fenians in the IRB were being replaced by younger, more energetic men, with Thomas Clarke a sole surviving ‘older’ Fenian maintaining the link with the past.
The IRB infiltrated all Nationalist organisations e.g. GAA & Gaelic League and remained in the background, preparing for a rebellion, while the Irish Home Rule Party enjoyed electoral success up to 1914.

14. Irish National Volunteer Force
- Founded on 25th November in the Rotunda, Dublin, to protect implementation of Home Rule
- MacNeill heavily influenced by Hobson
- Run by a Provisional Committee
- Up to 75,000 members initially
- Cumann na mBan set up as an auxiliary force
- Heavily infiltrated by IRB from beginning
- Conflict of aims?

15. Cumann na mBan (2nd April 1914)

16. John Redmond & Irish Volunteers

17. Volunteers: A Threat to Redmond’s Authority?
John Redmond viewed the formation of the Irish National Volunteer Force as a potentially destabilising threat to the hegemony of the Irish Parliamentary Party in Nationalist Ireland.
He demanded that 25 individuals, nominated by his party, should be on the Provisional Committee of the Volunteers.
MacNeill accepted this compromise, essentially granting Redmond control over the Volunteers.
IRB men in the Volunteers objected, but to no avail.

18. The Curragh Mutiny (20th March 1914)
In response to a potential clash with Ulster Volunteers, fifty-eight British Army officers, stationed in the Curragh in Co. Kildare, resigned their commissions in protest.
British Prime Minister Asquith moved to quell unrest in the Army by assuring them they would not be forced to interfere with the Ulster Volunteer Force.

19. Howth, Co. Dublin (Irish National Volunteers)
Gun-Running
Larne, Co. Antrim (UVF)
Howth, Co. Dublin (Irish National Volunteers)
24-25th April, 1914: 25,000 guns & 3million rounds of ammunition
26th July, 1914: Irish Volunteers unload the ‘Asgard’

20. - Carson & Craig (Ulster Unionists)
- Lord Landsdowne & Bonar Law (Conservative Party)
- Redmond & Dillon (Irish Parliamentary Party)
- Asquith (PM) & Lloyd George (British Government)
The Buckingham Palace Conference was organised to attempt to bring about a compromise solution in Ireland between Unionist & Nationalist demands. It ended on 24th July, 1914, without any solution.

21. Home Rule ‘shelved’
Home Rule Bill becomes law on 18th September 1914.
Carson ‘allowed’ it to pass on condition that it would not be implemented until the ‘Ulster Question’ had been resolved.
Ulster Volunteers formed the 36th Division from their own members, with Unionist officers and using UVF emblems.
National Volunteers joined the 10th & 16th Divisions, but did not have a ‘National Volunteer Division’.
A sign of the pro-Unionist mentality of the British War Office.
Altogether, over 200,000 men from Ireland fought in the war, with 30,000 dying.
Redmond persuaded the British Government not to introduce conscription to Ireland.
When Britain formed a national coalition government in 1915, Carson joined as Attorney-General but Redmond refused.
Redmond’s influence begins to wane from 1915 onwards.

22. Redmond & World War I
Initially, the Irish Volunteers were formed to support Home Rule and the mainstream Nationalist agenda. They were formed as a reaction to the establishment of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
As the situation in mainland Europe detiorated, Redmond proposed that the Volunteers prove their nationalist credentials to Britain & the world by fighting alongside the Allies in World War One.
The fate of small Catholic countries like Belgium was used as a cause for creating support for the war effort
This caused a split in the Irish Volunteers, with the vast majority supporting Redmond’s proposition
“...to the best of her ability to go where ever the firing line extends, in defence of right, of freedom and of religion in this war. It would be a disgrace forever to our country otherwise...“
Woodenbridge Speech
20th September 1914

23. 1914 – 1916: Irish Volunteer Split
National Volunteers
Irish Volunteers
Numbering about 180,ooo, they actively or passively agreed with Redmond’s proposition.
32,000 of the National Volunteers fought in the 10th & 16th Divisions of the British Army during WWI.
Totally opposed to Redmond’s proposal to fight alongside the British, this small number of Volunteers left to form the ‘Irish Volunteers’.
They would play a significant part in the Easter Rising alongside groups such as the Irish Citizen Army, the IRB & Fianna Eireann
*Sinn Féin Volunteers*
*After Redmond’s Woodenbridge speech, many Sinn Féiners joined the Irish Volunteers, hence ....

24. 1916 Rising
“If we accomplish no more than we have accomplished, I am satisfied that we have saved Ireland’s honour.”
Patrick Pearse
` – The Triumph of Failure
R.W. Edwards.

25. Planning for Rebellion: 1915 - 1916
I R B
Irish Volunteers (Eoin MacNeill)
Irish Citizen Army (James Connolly)
Cumann na mBan (Countess Markiewicz)
‘Castle Document’ (forgery) – issues countermanding orders to ‘stand down’ on Sunday, April 23rd 1916
Supreme Council (1915)
Eamon Ceannt
Thomas MacDonagh
Padraig Pearse
Joseph Plunkett
Thomas Clarke
Seán McDermott
Proclamation of
Irish Republic
Roger Casement & ‘Aud’ captured off coast of Kerry, Easter Weekend, 1916

26. Padraig Pearse
Became DMO of the Irish Volunteers in 1914 (Director of Military Organisation)
Had supported Home Rule up until 1912, but became convinced of need for military action due to the intransigence of the Unionists.
Member of the IRB.
Joined the Military Council of the IRB in “Life springs from death, and from the graves of patriot men and women spring living nations.” - P. Pearse (O’Donovan Rossa graveside oration)

27. Planning for Rebellion
Getting arms from Germany (Casement sent to gather guns and an Irish Brigade from German POW camps).
IRB men would lead volunteers in rebellion.
When guns were to be landed in Kerry on the weekend of Friday 21st – Sunday 23rd April, that was the signal for the beginning of the Rising.
Weapons to be distributed throughout the south-west of the country.
Absolute secrecy of IRB Council meant that very few knew of the plans beforehand.
IRB Military Council

28. Planning for Rebellion II
James Connolly & the Irish Citizen Army joined the the rebels in their plans in January 1916.
Connolly was determined to attack British rule in Ireland, as a precursor to establishing a Socialist Republic.
Connolly only had about 200 men.
IRB Military Council

29. The Aud & Roger Casement: Friday 21st April
The ‘Aud’ set sail for Tralee Bay on 9th April with 20,000 rifles and 10 machine guns.
Confusion and changed orders meant that there was no one to meet them in Tralee Bay until Sunday, 23rd April.
The Aud had no radio and having arrived on Friday morning, was eventually caught and forced to return to Cork Harbour.
As it entered Cork Harbour, the captain ordered the men off his ship and sank it.
Separately, Roger Casement was also captured in Tralee Bay after coming ashore from a German submarine.

30. Confusion & Countermanding orders: The ‘Castle Document’ Wednesday 19th – Sunday 23rd April 1916
Wednesday, 19th April: Having originally being fooled by a forged document, claiming that all leaders of the Volunteers and other Irish organisations were to arrested, MacNeill agreed for the Rising to go ahead and ordered the Volunteers to rise on Easter Sunday.
Thursday, 20th April: Having realised he had been tricked, he cancelled his order of Wednesday .
Friday, 21st April: MacDonagh & MacDiarmada went to see him and told him of the arms shipment from Germany. Realising that conflict was inevitable once the weapons arrived. MacNeill reinstated his order of Wednesday. Saturday, 22nd April: News of Casement’s arrest and the Aud reached Dublin by Saturday. MacNeill cancelled his orders once again, even publishing the cancellation in a Sunday newspaper.
Sunday, 23rd April: James Connolly and the Irish Citizen Army meet in Liberty Hall, where they decide to hold a rebellion regardless.