2. CONTESTING HISTORY OPPOSING VOICES 12: Debating the Treaty

3. Debating the Treaty 1916: 3-12 May: Leaders of the Rising executed - 3 Aug.: Casement executed 1916: 22-3 Dec.: first Internees returned to Ireland 1917: Feb.: Roscommon by-election – Count Plunkett returned for Sinn Féin 1917: May: Longford South by-election – Joseph McGuinness returned for SF 1917: July: Clare East – Éamon de Valera returned for SF 1917: Oct.: SF Ard Fheis – de Valera elected president – and also president of the Volunteers 1918: April: The Military Services Act raised the possibility of conscription in Ireland 1918: April: Mansion House Conference of nationalist protestors 1918: April: Anti-conscription pledge signed by nationalists 1918: May: Arrest of SF leadership

4. Debating the Treaty 1918: Nov.: Armistice 1918: Nov.: Election: SF – 73 seats; Nationalist - 6; Unionist – 26 on same day – the beginning of the War of Independence 1919: Jan.: Soloheadbeg ambush, Co. Tipperary and first meeting of Dáil Eireann on same day – the beginning of the War of Independence 1919: June: Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919: June: Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919: June: 1919: June: Dáil Eireann founds first ‘arbitration courts’ 1919: July: SF and IRA proscribed 1919: Sept.: Dáil Eireann proscribed 1920: Jan.: SF victorious in local elections 1920: Feb.: first Black and Tans recruited for Ireland - Government of Ireland bill entered the Commons 1920: March: Ulster Unionist Council accepted the Government of Ireland bill 1920: July: Auxiliary police division established 1920: Nov.: ‘Bloody Sunday’ and the Kilmichael ambush

5. Debating the Treaty 1920: Dec.: Auxiliaries burnt parts of Cork 1920: Dec.: Government of Ireland measure enacted 1921: May: Opening of Northern Ireland parliament 1921: July: Truce proclaimed in Ireland formed 1921: Aug.: Second Dáil formed 1921: Oct.: Negotiations launched between representatives of the British government and the Dáil 1921: 6 Dec.: Anglo-Irish Treaty signed 1921: 14 Dec.: Debate began in the Dáil on the Treaty 1922: Jan.: Dáil accepted Treaty – de Valera resigned - Griffith elected president in his place – power handed over by Castle Administration 1922: March: Anti-Treaty IRA repudiated the authority of the Dáil 1922: April: Republican forces occupied the Four Courts 1922: June: electorate endorsed the Treaty in a General election 1922: June: Free State forces attacked Irregulars in the Four Courts

6. Debating the Treaty Further Reading: Augusteijn, Joost (ed.), The Irish Revolution, 1913- 23 (2002). Fitzpatrick, David (ed.), Revolution? Ireland 1917- 1921 (1990). Party, 1916-1923 Laffan, Michael, The Resurrection of Ireland: The Sinn Féin Party, 1916-1923 (1999). O’Halpin, Eunan, The Decline of the Union (1987).