Ireland in the 20th Century

3rd Year History

Divisions

Pro-Treaty (Regulars or Free State Army) V Anti Treaty (Irregulars or Republicans)

Both sides grabbed barracks as the British left

Irregulars took 4 Courts Collins won election well.

When 4 Courts Irregulars took a Regular general, Collins attacked them. He won easily with British artillary.

The Munster Republic

Limerick to Waterford Collins used ships to

surround the irregulars (Anti Treaty)

Irregulars led by Liam Lynch.

Ignored Devs orders

Death of Collins and Griffith

August 1922 Griffith had brain

haemorrhage Beal na mBlath WT Cosgrave and

Kevin O Higgins took over

Guerilla Warfare

Did not work well because: Free State had support of most

people They knew the land as well Great brutality on both sides April 1923 Liam Lynch killed. Frank

Aiken and DeV called a ceasefire

Results

Death and destruction

Lost leaders Bitterness Political Parties

(Fine Gael + Fianna Fail have roots in civil war

Governing Irelandin 1900

Irish MPs and lords in Westminster

Lord Lieutenant represented King

Chief Secretary represented British government

Nationalists

Vast majority supported Irish Parliamentary Party (Home Rule Party).

Led by John Redmond 84 of 105 seats in 1910 Home Rule meant a

parliament in Dublin to deal with internal affairs

Peaceful means. Had support of the

Liberal Party.

IRB

Secret revolutionary organisation

Responsible for 1867 Fenian Rising

Complete independent Republic

Supported by Irish in USA

Sinn Féin

Arthur Griffith 1905

Dual monarchy Abstentionist Tariffs to develop

industry Small until after

1916

Unionists

Wanted to stay in UK. No HR. 3 reasons

Felt British Home rule = Rome

rule Fear of losing trade

links Carson and Craig Supported by

Conservatives (Empire would fall apart)

Labour Movement

Poor state of workers in Ireland

James Larkin from Liverpool set up ITGWU

William Martin Murphy and Employers Federation = Lockout

Police, government and Catholic Church supported employers.

After 5 months workers defeated

ITGWU did not die

Cultural Nationalism and the Emergence of New Movements

GAA Gaelic League Irish Literary

Revival

The Home Rule Bill

1910 the Liberal government needed the support of the Home Rule Party (84 seats)

1911 Liberals passed The Parliament Act. House of Lords could only delay bills for 2 years.

1912 Third Home Rule Bill became law.

1914 WW1 broke out. 1916 the Irish didn’t

want Home Rule

Unionist Opposition

Took different forms Demonstrations and

speeches by Carson and Craig

Solemn League and Covenant

UVF Larne (35000 rifles) The Curragh Mutiny

Nationalist Reaction

Eoin MacNeill wrote ‘The North Began’

IVF IRB involvement Howth gun running

(900 rifles) Asgard WW1 stopped Civil

War

REACTION TO WORLD WAR 1

Unionists joined 36th Ulster Division to show support for the union

Redmond’s speech at Woodenbridge split IVF

Those who supported Redmond became the National Volunteers and joined the British army

Those who supported MacNeill kept IVF name (IRB mainly)

250,000 Irishmen fought in WW1. 30,000 to 40,000 died

THE 1916 RISING

IRB ‘England’s difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity’

Military Council (Thomas Clarke, Patrick Pearse, Sean McDermott, Thomas Mac Donough, Joseph Plunkett and Eamon Ceannt)

James Connolly and the Irish Citizen’s Army persuaded to join.

Roger Casement. 20,000 rifles from Germany on the Aud.

MacNeill would not take part unless they were attacked first. The Castle document was forged. MacNeill was deceived and agreed to allow the IVF take part at Easter

Plans for a Rising

Plans go wrong

Aud captured and scuttled.

Casement arrested and hanged.

MacNeill found out the Castle Document was a forgery and called off manoeuvres on Easter Sunday

The Rising goes ahead

Military Council decided to go ahead on Easter Monday.

Rising confined to Dublin and bound for military failure

Pearse and the Proclamation 1500 rebels took key buildings in the city (GPO,

Boland’s Mills, Jacob’s Factory, The Four Courts) Failure to take Dublin Castle a big mistake. British reinforcements from the Curragh and

England. The Helga shelled the GPO Saturday, unconditional surrender

The Results of the Rising

1. 500 killed, more injured, much damage2. Dubliners angry with rebels3. Martial law (2000 interned)4. 90 sentenced to death. 15 executed in

Kilmainham Jail. Irish minds were changed. Home Rule finished.

5. Sinn Féin got blamed and became popular. It changed its aim to an Irish Republic. DeValera became its leader.

The Conscription Crisis Compulsory military service further

boosted Sinn Fein’s popularity The 1918 General Election 73 seats for Sinn Fein Called their MPs Teachtaí Dála and

refused to take seats. 1919 Dáil Éireann set up.

THE INDEPENDENCE STRUGGLE

Sinn Féin and the First Dail

1919 Mansion House 27 TDs only, jail or on the run First meeting issued: Declaration of Independence A message to the Free Nations of the

World A programme to improve living and

working conditions

Sinn Féin and the First Dail

At a later meeting DeValera (rescued) elected president

Collins was Minister for Finance; Markieviec (labour), Griffith (home affairs and vice-president)

The Dail: Got control of Local gov. Set up their own courts Got loans

The War of Independence

Same day of First Dail, Soloheadbeg happened (Breen, Treacy and others). 2 RIC dead, stole gelignite.

Early stages, RIC main target of guerrilla campaign.

The War of Independence

Collins Director of Intelligence.

The Squad. £10,000 reward.

Flying Columns (Tom Barry, Liam Lynch, Ernie O Malley) victories at Kilmichael and Crossbarry.

The British Response

Black and tans Auxiliaries Could not cope with

guerrilla warfare and carried out reprisals (Cork, Balbriggan, burnings, beatings and murder)

The Government of Ireland Act 1920

Major incidents of the War of Independence

Tomás MacCurtain,s murder

Terence MacSwiney’s 74 day hunger strike

Bloody Sunday 21st of Nov 1920. 11 agents killed. 12 in Croke park (Michael Hogan).

Burning of Customs House (80 of Dublin brigade gone)

Peace

People wanted peace. IRA out of ammo and short of men. Bad publicity for British Gov.

Costing a lot of money DeValera and Lloyd George agreed

a ceasefire.

THE IRISH CIVIL WAR

Divisions

Pro-Treaty (Regulars or Free State Army) V Anti Treaty (Irregulars or Republicans)

Both sides grabbed barracks as the British left

Irregulars took 4 Courts Collins won election well. When 4 Courts Irregulars took a Regular

general, Collins attacked them. He won easily with British artillary.

The Munster Republic Limerick to Waterford Collins used ships to surround Irregulars Death of Collins and Griffith August 1922 Griffith had brain haemorrhage Beal na mBlath Collins shot WT Cosgrave and Kevin O Higgins took

over

Guerilla Warfare

Did not work well because:

Free State had support of most people They knew the land as well Great brutality on both sides April 1923 Liam Lynch killed. Frank Aiken and DeV called a ceasefire

Results

Death and destruction Lost leaders Bitterness Political Parties (FF, FG and Sinn

Fein all have roots in Civil war)