New Ideas for a New Century Ireland Post 1900

Leaving Cert History

Griffith and Sinn Fein• Poor family• A printer• Joined Gaelic League and IRB• Believed in ‘inclusive nationalism’.

Nationalism a commitment to Ireland.

• Went to work in South Africa for a year

• Returned 1898 and founded ‘The United Irishman’ newspaper (anniversary of 1798) to express republican views.

• Many writers of the cultural revival contributed to the newspaper.

• 1900 set up Cumann na nGaedheal to spread cultural nationalism Griffith scorned Irish anglophiles.

Political Views• He was annoyed at the Home

Rule Party for dumping Parnell.• 1900 set up Cumann na

nGaedheal to spread cultural nationalism.

• He realised that most Irish people were not looking for a republic and looked for other ways.

• 1904 ‘The Resurrection of Hungary’

• Griffith adapted this to Ireland:• Irish MPs would withdraw and

together with County Councils set up a Council of 300 that would peacefully replace the British government.

• A Dual Monarchy to appease unionists and ease British security fears.

Economic Views:• German economist Frederick List

espoused protectionism and it had worked in Bismarck’s Germany.

• This would have damaged big industries like brewing and shipbuilding but was popular with small business. Unionists not impressed.

1905 Sinn Fein

• A very good name. Self relianceAims:

• Withdrawal from Westminster• A national bank and Stock Exchange to finance industry• A merchant navy• A ‘buy Irish’ campaign

• First party to accept women as full members• Looked promising in 1908 but then Home Rule got going in 1909

and the IRB became the organisation of Republicanism and support for Sinn Fein nearly died out.

• Only the name remained important.• Griffith was almost bankrupt but persevered turning down better

jobs.• Postponed his marriage for 15 years.• Then the ‘Sinn Fein Rebellion’ happened

D.P. Moran and the Catholic Identity

• Middle class Catholic journalist.• Invented the terms ‘Irish Ireland’, ‘West

Briton’ and ‘Seonin’ (little John Bull) • 1905 started weekly newspaper ‘The Leader’.

Good articles made it a financial success.• Supported cultural nationalism and ‘buy Irish’• Criticised the writers of the Irish Literary

movement for using Irish culture to become popular in England.

• Criticised corruption in the Home Rule Party• Opposed republicanism.• A bitter rival of Griffith• Believed that the Irish language and

Catholicism were marks of Irishness.• Wanted the language to insulate us from ‘evil’

English ideas.

D.P. Moran and the Catholic Identity• Moran’s ideas were popular among educated

middle class Catholics who resented the fact that banks, big business and good government jobs were in Protestant hands.

• 1902 he helped to found ‘The Catholic Association’ to highlight this discrimination but it failed. 

• D.P. Moran did a lot to alienate unionists. Easy to conclude Home Rule = Rome Rule.

• 1908 ‘Ne Temere’ by Pius X forbade mixed marriages unless children were raised Catholic. Also damaged relations with Protestants.

The Revival of the IRB

• Had died out after the Phoenix Park murders and Parnell achievements.

• The cultural revival helped to revive it.• Denis McCullough and Bulmer Hobson from Belfast set up the

Dungannon Clubs. These were discussion groups.• Sean MacDiarmada cycled around the country recruiting young

men into the IRB• 1909 Hobson and Countess Markieviec set up The Fianna

boyscouts.• Hobson set up the Irish Freedom newspaper.• By 1912 these young men of action controlled the Supreme

Council • They wanted a small, well-disciplined secret organisation that

infiltrated other bigger organisations (Sinn Fein, GAA, Gaelic League and Irish Volunteers.

Feminism and the Struggle for Women’s Rights

• Women’s status• Up to 1860s once a woman married, her

husband got her wealth and control of the children

• Not many girls Secondary schools and no woman attended university up to 1880s

• No vote• Work in the home not recognised• Very few jobs for women in Ireland.

• Opportunities• Emigrate• Married women, usually protestant, did

charity work• Nuns

Early Campaigns for Women’s Rights

• Isabella Tod in Belfast and Anna Haslam in Dublin campaigned for property rights along with campaigners in Britain. By 1882 women had these rights.

• Both these women worked to improve women’s education.• 1871 Tod set up the ‘Northern Ireland Society for Women’s Suffrage’

but achieved little by her death in 1896.• Haslam and her husband did the same in Dublin.• Both women were speaking to a largely Protestant audience.

ToddHaslam