The Irish Volunteers
Political Crisis in Britain
1. In 1909 the British government was plunged into crisis as a result of the House of Lords rejecting the budget proposed by the Liberals.
2. Two general elections took place in 1910. Both led to a stalemate with the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) holding the balance of power.
3. The Liberal Party, supported by the IPP decided to prevent the House of Lords stopping legislation proposed by the British Government.
4. They passed a law that removed the veto the House of Lords. In future the House of Lords could only hold up legislation for two years.
What was the effect of this change?
1. Every time the British Government attempted to introduce Home Rule for Ireland the House of Lords stopped it.
2. When the British Government introduced a Bill in 1912 that would grant Home Rule to Ireland, the House of Lords could only delay it for two years.
What was the reaction in Ireland?
1. The Irish Parliamentary Party were very popular in Ireland. All over the country supporters of Home Rule praised the IPP and it’s leader, John Redmond, for achieving Home Rule for Ireland.
2. Among Unionists, however, there was utter dismay that they could be betrayed by a British government.
3. In response Unionists, under the leadership of Edward Carson, established the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) as an armed group, to resist Home Rule.
4. Under pressure from the UVF and the Conservative Party in Britain, the Liberal Government proposed that Ulster would be excluded from Home Rule.
How did Nationalists respond to the establishment of the UVF ?
1. The establishment of the UVF posed a threat to Nationalists and to Home Rule.
2. Despite this many Nationalists welcomed the establishment of the UVF.
3. The Irish Republican Brotherhood argued that it would allow Nationalists to also establish an armed group to fight for Home Rule for the whole island.
4. It became inevitable that Nationalists would have to respond to developments.
How were the Irish Volunteers established?
1. With the support of the IRB, Eoin Mac Neill, a leading figure in Nationalist circles, called a meeting in Dublin on 25 November 1913 to establish the Irish Volunteers.
2. The IRB had already begun military training and organisations like the GAA and the Gaelic League were actively supporting the initiative.
3. Hundreds attended the meeting in Dublin and meetings followed all over the country.
4. Within weeks thousands had joined the Irish Volunteers and by the middle of 1914 they had over 110,000 members.
Why was Home Rule not introduced in 1914?
1. The First World War started before Home Rule could be introduced and the British Government postponed Home Rule until the war was over.
2. Leader of the IPP, John Redmond, called on all members of the Irish Volunteers to join the British Army, but Eoin MacNeill opposed Redmond.
3. The Irish Volunteers split.
4. Over 100,000 supported Redmond who formed the National Volunteers.
5. About 10,000 rejected the call to fight and remained with MacNeill in the Irish Volunteers.
The Easter Rising 1916
The Irish Volunteers Plan
1. Convention held
on 25 October 1914.
Decides to (a)
Maintain armed and trained military Volunteer Force, (b) To resist partition,
(c) To end British Rule in Ireland, (d) To resist the enlistment of Irishmen
into the British Army.
2. The Irish
Republican Brotherhood (IRB) have considerable influence within the Irish
Volunteers.
3. IRB plan Rising (‘England’s
difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity’)
4.
Non-IRB Volunteers unaware of plans for a Rising.
James Connolly
and the Irish Citizens Army (ICA)
1. Founded to defend
workers from police attacks during the 1913 Dublin Lockout.
2.
Aims (a) Defend workers against employer oppression, (b) Defend workers from
attacks by the police, (c) Restore morale within the ITGWU, (d) Establish a
socialist workers republic.
3. Connolly spoke of
his intention to organise a rebellion during World War One.
4.
Fearing the ICA might disrupt their plans, the IRB offer Connolly a position on
the IRB Military Council.
Plans for the Rising
1. After failing to
secure weapons in 1915, the IRB set Easter Sunday 1916 as date for the Rising.
2.
Roger Casement travels to Germany to secure weapons.
3. Germans send
20,000 guns on a ship called the Aud.
4. The Aud to
land in Kerry but captured by British and scuttled by her captain.
Eoin MacNeill and the Castle Document
1. Eoin Mac Neill,
Leader of Irish Volunteers, complains about being kept in the dark about plans
for Rising.
2. In order to get
MacNeill’s support the IRB needed to convince him that the Irish Volunteers
were under threat from the British.
3. IRB forge the
‘Castle Document’ that pretends the British plan to arrest the leaders of the
Volunteers.
4. When MacNeill
discovers the capture of the Aud he cancels plans for the Rising.
5. IRB decided to go
ahead with Rising on Easter Monday.
The Easter Rising Begins
1. 1,500 Volunteers and
ICA members take over the GPO and other buildings around Dublin.
2. The Easter
Proclamation is read by Padraig Pearse outside the GPO.
3. Fighting lasts
for 6 days.
4. By the end of the
Rising there were 12,000 British troops in Dublin.
5. On Saturday 29
April the rebels agree to an unconditional surrender to the British military.
6. During the Rising 64 insurgents died and 120 were
wounded. 132 British Troops were killed and 397 wounded. Around 300 civilians
were killed and nearly 2,000 wounded.
Aftermath of the Easter Rising
1. After the Rising
the British interned (imprisonment without trial) around 3,500 men and women,
many who has not involvement with the Irish Volunteers or the Rising.
2. The British
court-martialled 170 of the rebels and sentenced 90 to be executed.
3.
Fifteen of the leaders of the Rising were executed.
4. Initially many Dublin people opposed the
actions of the rebels and the death and destruction the Rising caused.
5. Public opinion is
horrified by the executions and the British order a stop to further executions.
6. The executed
leaders were now seen as martyrs of the independence struggle.
Effects of the 1916 Rising
1. Sinn Fein
mistakenly blamed for the Rising. This helps Sinn Fein grow as a nationalist
party.
2. After the Rising
the Irish Parliamentary Party went into decline. This was due to (a) the
failure to implement Home Rule (b) Redmond’s acceptance of partition and (c)
growth of Sinn Fein.
3. Catholic Church
joined the popular outcry against the executions and began to support radical
nationalism.
4. Recruitment of
Irishmen to British Army fell dramatically.
5. Many key
republicans lost their lives and new figures emerged to replace those killed.
HOME RULE TIMELINE
1870 Home Rule Association founded by Issac Butt.
Soon renamed the Home Rule League.
1875 Charles Stuart Parnell elected M.P. for Co. Meath.
Shortly after assumes leadership of Home Rule League from Butt.
1879 Michael Davitt forms the Irish Land League working for
land reform and opposing evictions
Parnell becomes its President.
1880 Gladstone
1884 Reform Act leads to increase in the electorate.
G.A.A. founded.
1885
First Home Rule
Bill defeated in the House of Commons.
The
Conservatives campaign against Home Rule - Lord Randolph Churchill tells an
Orange rally in 1886 that "Ulster
will fight and Ulster
1889
Parnell named in
O’Shea divorce petition.
Home
Rule League splits. John Redmond, John Dillon and William O’Brien lead
different factions over the next twelve years.
1893
Second Home Rule
Bill passed by the House of Commons but stopped by the House of Lords.
Gaelic
League founded by Douglas Hyde.
1901
Irish
Parliamentary Party reunites Home Rule M.P.’s under the leadership of John
Redmond
1903
Wyndham
Land
1909
Birrell's Land
Act.
Budget
Crisis in Britain
1910
Two general
elections leave the Irish Parliamentary Party holding the balance of power.
Veto
in the House of Lords is abolished. Two year delay allowed.
1912 Third Home Rule Bill is passed by the House
of Commons but again rejected by the House of Lords.
Home
Rule to become law in 1914.
1. Name the
school which Pearse setup?______________________________________
2. What did
Pearse try to counter? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. In 1912 what
cabinet tried to introduce Home
Rule?________________________________________________________________
4. Where did
Carson sign the Solemn League and
Covenant?____________________________________________________________
5. When did
the UVF form?________________________________________________________________
6. Where was
James Connolly born?__________________________________________
7. When did
the weapons come into Larne?___________________________________
8. How many
Irishmen died in WWI?_________________________________________
9. How many
Irishmen served in WWI?_______________________________________
10. Pearse
dreamed of What?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. What
occupation did Thomas Clarke Have?__________________________________
12. What day in
1916 did the rebellion start?____________________________________
13. What was
the name of O’Connell Street back in 1916?_________________________
14. Who read
out the Proclamation outside the GPO?____________________________
15. The British
outnumbered the rebels by what?________________________________
16. When did
Connolly and Pearse surrender?___________________________________
17. Where were
the arrested leaders brought to?________________________________
18. Over a
period of 2 weeks how many were executed?__________________________
19. Finish the
sentence by WB Yeats, ‘A terrible
….________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
20. The
Volunteers evolved into what group?___________________________________
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