Ireland in the 1950s

1951 Election

1. Fianna Fail return to power as a minority government with DeValera as Taoiseach

2. The new government faced economic recession

3. Fianna Fail introduced austerity policies – cuts in public expenditure and increased taxes

4. FF were unpopular and lost a series of by-elections in early 1954

 

Second Inter-Party Government

1. Second Inter-Party Government 1954-1957.

2. Clann na Poblachta did not join the government but did support it in the Dail

3. Failed to solve any of the economic problems and stop unemployment and emigration.

4. Took tough action against the IRA during the Border Campaign – Clann na Poblachta withdrew its support.

5. Forced to call an election in 1957.

6. Fianna Fail decisively wins the 1957 Election.

The Economy in Crisis

1. 1950s – severe economic depression and decline

2. Ireland was an agricultural economy and the numbers employed in and incomes from farming were declining

3. Farmers didn’t have money to invest in modernisation

4. Irish industry was in a period of stagnation. 5. Companies established under tariffs were inefficient and uncompetitive

6. All of these factors led to an internal downward pressure on the economy

Disagreements in FF

1. Disagreements over economic policies within Fianna Fail 1951-1954

2. Minister for Finance, Sean MacEntee wanted austerity and a deflationary policy

3. Minister for Industry and Commerce, Sean Lemass, wanted to pursue a policy of expansion and investment in the economy

4. MacEntee won the argument

5. Fianna Fail changes policy when returned to power in 1957.

The IRA Border Campaign

1. In 1956 the IRA launched ‘Operation Harvest’

2. A military campaign attacking RUC stations on the border from the South

3. During an attack on Brookeborough Barracks in Fermanagh, Sean South and Fergal O’Hanlon were killed

4. Thousands attended South’s funeral in Limerick

5. While few people supported the Border Campaign – many people had sympathy with the republican cause

 

Government Response

1. John A. Costello’s Second Inter-Party Government took strong measures - introduced internment.

2. Widespread arrests took place and most IRA leaders were interned

3. Clann na Poblachta withdrew its support for the government and the government collapsed

4. In 1957 election Sinn Fein won 4 seats

Unemployment

1. Unemployment was widespread during the 1950s

2. Economic depression was compounded with austerity polices

3. Unemployed protests took place

1957 – 78,000 were unemployed

4. Welfare only paid for six months – many long-termed unemployed

Emigration

1. During the 1950s almost 500,000 people left Ireland

2. 16% of the entire population

3. Three out of every five children who grew up in Ireland in the 1950s left the country at some point

4. Only 2 European countries saw population decline in the 1950s – East Germany and Ireland