Era of Revolution and Change

1. Era of Revolution and Change

2. Causes Birrell was the Chief Secretary for Ireland John Redmond speaking publically about Home Rule Birrell, who was in attendance, also spoke in support of a Home Rule movement which, he stressed, encompassed everyone: young men and maidens to farmers, labourers, merchants, shopkeepers, pupils, teachers, professors, students, priests. Unlike the Ulster unionists, he added, ‘Its direction is not civil war. It is not separation. It is union and it is friendship’.

3. Overview of Home Rule • Bonar Law objection to Home Rule ‘corrupt bargain’ and vulnerability of unionists • 1912 3rd Home Rule Bill & held 84 seats in Westminster • Union resistance emerged – Ulster Solemn League and Covenant 1912 (470,000 signatures) • UVF – Carson and Craig • IVF – Eoin MacNeill supported Home Rule • Offered Home Rule within Home Rule 1914 • Difficult position – Tyrone and Fermanagh

6. HRP • 1914 Redmond takes over IVF -25 men to the Volunteer Provisional Committee (split) • WW1 disrupted HR bill coming into effect in September (3rd August Britain declare war on Germany) • Home Rule Bill (also known as the Government of Ireland Act passed 18th September but Asquith has avoided it coming into effect by passing the Suspensory Act. • Redmond asked IVF to fight for Britain – Woodbridge speech • 32, 000 but no Irish Brigade • Intensive Recruitment but no conscription

10. HRP • By 1915 Redmond in a weakened position – Westminster, HR Bill and divisions in Ulster • Coalition Govt – Redmond refused • By 1916 – post Easter Rising, Redmond was undermined. No Irish parliament, the war wasn’t over, the North and sympathy for the Rising • Success of the Sinn Fein Party in by elections February 1917 changed monopoly on political stance • Redmond dies 1918 and James Dillon takes over • Conscription was the nail in the coffin for the HRP as it showed moderate means were not working and that Westminster took no heed of Dillon. • 1918 Home Rule Party lost to Sinn Fein in the general election (84 votes down to 6)

11. Unionism • Aim – to stop Home Rule • Close links with Conservatives through land owning gentry • 1910 Carson elected as leader • Parliament Act and HRB alarmed Unionists • Andrew Bonar Law – supporter of Unionists (Ulsterman) even though they held only 19 seats • UVF –Richardson –grew in numbers and arms (1 million pounds, drills, • Ulster league and Covenant 1912 (470,000) • Partition – divided opinion Carson (Dublin) and Craig (believed in industry) guaranteed Antrim, Down, Armagh and Londonderry • County Option as a solution (Lloyd George and Churchill)

14. Unionism • Curragh Mutiny and Unionism • Larne Gun Running 1914 25,000 rifles • War and the Home Rule Bill • Ulster Bridgade • Carson becomes Attorney General of Coalition Govt. 1915

16. IRB • Known as republicans or separatists • Supreme Council • Influence of Tom Clarke’s leadership • Infiltrated Gaelic League and the IVF – MacDiarmada and Hobson • Padraig Pearse came on board in 1913 because of unionist threat • Problems with Redmond’s involvement in IVF. Clarke and MacDiarmada didn’t accept involvement from the Home Rule party • Howth Gun Running 26th July 1914 • WW1 – IRB divided in leadership – opportunity versus majority rules • Clarke, MacDiarmada, Plunkett, Ceannt, McDonagh and Pearse – rebellion • Roger casement and the Aud

17. 1916 Rising Britain’s difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity!

18. The role of the IRB • MacNeill was not planning a rebellion but extremists leaders like Tom Clarke and Sean McDermot saw this as a golden opportunity to stage a rebellion. • They convinced Patrick Pearse to join them. He was a teacher and edited the Gaelic League’s newspaper. He became spokesman for the movement. • Socialist James Connolly joined the movement when he realised it was a great opportunity to get rid of the British government.

22. Getting Help from Germany • From the British point of you one of the worst parts of the Easter Rising was the Irish attempts to bring in guns from Germany. • This was seen as treason of the highest kind. • Roger Casement was responsible for bringing in arms on the German ship The Aud during Easter 1916. This was the signal for the fighting to start. • This was all done in secret because the main leaders of the volunteers were opposed to armed rebellion.

23. The Big Decision • With their plans in ruins extremists had to decide whether to fight or not. • They decided the must at least try and they sent word to volunteers to prepare. • On Easter Monday about 1500 volunteers seized buildings around Dublin. They small number was due to MacNeill cancelling the orders. Leaders could only get word to those in Dublin. • Most of them expected to be slaughtered.

27. The Proclamation • Before the rising the leaders put together a Proclamation of Independence. • This was similar to the American declaration of independence and outlined why Ireland should have its independence. • Pearse read it aloud to the passing crowds from the steps of the GPO. • Seven people signed the proclamation (signatories). Patrick Pearse, Joseph Plunkett, Sean MacDiarmada, Thomas MacDonagh, Thomas Clarke, EamonnCeant, James Connolly.

28. Easter Week • The English were taken by surprise. • They concentrated their attack on the GPO. • They brought a gunship (Helga) up the Liffey and shelled O’ Connell street. They reduced it to ruins. • Ordinary Dublin citizens suffered terribly and over 300 were killed in the crossfire. • By Thursday the GPO was on fire and the following day Pearse ordered the surrender.

32. Executions • With Prime Minister Asquith preoccupied with the war in Europe he gave the British Army free hand to deal with the rebels. • They sentenced over 90 men and women to death. The executions began at once with Pearse, Clarke and MacDonagh among the first to die. • Fifteen men were shot before Asquith decided to stop them.

34. Reaction • Initially the people of Dublin had reacted negatively towards the rising. • They goaded the rebels and threw food at them as they were led away. • However they were appalled by the executions and soon began to support the rebels. • Soon they were celebrating the rebels as heroes who had stood up to the brutal British.

35. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqwt7r1Tizw

36. Sinn Fein Post 1916 Who is involved? IRB IRB Home Rule

37. Hi, my name is Arthur Griffith. I was not in favour of the Rising at first . When I found out it was happening, I offered my services but Pearse told me to go home and work on propaganda. I was arrested but Lloyd George let me go in a conciliatory move towards Ireland. I believed in Dual Monarchy but realised Sinn Fein needed to win seats and then use the policy of abstention.

38. Hi, my name is Redmond and I am the leader of the Home Rule Party. After 1916, I lost power because I accepted a temporary partition. When I died, James Dillon took over and in the 1918 Election, the party who I had fought so hard to maintain only won 6 seats. This was due to our handling of conscription.

39. Hi, my name is de Valera. I fought in the 1916 Rising at Boland’s Mills. I was released that year and vowed to fight for the cause. I was popular in prison and some called me a natural speaker and leader. Sinn Fein elected me president of the group in the 1917 ArdFheis. In 1918, we won 73 seats. On the 21st of January 1919, our party declared the first Dail. Here I became President of the Dail

40. Hi, I’m Michael Collins. I was involved in the 1916 Rising fighting in the GPO. I was arrested but then later released. I went on help set up the 2nd Sinn Fein becoming a member of the executive council. I was also Director of Intelligence for the IRB and then became Minister for Finance under the first Dail.

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42. The First Dail • 1st Dail – 21st Jan 1921 – Mansion House – 2hrs – 3main issues • Reasserted 1916 declaration of Independence • Set up a Cabinet – delegates for Paris Peace Conference • Social and Economic Reform

44. The First Dail • German Plot • 27 attended – de Valera elected President – in jail - Brugha acted on his behalf • Dail to ignore British administration • Read out all the names of elected TD’s including the Unionist Party • Sean T O’ Kelly – sent to look for self-determination • De Valera – President • CathalBrugha Minister for Defence • Collins – Finance • Cosgrave – Local Government • Plunkett – Foreign Affairs • Markievicz - Labour

45. What would you do? • Imagine you are a member of the first cabinet. What suggestions would you make in how you should run a country. What decisions would you need to make?

46. First Dail • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKSFVQxybuo

47. De Valera in America No support but 4 million dollars for the new Dail

48. Problems Successes The Dail Government • No Experience running a government • Threat of being arrested by British Government • De Valera wanted the support of the US with regards to self determination but they would support him. Why? • Sinn Fein rose in power and won lots of local elections. People supported them even though it meant giving up British grants. • Collins raised money for arms, propaganda and the running of local offices. • Arbitration courts set up with volunteers as police.Griffith realised they needed to set up a whole new legal and criminal system. They set up the Sinn Fein courts and also tried to replace RIC with an IRA force. They set up District courts (900 parishes), circuit courts and a Supreme court. Why was this important?

49. Successes and failures • British introduced proportional representation to stop Sinn Fein winning every seat – local elections. Won 28/33 councils. • Paris Peace Conference – Sean T O Kelly went to represent Ireland (they made valuable connections even though they were refused entry)

50. Accident or planned?? 1919,Dail meets for the first time Then.... 2 RIC Officers Killed!!!!