The Republic of Ireland became an independent nation through a series of political events that occurred between 1800-1949. These events correlate to each other, and are critical for Ireland becoming what it is today.
Ireland, otherwise known as Éire in Gaelic Irish, became a republic in 1949. It had represented a long battle for independence from Britain, dating back to the middle of the 12th century. After the success of the Anglo-Norman intervention that had began in 1167, by 1171 Ireland had become a colony of Britain (2). This meant that the King of England, King Henry II, would be the country’s new lord (2). Throughout the next 600 years or so, Irish resentment against the British would continue to arise. With attempted rebellions, and resistance to British rule and religion, resulted the establishment of the Act of Union in 1800 (16, pg 420). From this Act, followed the Great Potato Famine in 1845 (16, pg 420). With the amount of carelessness shown by the British government, came the result of Home Rule (16, pg 420). This was an idea presented in 1870, which carried out into the early 20th century (16, pg 420-421). Development of the group Sinn Féin as well as others carried out these beliefs in Home Rule, resulting in the Easter Rising. Easter Rising was a turning point – it was one of the first major acts towards gaining Irish independence. In 1919 the Anglo Irish War, began, and from there result a civil war between the northern and southern states of Ireland ( ). In 1949, Ireland declared themselves a republic – finally gaining full independence as a nation ( ).
The Act of Union 1800 was established as a result of the rebellion in 1798 (12, pg 1). The rebellion consisted of not only Irish troops, but French tro...
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... emigration, and disease (12, pg 4). This feeling would become a legacy that would shape political developments at the end of the 19th century (ibid), including the idea Home Rule.
Home Rule emerged shortly after the potato famine in 1870 (10, pg 73). The Irish Parliamentary Party established this idea, seeking to encourage national pride, and by doing so the Irish Parliament would be re-established (10, pg 73). This was to be accomplished through a revival of the language, sport, and culture (12, pg 9). Promoting Home Rule seemed like a positive notation, but problems did arise. Pope Leo XIII, the Catholic hierarchy of Ireland, opposed the idea of Home Rule, because the leader of the movement, Charles Stewart Parnell, was a Protestant (10, pg 73). This issue would continue to grow well into the 20th century, dividing Ireland into two separate groups (10, pg 73).
Document 4 says, “The curse of the Popery, with its degrading idolatry and corrupting priesthood, is the root of Irelands misery.” The English Presbyterian that states this represents what the English people thought of the Irish. The Irish were not as developed as the English and the English did go in and industrialize in certain areas such as Ulster and parts of Dublin. Even though Ireland did gain wealth as Document 5 states, most of the money stayed within the Protestant population that came from England and Scotland. Document 5 blames it on the Irish character and the in general stupidity of the Irish people. The English also felt that if the Irish were given “Home Rule” then they would persecute against the Protestants in the north. Document 7 says that the worst people of Ireland (Catholics) will be under control of the best people of Ireland (Protestants). Eventually this was resolved when Ulster stayed a part of the United Kingdom. The Irish Catholics partially got
* Pearce and Adelman B believed that Ireland benefited from the Union, especially after 1829, and ‘maintenance of the Union therefore became the bedrock of British policy for almost the next 100 years’. * Policies were often based on ignorance of the situation – the British tended to try to get away with as little as possible. For example, the Maynooth Grant 1845, Land Acts 1870 and 1881, the attempt to push Home Rule on the Irish in 1920 * ‘Irish practical problems were turned into English political ones’ (e.g. land) – something that they were n’t. Legislation was considered and judged in an English context, not in an Irish one.
The Irish Famine 1845-1849 “Is ar scáth a chiéle a maireann na daoine” “It is with each other’s protection that the people live” From the Fifteenth through to the Nineteenth centuries English Monarchies and Governments had consistently enacted laws which it seems were designed to oppress the Irish and suppress and destroy Irish Trade and manufacturing. In the Penal laws of 1695 which aimed to destroy Catholicism, Catholics were forbidden from practicing their religion, receiving education, entering a profession, or purchasing or leasing land; since Catholics formed eighty percent of the Irish population, this effectively deprived the Irish of any part in civil life in their own country. In the eighteenth century the Irish condition had improved: The Irish merchant marine had been revived and ports improved, and the glass, linen, and clothing industries developed. Agriculture had also been improved and in 1782 the Irish Constitution was formed.
In 1912 British parliament gave home rule to Ireland. Home rule is when a country who is ruled by another country is giving the ability to govern its self. However some people in Irelands Northern counties did not want home rule. They wanted to remain governed by Britain. So the people in the Northern Counties (Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone) remained under British rule while the Southern Counties formed the Republic of Ireland. Shortly after the formation of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland hostilities pushed these two countries to the brink of civil war. This was prevented by the start of World War I.
In order to legitimise a regime or cause, traditions may be constructed around historical or mythological events, people or symbols that reinforce the image required to focus people’s conception of the past. People can be encouraged to invent a cohesive view of their shared ‘traditions’ by what could be called cherry picking bits of history.
The British occupation of Ireland began in the 1640’s and lasted until 1922. No other occurrence throughout Irish history has had a greater impact on the lives of the citizens of the country. Along with the act of occupation came the emergence of Protestantism, which conflicted with the traditional religion of Ireland, Catholicism. The English occupation of Ireland affected many aspects of Irish history from the potato famine to the War for Independence. However, Irish nationalism came to a boiling point April of 1916, in what is now known as the Easter Uprising. The uprising lasted 6 days and resulted in massive casualties, but furthered the liberation cause for the Irish.
Irish Republican Army – The IRA held the belief that all of Ireland should be its own independent republic from England. After WWI ended, Irish local started the Irish War for Independence in 1919, where the English eventually settled and made a treaty for the Irish. In 1922 the IRA rejected the Anglo-Saxon Treaty, and fought again for Irish independence, where they were eventually defeated. In the film “The Wind That
Immediately following the merging of Ireland and Great Britain as the United Kingdom as a result of the Act of Union of 1801 there were Irish nationalists who despised the idea of Ireland not being able to rule itself politically. In order to demonstrate their desire to be a separate, free nation, violent ambushes and rallies took place, the more significant ones led by Daniel O’Connell who was a leader of a group called the Repeal Association who showed their objection to the Union. This is significant because it shows that England was very fearful of not being as strong of a nation as it was so the House of Lords rejected the Home Rule Bill starting back in 1886 and continued denying it until 1914 when it was finally enforced. One could assume that the reason that it was enforced during this time period was because it was around the time in which World War I took place so England did not need more nations on its hands to worry about. However, this was not the only reason that the Bill was accepted.
When the Articles of Confederation were in use, America was a young nation still recovering from a costly war. The central problem by the early 1780...
First off, it is important to understand the political and social whereabouts of Northern Ireland from 1898 to gage the changes that have been made in policy. Before 1921, the North and South of Ireland were under British rule. When the government of Ireland Act 1920 partitioned the island of Ireland into two separate states, Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland, the North of Ireland remained under British rule while...
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republic revolutionary military organization. It came from the Irish volunteers, which were created on November 25, 1913. The Irish volunteers started the Easter Rising in order to end the British Rule in Ireland, leading them to be titled as the Irish Republican Army in January 1919. In 1919, the Irish volunteers became confirmed by Irish Nationalists, Dail Eireann and were recognised as a legitimate army. The IRA raged Guerilla warfare against the British from 1919-1921, creating the Irish War of Independence. The IRA was active from January 1919 to March, 1922, though they are inactive now. The IRA’s main leader was IRA army council. Their headquarters were in Dublin Ireland, but they also operate out the United Kingdom, throughout Ireland, and Northern Ireland. The IRA was funded by extortion, bank robberies, and donations from their descendants. The Irish Republican Army’s main goal was to become independent from Great Britain.
Diplomacy does not happen overnight, and the true tale of hardship and bickering over Northern Ireland is proof of that. Ireland and England failed to agree on who held the power of Northern Ireland for over 30 years until the Good Friday Agreement, a form of diplomacy between the countries, took place. Before that time, many soldiers and innocent citizens of Northern Ireland lost their lives. Religious fights broke out between Catholic and Protestant residents. Political figures from countries like Wales and the United States came together to help put an end to the bitter relations of the European countries (Delaney). After many years of hard feelings and failed attempts at bringing peace to Ireland and England, the countries came together to try to work things out. Slowly, Northern Ireland created its own identity, and the troubles started to fade away.
In 1916, the political climate in Ireland was dangerously volatile, but few Irish citizens realized they were at the edge of an abyss. Most nationalists, William Butler Yeats included, were content with a promise by the British government to grant Ireland moderate independence, in the form of Home Rule, at the close of World War I.
Of all of the things that could have happened in Ireland, the Easter Uprising was by far the most unpopular thing to do in the eye of the Dublin public. The majority of people in Dublin at the beginning of the 20th century did not want the Uprising to happen, because it would postpone the ability to gain their independ...
The Catholic Church had a great influence on Social policy in Ireland which began in the 19th Century. They worked from two broad headings; the teaching influence and the practical influence.