Ireland Flashcards
(42 cards)
What did Patrick Pearse say
‘Bloodshed is a cleansing and sanctifying things… there are many things more horrible than bloodshed, and slavery is one of them’
What could it be argued was Lloyd George’s biggest success after 1918
The Irish treaty of 1921
What had the suspension of the Home rule act done
It had only shelved the problem not solved it and indeed events continued to move forward in Ireland as indicated by the Easter rising
How did the Irish respond to WW1 at first
Thousands of Irish joined up. John Redmond and Edward Carson both urged their Irish and Ulster volunteers to support the war effort and many from both sides joined the British Army
What did Redmond do in August 1914
He took over as leader of the Irish Volunteers and renamed it the National Volunteers, the vast majority accepted his leadership
Who broke away from the National Volunteers
A number of men broke away because they disagreed with Irish participation in the war; the group under the leadership of Eoin MacNeill numbered over 10,000 by 1916.
They took the name ‘Irish Volunteers’ and self-rule remained their top priority
Who were the key figures planning the Easter Rising
- Tom Clarke
- Patrick Pearse
- James connolly
- sean McDermott
What happened in the Easter Rising
In 1916, along with 1000 armed rebels, these men seized the general post office in dublin on easter monday and posted up a signed proclamation announcing the establishment of the Irish republic.
How was the easter rising crushed
- The men had hoped for an invasion by german forces and a national uprising by the irish people but this did not happen
- Although the british were caught unaware, their military strength meant that the position of Pearse and his rebels was hopeless
- the Post office was bombarded and destroyed and fierce fighting spread throughout the city
What happened to the rebels immediately after the rising
Within a week the rebels had been hunted down
450 people had died and 2600 were wounded
How many men and women joined the rebels
Only about 1600 and there was no support outside of Dublin. The rebellion was condemned by the Catholic Church and by Redmond and the more moderate nationalists
When did Irish attitudes about the rebellion change
As a result of british actions:
- the 7 individuals who had signed the proclamation and eight others were all tried and shot
- more than 3000 people suspected of supporting the rising, directly or indirectly, were arrested
- some 1800 were sent to England and imprisoned there without trial
What did the poet W.B Yeats speak of
A ‘terrible beauty’ having been born; this was a reference to the ‘terrible’ nature of the violence and the ‘beauty’ of sacrifice
What did the rebels now become
They became martrys and anti-war and anti-Britain sentiment hardened
What did the rising do for Sinn Fein
It gained prestige at the expense of the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP)
A myth grew that Sinn Fein was behind the uprising and as anger towards Britain grew so did support for Sinn Fein
What did Lloyd George do after the rising
Lloyd George negotiated with Redmond, the IN leader, and Carson, the UU leader, and appeared to secure a settlement called the ‘heads of agreement’
What was the ‘heads of agreement’
It granted immediate home rule of the 26 counties of Southern Ireland with Ulster remaining part of the UK until after the war when its status would be finally settled
What was LG’s mistake
He gave the impression to Redmond that the separation of Ulster was only temporary, while reassuring Carson that it would be permanent. However, the deal was rejected by the unionist members of the coalition cabinet who believed that LG was going to far in appeasing IN
Who was Eamon de Velera
- he took part in the Easter Rising and was sentenced to death but later released
- he was elected president of Sinn Fein and in the following month became head of the Irish Volunteers
- This brought the military and political wings of Sinn Fein under his leadership
How was the shifting support for Sinn Fein shown in 1917
It was indicated by the election of Eamon de Valera as Sinn Fein MP for East Clare. His election was seen as ‘a vote for 1916’
How many Sinn Fein clubs were there throughout Ireland by 1917
there were 1200 Sinn Fein clubs with a total of about 250,000 members
What change increased hostility between Britain and Ireland
The british government extended conscription to Ireland in 1918
what did the gov do to try and improve relations and did it work
they released the reminder of the Easter rebels as a goodwill gesture at the end of 1917 but this did little to help
what was happening to the INP
- they were finally taking a stronger stand against Britain
- they marched out of WestMinster in protest to conscription and joined forces with Sinn Fein in organising a nationwide campaign
- However this alliance soon collapsed and support continued to swing towards Sinn Fein
