Biggest Effect on Ireland

The Easter Rising had a big immediate effect on the public; the public were forced to see how the rebels were wrong to oppose the British army.  This opinion changed dramatically over a period of a few days, due to the Irish Rebels being executed without trial, they were seen as martyrs and many of the Irish turned against the British government and support Sinn Fein, thanks to Maxwell. The British has been so keen to break up the rebel group that they had imprisoned over 3000 people, when only 1600  had took an active part. This was one of the biggest immediate impacts on Ireland as the people willingly choose to go against the British. This had a big impact on how the people decided to vote in parliament.

This led to most people voting for Irish independence. In 1918 the revolutionary nationalist party Sinn Fein won the general election. Most MPs refused to go to London and wanted to set up their own parliament, a new parliament was set up in the North but not all counties were included. Sinn Feinn declared Ireland independent. In 1919 the IRA were set up, they decided to use force to make sure that Ireland got its independence, a war broke out called the Anglo-Irish War. It was a start of a two year guerrilla war fought against the British forces. The British troops were Black + Tans (old WW1 soldiers). Through the two years both sides committed appalling acts, most attacks were on Protestants on the Ulster border. This led to the partition and most people wanted peace, and didn’t want the constant fighting between the two sides. The partition of treaty was set up in 1921 by Lloyd George, originally proposed in 1920 it was finally agreed in 1921. Six of Ulster’s nine counties became a self governing Northern Ireland with its own Parliament in Belfast. In total there were twenty six counties which were self governing.  There were many debates over the Irish border and where it should be.

There was many long term effects, of the partition treaty. There is still discrimination between Catholics and Protestants, mainly being that Catholics were made to feel like second class citizens.