The authenticity of these movements were established when Lord Randolph Churhill paid a visit to the province.
Churchill promised Irish unioists that Britain would be there for them in their hour of need. His sentiment was important in birthing a solid commitment of the conservative party in Ireland.
There was also of course electoral possibilities as stated; and Churchill played the orange card.
His cry was one of ‘Ulster will fight and Ulster will be right.’
He saw this ‘orange card’ as a political opportunity to exploit Gladstones conversion to home rule. He would use Irish Unionist votes to make the way to also bring change into Britain.
Unionism would be beneficial for all.
William Ewart Gladstones government introduced the 1st home rule bill on 25th January 1886.
Needless to say it did not go down well with Ulster loyalists and politicians.MPs and Orangemen came together to form a separate Irish unionist party in parliament.
The idea was introduced by an ex-military man, Col. Edward Saunderson(1837-1906) 0nce a liberal MP he had shifted to conservatism.
The first leader of Irish Unionism; He directed his attack on the 1886 home rule bill.
Ideally Saunderson was not targeting Catholics in a sectarian sense. However, His unionist commitment saw the need for him to support the orange order in an unstable Northern Ireland.
The election results of 1885/86 had highlighted boundaries in politics. The fragile position of southern unionists accounted for a more reasoned and less aggressive approach.Southern Unionists were more tolerant of Catholics than their northern counterparts. Their necessary social integration (being in the minority) had made them more dependant upon their catholic neighbours emotionally and economically.
They did on the other hand have influence at Westminster and were well intergrated with British conservatives, where they were said to have direct access to the corridors of power.
Southern unionists had something else in common with the conservatives. They possessed land both in Ireland and Britain; They were buisness men, responsible for the back-drop of protestant economical support throughout the Island.
They shared the same economic interests should home rule spiral out of control ie progress to the division of land.
They endeavoured to bombard the british mainland with anti- home rule propaganda, and maintained a constant channel of communication.
Gladstone successfully retained his position in the general election of 1892. The Irish question was still his burning passion. He argued extensively that unionists who reject the democratic rights of the majority (regarding the whole Island) are being unreasonable.
He declared his ‘chief political interest was to pacify Ireland’
The second home rule bill would quickly follow the 1892 election. Being introduced in February 1893.
A succession of conservative MPs flooded into Ulster to remind unionists that Britain would again, not desert them in their hour of need.
In Westminster debating in the house of commons lasted for more than 80 days; as Saunderson adapted the waiting it out tactics of Charles Stewart Parnell; MP for home rule.
The second home rule bill was accepted in the house of commons, but rejected in the house of lords. The final outcome for unionists was a great triumph.
In 1894 Gladstone retired; home rule ambition had been thwarted; unionists felt they could breathe easy; at least for a while.
(Unionist alliance maintained a united front until the second decade of the 20th century. By that stage unionists had developed a powerful regional identity.)
Other events started to arise. A populist protestant leader took offence at Saunderson. He led a break away faction to form the ‘independent orange order’ in 1903.
Another significant development within unionism was the formation of the Ulster unionist council in1905 (UUC) It promised much greater grass roots participation within unionism. The UUC shifted the focus toward a more representative and localised movement.
After Saundersons death in 1906; the Irish unionist leader was briefly replaced by Walter Long; who served four years; until he won a seat in the London election of January 1910.
Long was replaced with Edward Carson (1854-1935) Son of a liberal middle class family who would become a southern unionist.
Educated at Trinity college Dublin and called to the Irish Bar; he made a meteoric rise to the top of the legal profession. He became crown prosecutor, attorney general, and later a lordship.
Appointed solicitor general of Ireland in 1892 and solicitor general of England in 1900. He became a prominent MP at Westminster in the first decade of 1900. He was a successful and skilled orator.
In 1910 Carson accepted the position of leader of the Irish Unionist and parliamentary party. (IUPP)
During proposals for home rule in 1912-14 he fought the Unionist cause in Westminster against the leader of the liberals; British prime- minister (1908-17) Herbert Henry Asquith;(1852-1928) who was in favour of home rule.
He encouraged popular belligerence and tried to a force settlement by the threat of militancy.
In 1914 it brought Ireland close to civil war.
In 1912 the third home rule bill was introduced to the house of commons. It would be passed in 1914, irrespective of House of Lords opposition; owing to a veto opposing home rule, being lifted by the conservative government previously .
The liberals at this time had come to power again.
However, it would not assume to be. Suspicion had arisen within republican circles; when Ulster and British covenants appeared in Irish and British newspapers, advocated by high ranking officials; such as the minister for war Col. John Seely, The last paragraph being dictated by the director of military operations, General (later field marshal) Sir Henry Wilson. Stating:
‘The armed forces of the British crown will do everything in its power to prevent the home-rule bill being put into effect; Especially in Ulster; were the population is predominately protestant.’
Meanwhile the British away, were fighting in the 1st world war and many Irishmen who claimed neutral ground had also conscripted.
Irish Republicans saw this as an opportunity to follow the dictum of (1798 rebellion leader) Theobald Wolffe Tone; citing ‘Englands difficulty will be Irelands opportunity.’
On (Easter week) 24th April 1916 @ 12 noon, the city of Dublin was taken over by Irish Republicans, fighting for Irish independence from Britain.
Many buildings in the city centre were destroyed and over four hundred people were killed. Including some civilians.
It would be the beginning of the end for British rule in Ireland.
On 6th December 1921 after continued political debate between Britain and Ireland. stemming from the war of 1916. Michael Collins (1890-1922) (minister for finance in the first Irish Dail) and Arthur Griffith (1871-1922) (president of the Irish Dail 1919/20 in De Valeras absence and again in 1922) Plenipotentiary Representatives of Ireland; travelled to Downing Street where after long debate, they Signed an official document.
The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed in the presence of British prime-minister David Lloyd George, which set free 26 counties in Ireland out of a possible 32.
It gave dominion status and a remarkable degree of political autonomy.
Unionism had faced a monumental defeat in the South, East and West of Ireland.
There only remained for protestants the North of the Island. (which today in 2006 sits at 51-49 percentage in favour of protestants.)
Sir Edward Carson continued to be involved within various areas of politics. He remained leader of the Unionist movement until 1921.
