organisation; Given over to a governing church body.
At the turn of the decade (1870) The land act was introduced in parliament
It would see the land situation in Ireland move from a territorial landlord system;
To a state of owner occupancy. There were also bright clauses which allowed the tenant to buy their land. Those who could not afford to buy their land had fixed rents.
In 1881 The land commission was set up to oversee the distribution of land.
Land reform was emerging; Grants of up to 75% were being distributed;Those who
Participated in government schemes received 100% grants.
In 1891 the Balfour Act was introduced; Alternative method of payment was introduced in then form of bonds. The government would find all manner of way to free up the land,and lift the burden of the exchequer.
In the latter half of the nineteenth century the parliamentarian responsible for aiding change in Ireland ,was Charles Stewart Parnell.(1846-91)
Parnell was a prominent member off the house of commons, he was often found opposing Gladstones government; Engaging in great oratory dispute about Ireland.
Bringing no comfort to Westminster MPs he constantly reminded the government that (5) ‘Ireland was not merely a fragment of geographical interest but a nation.’
Parnell was involved in the land issue in his personal life as well as in Westminster.
At one point he was invited by Michael Davitt,a former prominent member of the fenian movement, to become leader of the land league which he accepted but denied any part in the agrarian struggle attached to the land war.
Parnells connection with Davitt and the land war was termed as the new departure.
(6)A compact arrived at between Parnell, Davitt and (fenian leader)John Devoy,
in June 1879 which provided the basis for effective prosecution of the land war.
Parnell arrived at the understanding that land issues in Ireland were more important
To the lay person than politics; and if he could give them support ,they would in turn
Provide the home rule movement with the support it deserved to get noticed.
However in1882 after signing the kilmainham treaty the chief and under secretary of Dublin administration were killed by republicans whilst walking in Pheonix park.
Parnell used this as an opportunity to break free from the land league and set up a new organisation ‘The Irish national league’whose aim would be home rule.
After the general election in 1885 Parnell would be leader of an 86 strong party in
Westminster.
Running concurrently (1885) was the setting up of the Irish patriotic and loyalist movement.(the province of Ulster was 75% protestant of Anglican descent and wished to remain loyal to the british crown.)
set up to encourage unionist support to oppose home rule. This organisation had strong parliamentary influence in Westminster and would use its influence to defiantly oppose home rule. In return British parliamentarians would see obvious electoral possibilities.
In 1886 Gladstone introduced the first home rule bill. The bill was not successful.
Land issues surrounding Ireland during this period (1860-1900) were very bitter. Many MPs in London possessed land in Ireland
And did not want to give it up. The land was reaping significant dividends. It was fertile and good for grazing livestock.
Britain had used Ireland as an important outlet for british goods en-route to America.
The legacy of the famine had also meant the way was open for more British buyers to acquire the land. Those who could afford to buy were obviously anti-home rule.
There were strong links with Britain.
Ulster was thriving in industry in Linen, flax and wool.
Big buisness’ such as Harland&Wolff were also dependant upon ties with Britain to further their economic prosperity, and in turn that of the people of Belfast.
It was feared that a break in those ties would cause such buisness’ like Harland&Wolff to pull out of the north and become re-established in Britain.
Fears were also growing amongst protestant unionists that an independent Ireland would mean a loss of identity; for those whose roots were firmly established as belonging to Britain; A loss of culture and religion.
( 1886 ) In the shadow of a second failed home rule bill;which was accepted in the house of commons(Feb1883)but rejected in the house of lords, Gladstones liberals fractured and tory leadership prevailed.Gladstone retired.
The unelected lords in the house of commons had a permanent veto over all legisation . they were not in favour of an independent Irish government.
There was a sense of imperialism; Some parliamentarians considered Irish Catholics unfit to run the country; deeming the Catholic people to be backward.This racism was strengthened by outbursts of violence from the fenian movement.
Protestants feared a Catholic parliament would give rise to sectarian laws.
More realistically perhaps there was a fear amongst parliamentarians that an independent Ireland could potentially join forces with the enemies of Britain should war break out, and that Ireland could be used as a back door.
Being in power after Gladstones retirement the tories came up with the idea of ‘constructive unionism’ or ‘killing home rule with kindness.’
They sought to improve roads, also railways; and developed cottage industries.
1898 saw the introduction of the local government act; which introduced local county and district councils.
Despite kindness the quest for home rule was not satisfied. In fact, constructive unionism only served to further the desire; As nationalist councils were substituted for unionist.
Other developments within the catholic community were also evolving.
1884 Saw the formation of the Gaelic Athletic Association(GAA) Set up to oppose british born sports such as rugby and soccer.
The Gaelic League(1893) were also responsible for an Irish literary revival.
Douglas Hyde(academic and cultural revivalist 1860-1949) and Eoin Mc Neill( were calling upon Irish men and women to abandon the illogical thinking of setting down their native tongue of Gaelic to take up speaking English.
Hyde re-buffed the Irish for reading English books.
The Gaelic league enjoyed a measure of success and by 1900 hundreds of clubs were born across Ireland.
Republicans were threaded throughout the GAA and Gaelic League; Catholics were encouraged to be Gaelic and Free.
August14 1903 The Wyndham land act is passed in the house of commons; It encourages landlords to sell their entire estate.
In 1906 The tories had just lost the general election.
Ironically before there departure they had removed the house of lords veto opposing home rule.
In 1912 the third home rule bill was introduced to the house of commons.
It would be passed in 1914.
By terms of legislation the power of the upper house had been emasculated.
Henceforth any bill passed in the house of commons in three successive sessions; (each roughly equivalent to about one year) would automatically become law, even without the lords approval.
Meanwhile british crown forces had other ideas; As had minister for war Colonel John Seely; Alongside director of military operations General (later field marshall) Sir Henry Wilson.
A british version of the Ulster Covenant had been launched in the british press by a lord Alfred Milner; Partially written by Seely and dictated by Wilson; Which read:
‘I…of…earnestly convinced of the claim of the government to carry the home rule bill
Without submitting it to the judgement of the nation; Do here-by solemnly declare that if that bill is passed I shall hold myself justified in taking or supporting any action that may be effective to prevent it being put it into operation.’(esp.in Ulster)
In the early 20th Century in Belfast a certain Quaker Bulmer Hobson and Catholic Denis Mc Cullough founded an organisation called ‘The Dungannon Clubs. They preached seperatism, attacked recruiting to the crown forces the navy or police.
Hobson and Mc Cullough agreed with Griffith; That there was no such thing as English mercy.
Griffith inverted the argument of Cooke more than a century previously:
‘Ireland has maintained a representation of 103 men in the English parliament for 108
years …The 103 Irishmen are faced with 567 foreigners …Irishmen will marvel they once believed the proper battle-ground for Ireland was one chosen and filled by Irelands enemies.’
The Dungannon Clubs began to merge with the Sinn Fein movement; A name given to those who supported Irish Independence; as opposed to home rule.)
The name in English means ‘And Ourselves’
