Chapter 1

The Act of Union● Ireland had had its own

parliament and government in the 1780s but after the Act of Union 1800 Irish Members of Parliament had to travel to London and sit in Westminster with the MPs for England, Scotland and Wales

● Decisions and laws for Ireland mainly made from London

The British Parliament● Made up of the House of Lords and the House of

Commons● House of Commons (MPs elected by people in England,

Scotland, Wales, Ireland)● House of Lords (composed of Lords who inherited their

title)● Up till 1911 all laws had to be passed by a majority vote in

both houses● From 1912 the House of Lords could not block laws

permanently but could delay them for 2 years● House of Lords generally more conservative than the

House of Commons

Map showing United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1900

British Rule in Ireland around 1900● Laws regarding Ireland passed by the parliament in

London (103 Mps elected in Ireland out of total 665)● Decisions about Ireland made by British Prime

Minister and his cabinet of Ministers● Chief Secretary (was like the Minister for Ireland) ● Chief Secretary spent time running the Dublin Castle

(Dublin Castle administration organised taxes, education, police, courts etc...)

● Lord Lieutenant or Viceroy was the King or Queen's representative in Ireland (a ceremonial post rather than making decisions or administering the country)

Why did some people in Ireland want to maintain the Union with Britain and be ruled from

Westminster?

Irish Unionism● Religion: the British Parliament was majority

Protestant, an Irish Parliament would be dominated by Catholics ('Home Rule is Rome Rule') and might discriminate against Protestants

● Identity: people descended from Scottish and English Settlers during the Plantations felt a close link to Britain in terms of identity

● Economy: some people felt Irish economy would suffer if Ireland was independent or outside the British Commonwealth or Empire

In the 19th Century many British people and politicians opposed giving Ireland 'Home Rule' or

IndependenceWhy?

British Unionism● Empire: Some felt it would weaken the British Empire

and colonies would be lost like the American Colonies which had got Independence in the 1700s

● Anti-Irish Prejudice: some felt the Irish were wild and savage and not fit to govern themselves

● Defence: some were worried that enemies of Britain could use Ireland as a back-door to invade or attack Britain

● Economy: some felt it would be bad for the British Economy to lose control of Ireland

● Religion: some felt it was unfair to 'abandon' Irish Protestants to a Catholic dominated Irish parliament

Unionists political parties and organisations

● Up to the 1880s Irish unionists had voted for Liberal or Conservative politicians in Ireland but when it looked like Gladstone was going to bring in Home Rule (an Irish Parliament in Dublin) they set up unionist political parties

● The Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union● The Irish Unionist Party● The Orange Order was an organisation which

also strongly supported maintaining the union with Britain

Northern and Southern Unionists● There were unionists in all parts of Ireland but

there were far more in Ulster because of the Ulster Plantation in which many Scottish and English settlers had come to Ireland in the 1600s

● So unionists could be divided into 2 categories● Southern Unionists● Northern Unionists

NationalistsPolitical and Cultural

Nationalists in Ireland● Nationalist was the term used to describe people who

felt that the Irish were a separate 'nation' to the British● Cultural nationalists focussed on Irish culture: music,

language and literature● Political nationalists felt Ireland should Irish people

should have more control over the government of Ireland

● Moderate nationalists wanted Home Rule (Ireland would stay in UK but have its own parliament)

● Extreme nationalists wanted Ireland to be completely independent from Britain

Options for governing Ireland● Union with GB● Home Rule● Dual Monarchy● Independent Republic● Partition

Union with Britain● 1 parliament and 1

government in London for England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland

● Irish Members of Parliament have to travel to London

● King is head of State● Ireland part of British Empire

and Commonwealth● Same laws and army etc.. for

Britain and Ireland● Favoured by Unionists and

the Orange Order

Home Rule● Ireland would stay in the

British Empire● King would be head of State● Ireland would have same

currency, army etc.. as Britain

● But Ireland would have it own parliament, government, Prime Minister who would meet in Dublin and pass laws for Ireland

● Favoured by the Home Rule Party

Dual Monarchy

● Ireland would be completely independent from Britain (have its own government, laws, army etc..

● But the British King or Queen would also be King or Queen of Ireland

● This symbolic link with Britain was supposed to keep the Unionists happy

● Dual Monarchy was put forward by Arthur Griffith and (1st) Sinn Fein but later they favoured an Independent Republic

Independent Republic● Ireland would be

completely independent from Britain (have its own laws, parliament, army etc...)

● No king● Not part of British Empire

or Commonwealth● Favoured by the IRB

(Irish Republican Brotherhood)

Partition● This is what the

situation was after the War of Independence

● 6 counties of Northern Ireland are part of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

● 26 counties were Irish Free State and from 1949 a Republic

Keywords● Republicans (radical nationalists) wanted Ireland to

be completely independent from Britain● Home Rulers (moderate nationalists) wanted Ireland

to have its own Parliament and Government but willing to stay as part of United Kingdom

● Unionists wanted Ireland to be ruled from London by the Westminster Parliament (many protestants especially in Ulster were Unionists)