Irish Home Rule and the Troubles: A Historical Timeline
Unit 4: The Irish Question (Part II)
Home Rule Bills and the Rise of Sinn Fein
Three Home Rule Bills were proposed, with the first two being defeated in the British Parliament. The third was under debate when World War I began, prompting some rebels to seize the opportunity. In Dublin, republicans occupied several buildings, declaring Ireland’s independence. British troops responded with brutal force, executing the rebels, which deeply angered the Irish population.
A new political party, Sinn Fein, emerged but wasn’t immediately recognized officially. They established the Dail Eireann, their own Parliament. The Sinn Fein Prime Minister refused to attend the British Parliament in London, asserting the need for an independent Irish Parliament in Dublin.
Violence escalated between pro-independence groups, such as the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and the pro-union Royal Irish Constabulary.
The Anglo-Irish Agreement and the Irish Civil War
Prime Minister Lloyd George offered a compromise of autonomy. The Anglo-Irish Agreement led to Ireland’s partition and its establishment as a free state. This sparked the Irish Civil War between the Irish Free State Army and the IRA, fueled by:
- Ulster’s exclusion from the Free State.
- Ireland not being a fully independent republic.
- The required oath of fidelity to the British Crown.
The IRA was defeated, and the Irish Free State Army prevailed.
Eire and the Republic of Ireland
Eire subsequently became a “Sovereign Independent Democratic State.” With the declaration of the Republic, Ireland severed its ties with the British Crown and the Commonwealth.
The Troubles
An era known as “The Troubles” commenced, marked by civil rights campaigns. The first campaign arose from discrimination against the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland, with demonstrations across the region focusing on issues like housing allocation and voting rights (Catholics were often illegally disenfranchised).
The second significant event was the “Battle of the Bogside,” a demonstration that led to widespread riots in Derry. British troops intervened directly and were initially welcomed. However, the Provisional IRA launched terror campaigns against the British presence. In an attempt to quell the terrorism, the British government resorted to internment, arresting suspected IRA members without trial.
During this period, the tragic Bloody Sunday incident occurred, where members of the 1st Battalion of the British Parachute Regiment shot and killed civil rights protesters.
Direct Rule and Peace Efforts
Direct rule was imposed, with governance shifting between Stormont (the seat of the Northern Ireland government) and London. Thousands of troops were deployed to Northern Ireland. Hunger strikes were undertaken by political prisoners who demanded to be treated differently from common criminals.
A settlement was eventually reached, with the Republic of Ireland recognizing Northern Ireland as part of the UK and vice versa. The Anglo-Irish Agreement acknowledged Northern Ireland’s status while also recognizing the rights of its Catholic minority. This agreement garnered international support, except from unionists in Ulster.
The Downing Street Declaration, accompanied by a dual referendum, aimed to end the violence and grant more rights to the Catholic minority. A ceasefire was declared in 1994.
The Good Friday Agreement and its Aftermath
The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 granted both loyalists and nationalists equal rights of self-determination. The Catholic minority could choose between British or Irish citizenship, and those identifying as British could remain so.
The Omagh bombing, carried out by the “Real IRA” a splinter group opposed to the peace process, horrified the world and even the IRA itself. This attack has been described as “Northern Ireland’s worst single terrorist atrocity,” claiming both Catholic and Protestant victims.
With the decommissioning of weapons, “The Troubles” finally came to an end. While sporadic violence persisted, it was on a much smaller scale than before.