HOME RULE 1900 - 1914
To examine the home rule crisis at
the beginning of the 20th century.
1900 – 1909
• REUNION – By 1900 many Irish Nationalists were tired
of the fighting between the Parnellites and AntiParnellites and began to drift into the United Irish
League. This united the both groups with John Redmond
(Parnellite) becoming leader and John Dillon (antiParnellite) his deputy.
• LIBERALS RETURN – In 1906 the Liberals returned under
HH Asquith. They had a massive majority and did not
need Irish support, so Home Rule was not a priority.
• REFORMS – Birrell’s Land Act (1909) provided money for
land purchace, old age pensions were introduced,
National University of Ireland was established.
CONFLICT WITH THE LORDS
• 1909 BUDGET – A rejected budget in 1909 resulted in
Asquith calling a general election.
• BALANCE OF POWER – Dillon and the Home Rule Party
held the balance of power between the Liberals and
Conservatives after the election and used this position to
win a promise of Home Rule from Asquith and the Liberals.
• 3rd HOME RULE BILL – After the Lords’ veto had been
destroyed, the Third Home Rule Bill was introduced into
the Commons on 11th April 1912. This would give an Irish
parliament jurisdiction over all internal affairs except
taxation and police and Ireland would continue to send 40
MPs to Westminster. With the Lords two year delaying
power, it was expected to become law in 1914.
1st July 1914: John Dillon (1851-1927) and John Edward
Redmond (1856 - 1918) leaving Buckingham Palace in London
after the Home Rule for Ireland Conference
Can you identify any
possible problems the Third
Home Rule Bill might face?
1. English public
2. Conservatives
3. Irish Nationalists
4. House of Lords
5. International Issues
KEY FIGURES
John Redmond – Leader of the
Home Rule Party
John Dillon – Deputy of the
Home Rule Party
John Redmond – Key points
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born in 1856
mixed religious background
Home Rule MP
Plan of Campaign
Parnellite
Recess Committee
Home Rule Party reunited
United Irish League
social reforms
3rd Home Rule Bill in 1912
John Redmond – Biography
• John Redmond was born in 1856 into a wealth
merchant family in Co. Wexford. He was of mixed
religious background and attended Jesuit-run
Clongowes Wood College and Protestant Trinity
College. Redmond was impressed by Parnell and his
own father, a Home Rule MP and became a MP for New
Ross in 1881 after his father’s death. He was a good
public speaker and jailed for five weeks in 1888 for his
part in the Plan of Campaign. Redmond continued to
support Parnell during the O’Shea divorce case and was
elected leader of the Parnellite faction in 1891. Unlike
Parnell, Redmond worked with all political parties to
bring reform to Ireland.
John Redmond – Biography
• He took part in the Recess Committee, which
established the Department of Agriculture and
Technical Instruction in Ireland in 1899. He also
attempted to show unionists that they had nothing to
fear from Home Rule in Ireland. The Home Rule Party
reunited in 1900 with Redmond as leader and Dillon
(Anti-Parnellite) as his deputy. There was increased
interest in Home Rule and land rights with the United
Irish League. After years of being appeased with social
reforms – Evicted Tenants Act, Old Age Pension,
Universities Act and Land Act – success looked possible
with the 3rd Home Rule Bill in 1912. He defeated
Michael Davitt as MP for Waterford and held that seat
until his death in 1918.
OBJECTIONS TO HOME
RULE
• The two main objectors
to home rule were
Unionists and the
British.
What does this cartoon show?
What was
Unionism?
Unionists were
opposed to any
change to the 1801
Act of Union
between Britain and
Ireland – Ireland as
part of the United
Kingdom, governed
by one parliament.
Irish
Unionism
HISTORICAL
RELIGIOUS
Descended
from English
plantation
settlers.
Mainly Church
of Ireland,
Presbyterian
or Methodist.
UNIONISM
• ULSTER UNIONISTS – They came from different
backgrounds and churches in North East Ulster
but were united under the Orange Order. They
claimed to be more truly British than Catholics or
Nationalists.
• SOUTHERN UNIONISTS – They were scattered in
pockets throughout the country and were
associated with gentry, professions and Trinity
College. They were more tolerant of Catholics
than Ulster Unionists but were willing to use their
power to preserve their position of privilege.
Why did Unionists fear Home Rule?
• Loss of political control
– Unionists would become the minority, hold less positions and
become politically insignificant.
• Economic fears
– They believed that a HR parliament would want to protect
small industry and put tariffs on imports, which would harm
large industries in Northern Ireland like Harland and Wolff.
• Religion
– Nearly 80% of Ireland was Catholic and Unionists feared that
they would be controlled by the Church. Home Rule = Rome
Rule.
Why did Unionists fear Home Rule?
• Racial views
– Some Unionists believed that the Irish weren’t fit to govern
themselves. The stereotype of an Irish Nationalist was a
stupid, violent, ape-like figure.
– Was this view limited to the Irish? See p.84
• The British Empire
– The Empire was a source of pride, prosperity and security –
jingoism. They believed that the Empire would weaken and
Ireland would become inward looking.
• Fear of Irish Republicanism
– They were fearful of the violent elements of the Nationalist
movement, such as the IRB, and that without Britain, they
would have no protection.
BELFAST UNDER HOME RULE
Examine the cartoon,
which shows an imagined
Belfast under Home Rule,
and answer the following
questions:
1. Is this cartoonist for or
against Home Rule?
How do you know this?
2. What does the
cartoonist suggest will
be the future for Belfast
under Home Rule?
3. Give some details about
the leaders identified in
the statues.
See page 103 for picture
THE HOME RULE CRISIS
CARSON & CRAIG
Opposition to Home Rule was directed by
Dublin lawyer, Sir Edward Carson and
Belfast businessman, James Craig. Carson
was a brilliant speaker and organiser and
Craig financed the opposition. They had
support of the Conservatives and 400,000
men who signed the Solemn League and
Covenant in 1912, which promised to
fight Home Rule ‘using all means’. This
became militant as the Ulster Volunteer
Force (UVF) distributed (gave out)
ammunition. With support from the
British army, the UVF staged a rebellion
in the North without firing a single shot.
THE IRISH VOLUNTEERS
• In An Claidheams Soluis, Eoin
MacNeill claimed that Ulster
Unionists were practicing their
own Home Rule. MacNeill set up
and was elected Chief of Staff of
the Irish National Volunteers. By
1912 it had 75, 000 members
and Redmond nominated 25
members to its Provisional
Committee. Similar to the UVF,
the Volunteer ran guns and
ammunition into Howth in 1914.
They did not have the support of
the British army or police and
the troops shot into the jeering
crowd, killing three people.
END OF HOME RULE CRISIS
• King George V called the Home Rulers and the Unionists to
a Conference in Buckingham Palace to try and prevent civil
war.
• This became irrelevant when Britain entered into World
War I in 1914. The Third Home Rule Bill became law on 18th
September 1914 but its operation was postponed until after
the war. By this time it would become a dead issue.
• During the war Redmond pledged to defend Ireland and
encouraged Volunteer to join up to Irish regiments. Not all
Volunteers agreed with him and 10, 000 men remained
with MacNeill and pledged to keep the organisation
together until Home Rule was passed.
What are the different messages
in these two war posters?
John Redmond
Recruitment Poster
Sinn Fein
Protest Poster