UNIONIST
OPPOSITION TO HOME
RULE 1886-1920
Mr. P. Montgomery
Importance of 1886
• Gladstone converted to idea
of Home Rule for Ireland
• First HR Bill introduced in
Commons
Unionist Reaction - mass opposition
• political - many Unionists believed that a
Nationalist-dominated parliament in Dublin would
be a disaster, that home Rule would lead to total
chaos and was only the first step on the road to
a republic being created
• religious - for many the slogan was "Home Rule is
Rome Rule" - belief was that the Catholic Church
in Ireland had too much power and influence over
nationalist politicians
• economic - the areas where Unionism was
strongest, North east Ulster had a great number
of industries that depended on Britain as a source
of raw materials and as a vast market because of
the size of the British empire overseas
Reaction of British Unionists
• Imperialist argument - if one part of the British
empire gets some degree of independence - may
lead to the eventual breakup of the whole empire
• Defense - Home rule may eventually lead to full
independence and that could cause problems for
Britain in the event of future wars when Ireland
could be used by enemies for the invasion of
Britain.
• Economic - Ireland was an important market for
British products
• Political - the Irish were simply not capable of
running their own affairs
• Religious - fellow-Protestants must not be
abandoned to be ruled by a catholic-dominated
Parliament in Dublin
Main result of 1886 HR Bill
• Orange order revived
• Unionist Party emerged
• support of leading
Conservatives and many
Liberals
• Bill defeated
1893 Second HR Bill
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•
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•
•
Gladstone and Liberals - Back in govt.
Bill passed in Commons
defeated in Lords
Ulster Defense Union created
gave Unionists a sense of security
Conservatives back in power until 1905
Parliament Act of 1911
• Liberals back in power
• needed support of Redmond to pass
Parliament Act
• deprived Lords of veto
• bleak outlook for Unionists
• HR now seemed inevitable
Unionist Reaction
• mass opposition
• Carson and Craig emerge as leaders
• also got support of leading Conservatives
e.g. Bonar-Law
• Ulster Solemn League and Covenant signed
1912
• UVF formed
• Larne gunrunning
• Curragh mutiny
British Response
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special Conference in July 1914
W.W.I began in August
HR put "on hold" until war ended
idea of 2 Parliaments in Dublin AND
Belfast emerges in 1918
• Government of Ireland Act passed in 1920
• came into effect in May 1921
• Parliament in Belfast opened by King