The Irish Revolutionary Period: The Political And Political Impacts Of Irish Independence

The Irish Revolutionary Period encapsulates several political and social clashes across the nation centered around the pursuit of autonomy and sovereignty from Great Britain. Between 1913 and 1923, the country was characterized by widespread violence and civil unrest that culminated in civil war. The period was extremely influential because of its ability to shape public opinion regarding Irish independence. The Irish nationalist perspective drastically shifted from supporting Home Rule and the Irish Parliamentary Party to advocating for republicanism and Sinn Féin leadership. Further, popular opinion moved towards a consensus that the only acceptable form of independence was the achievement of a republic. The impact of the Irish Revolutionary
Many of these citizens supported the Third Home Rule Bill, which proposed a greater degree of Irish political autonomy by replacing the British administration at Dublin Castle with an Irish parliament (UCD). In this circumstance, Britain still maintained influence over Irish affairs and required Irish members of parliament to hold seats in Westminster. After being introduced in the House of Commons on April 11th 1912, the bill garnered support from the Liberal Party and the Irish Parliament Party, led by John Redmond, but also received heavy opposition from the Conservative Party and the Irish Unionist Party. It passed by 367 votes to 257 when read a third time at the House of Commons in 1913, yet was defeated in the House of Lords by a vote of 326 to 69 (UCD). Due to the Parliament Act of 1911, however, the House of Lords’ veto power was restricted. As Annie G. Porritt writes in her 1913 Political Science Quarterly article titled “The Irish Home Rule Bill”, “home rule for Ireland will be the first fruits of the great constitutional change which has destroyed the power of the House of Lords to annul Liberal legislation and has left it only the power to delay” (Annie G. Porritt,
Almost 240,000 people signed the Ulster Solemn League and Covenant in opposition to the Home Rule Bill (UCD). The Ulster Volunteer Force was formed by Sir Edward Carson in 1913, composed of approximately 80,000-110,000 members vowing to defend any attempts to impose Home Rule (UCD). In turn, the Irish Volunteers was established and led by Eoin MacNeill to prevent the Ulster Volunteer Force from introducing a self-government in Ulster. Around 3,000 members initially joined the Irish Volunteers including Patrick Pearse, and by 1914 the group boasted between 130,000-180,000 members (UCD). However, John Redmond’s call to enlist in World War II quickly split the organization after Pearse and several other Irish Republicans signed a statement declaring that Ireland “cannot, with honour or safety, take part in foreign quarrels otherwise than through free action of a National Government of her own” (UCD). Pearse then established the secret Military Council within the Irish Brotherhood in May 1915, composed of only seven members. The polarization of these groups forced many Irish citizens to align themselves with one side of the debate or the other, leaving little room for cooperation or compromise on the