history
summary of the 1916 rising
‘England’s difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity’.
I.R.B. set up Military Council to plan rebellion (forceful overthrow of British rule in
Ireland)
Pearse, MacDiarmada, Clarke and Connolly joined.
Rising set for Easter Sunday 1916.
Roger Casement sent to Germany to get arms. Aud was captured off the Kerry coast.
I.R.B. tricked MacNeill and the Irish Volunteers into planning to join the rebellion.
MacNeill discovered he had been tricked and cancelled IVF support for the Rising.
Plans for nationwide rebellion were in ruins, but Military Council decided to go ahead
in Dublin on Easter Monday, 1916.
1,500 members of the I.R.B. and Irish Citizen Army took over key buildings, e.g.
Boland’s Mills, Jacob’s Factory, Stephen’s Green and the GPO (this became the HQ).
Pearse read the Proclamation of the Irish Republic on the steps of the GPO and
raised the tri-colour.
Helga bombed the city from the Liffey.
After 6 days Pearse surrendered unconditionally to General Sir Maxwell.
500 killed.2,500 injured.
£3 million damage done.
British interned (jailed without trial) 2,000 people.
Executed 15 by firing squad, including Pearse, Connolly, MacDonagh, Clarke and
Plunkett.
Originally Irish people were angry at the rebels but soon public opinion began to
change and support the rebels following the execution.
Militarily the Rising was a failure but changed public opinion as people now wanted
a totally independent Ireland.
Newspapers mistakenly called the Rising the ‘Sinn Fein Rising’ => support for Sinn
Fein grew rapidly after the Rising.
1918 election => Sinn Fein 73 seats, Home Rule Party => 6.
Summary of Cumann na nGaedheal and Fianna Fail
Cumann na nGaedheal, led by Cosgrave ruled the Irish Free State 1923-32
Set up an Garda Siochana
Set up national army and suppressed army mutiny
Constitution set up Dail and Seanad
1923; joined League of Nations
1924; appointed Ambassador to US
Public Safety Act passed
Kevin O’Higgins introduced independent judiciary
Established A.C.C. (Agricultural Credit Corporation)
1926; Dev founds Fianna Fail
E.S.B. set up
1927 Electoral Amendment Act
1931; Statue of Westminster
DeV and FF won 1932 election
Abolished oath of allegiance and Governor-General.
1937: Douglas Hyde = first President
Wrote Bunreacht na hEireann
A.C.A. (Army Comrades Association/Blueshirts) set up to protect C na G meetings
1933 DeV banned march -> joined C na G to form Fine Gael
Economy -> protectionism (tariffs/taxes on imports)
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Economic War = DeV stopped paying land annuities, Brit put taxes on Irish
goods, Ireland put taxes on Brit goods -> very bad for economy
1938- Anglo-Irish Treaty -> DeV payed one off payment instead of
annuities, Treaty Ports given to Ireland = made neutrality possible during WWll