On July 26th 1914, a yacht sailed into the bay at Howth, near Dublin.
It was carrying one thousand guns - which were swiftly handed out to a battalion of the Irish Volunteers - a newly formed militia who wanted Irish independence.
The rifles were old and out of date – but the Volunteers were now armed…
They weren’t the only shipment of arms to arrive in Ireland, at a time when tensions over the future of the country were growing, and the North and South felt increasingly divided…
Belfast had overtaken Dublin to become Ireland’s largest city, and its place in the British Empire meant that its manufacturing sector was booming.
By contrast, the South was dependent on farming, and far poorer.
The majority Protestant population of the North were strongly committed to the Union of Britain and Ireland – to protect their cultural identity, their jobs, and their wealth.
In the majority Catholic South, a cultural revival movement had promoted the Irish language, and a strong sense of Irish identity. Politically, most people did not want to be ruled by London.
Some Nationalists believed in full independence for the whole island of Ireland. The Irish Republican Brotherhood, and the Irish Volunteers, were organising, and prepared to use force to bring about change….
But Northern Protestants were determined to never allow an end to British rule. The Ulster Volunteers had ten thousand members, armed and ready to fight.
Moderate Nationalists, though, hoped that change could be brought about without shots being fired…
The Irish Parliamentary Party, led by John Redmond, were moderate nationalists who campaigned for Home Rule.
The idea of Home Rule was for Ireland to stay part of the United Kingdom, with a devolved parliament in Dublin governing over matters such as transport or education.
Redmond’s vision was popular, and the IPP had won huge support in the 1910 general election.
British Prime Minister Herbert Asquith had a majority of just one. He needed the IPP’s support. In exchange, he agreed to Home Rule for Ireland.
It was fiercely contested in Parliament, but in 1912, the Third Home Rule bill passed – with its implementation postponed for two years
Ireland was headed for major change - but while the majority of people were happy with the compromise of Home Rule, those with more extreme views on both sides opposed it…
Conflict seemed inevitable - but Irish tensions were overshadowed.
When Britain entered World War I in 1914, Home Rule was suspended – and Ireland’s future hung in the balance.
Description
In the years leading up to the outbreak of WW1, there was a rise in nationalism and republicanism in Ireland. This video explores the causes.
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