Mini module on Ireland, Task 1

The Road to Independence

Sinn Féin is a nationalist political party in Ireland. The name is in Irish and means “We Ourselves”. The party was founded in 1902, and its policy involved passive resistance to the British and the establishment of an Irish ruling council. In 1918 the population supported Sinn Fein’s demand for a united, republican Ireland. It won the general election with an overwhelming majority and established its own parliament in Dublin. In January 1919 Sinn Féin declared Ireland to be independent of Britain.The following three years of guerrilla war was led by the underground republican government. The party split in 1922 on the issue of the Treaty which partitioned Ireland. Sinn Féin continued as the political part of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and actively supported Irish unification.In the 1960s, the party demanded British withdrawal from Northern Ireland and protested against the unfair treatment of the nationalists in the province. In the late 20^th and the early 21^st centuries, Sinn Féin participated in the peace talks on Northern Ireland. Relevant links: wimps.org.uk                                    

Easter Rising

This rising is also called ‘Easter Rebellion’, and it began on Easter Morning, April 1916 as a republican revolt against the British government in Ireland.

  About 2000 Irish Volunteers and members of the Irish Citizen Army seized the Dublin General Post Office (GPO) and other strategic points in Dublin. 

In the GPO the rebels removed the British flag and replace it with two others – a plain green one with the words ‘Irish Republic’ and a green, white and orange tricolour. It was the first time this flag had flown over Dublin.

The rebels fought bravely as British troops encircled them. Dublin itself was in flames and over 3,000 people died. After five days of fighting, British troops put down the rebellion. The leaders were given secret military trials and fifteen of them were executed.

By these executions a great fire of patriotism was set ablaze that would carry the Irish people though the coming years of widespread suffering and open armed rebellion.

 Relevant links: EasterRising1916  and EasterRisingPrisoners