Ireland 1916-1923

• The IRB had infiltrated many organisations in Ireland including the GAA, Sinn Féin and the IVF.
• The IRB leaders began to plan a rising after the outbreak of WWI as they believed 'Britain's difficulty was Ireland's opportunity'
• A secret military council was formed. Members included Thomas Clarke, Seán Mac Diarmada, Pádraig Pearse, Joseph Plunkett, Éamon Ceannt and Thomas McDonagh
• Money was raised from Irish-Americans and used by Roger Casement to buy arms from the Germans.
• Pearse believed in blood sacrifice (that they would give up their lives for the good of the future of Ireland)
• The Military Council convinced James Connolly (leader of the Irish Citizen Army) to join in on a rising.
• Leader of the Volunteers Eoin MacNeill was not a member of the IRB and believed they shouldn't fight unless attacked by the British
• The Military Council showed MacNeill a forged document (Castle Document) stating the British government planned to disarm the Volunteers. MacNeill agreed to let the Volunteers fight.
• Roger Casement was captured and the boat of arms sank off the coast of Kerry. Eoin MacNeill discovered the Castle Document was forged and attempted to cancel the Rising.
• The Rising went ahead on 24 April 1916. Only the Dublin Volunteers could be gathered after the cancel order by MacNeill so the rising was mainly confined to the capital. Thye knew it would be a military failure but they hoped to inspire people.
• The rebels occupied the GPO, Jacobs Factory, Boland's Mill, the Four Courts, the South Dublin Union, the Mendicity Institution, St Stephens Green and the Royal College of Surgeons. Pearse read the Proclamation outside rebels headquarters the GPO
• British soldiers were brought to Dublin from the Curragh barracks in Kildare and from England through ports like Dún Laoghaire
• On Wednesday a gunboat, the Helga, was sailed up the Liffey and began shelling the GPO
• By Friday the rebels were clearly defeated and the city centre lay in ruins. 54% of total deaths were civilians. Pearse surrendered unconditionally on Saturday. Nurse Elizabeth O' Farrell went as messenger to the British General
• Damage to buildings and property cost nearly 4 million euro in today's money. This angered the Dublin civilians.
• Almost 3000 people were sent to British prisons like Frongoch. Revolutionary ideas spread there and they were later nicknamed universities of republicanism
• 15 rebels (including all members of the military council) were executed by firing squad. This caused and increase in public sympathy for the rebels so the executions stopped.
• The newspapers wrongly credited Sinn Féin with the rising which caused a surge in Sinn Féin's popularity
• Sinn Féin won 73 seats in December 1918 general election. They refused to take their seats at Westminster instead setting up Dáil Éireann in January 1919
• Dáil Éireann passed the Declaration of Independence in January 1919. It declared that Ireland was an independent republic under the control of its own government
• In 1917, Sinn Féin changed their aim to achieving international recognition of Ireland as an independent Irish Republic
• The only surviving 1916 commander Éamon de Valera took over from Arthur Griffith as leader of Sinn Féin
• De Valera became president of Dáil Éireann in 1919
• Sinn Féin's successful anti-conscription campaign also helped them win more public support
• Only 27 TDs were present at the first Dáil because the remainder were in jail or on the run
• The Sinn Féin government gained control of local government, founded courts and organised loans to help run the Dáil.
• The Dáil was declared illegal by the British in late 1919. The Government of Ireland Act 1920 was passed forming a Home rule parlaiment in the north and in the south but Sinn Féin rejected this compromise and demanded independence
• The War of Independence began on 21 January 1919 when 2 RIC constables were killed in an ambush led by Dan Breen and Seán Treacy at Soloheadbeg, Co. Tipperary. The attack was not authorised by the Dáil
• The Irish Volunteers became the IRA and the Dáil declared them the the official army of the Irish Republic
• The IRA used the tactic of ambushes and hit-and-run attacks known as guerilla warfare
• Michael Collins organised a intelligence network of spies and a group of assasins called the Squad or the Twelve Apostles
• The Black and Tans carried out reprisals against civilians including burning homes and businesses, destroying crops and livestock and killing people suspected of being involved with the IRA
• Local IRA units known as Flying Columns carried out raids and ambushes. They were fed and sheltered by the locals
• The British sent ex-soldiers known as Black and Tans and ex-army offocers called Auxilaries to Ireland. They were known for their ruthlessness.
• On 21 November 1920, The Squad killed 13 British Intelligence agents. In retaliation, the Auxilaries opened fire on the crowd at a Dublin V Tipperary match in Croke Park, killing 12 people
• The war was costing Britain £20 million a year and the Irish were running out of arms and ammunition. A truce was declared.
• The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed on 6 December 1921. Ireland was to become a dominion (a self-governing country within the British empire) called the Irish Free State. All TDs would take an oath of allegiance to the king and Northern Ireland would remain in Britain and keep their parliament.
• The Treaty was accepted in a Dáil vote by 64 to 57.
• De Valera resigned as President and left the Dáil. Arthur Griffith became President of a provisional governement.
• IRA supporters of the treaty became known as the Irish Free State Army or Regulars and anti-treaty IRA members became known as Irregulars. Both sides began occupying the empty British Barracks