THE RISE OF SINN FÉIN 1916-1918 Sovereignty and Partition
How did Sinn Féin go from having no public support in 1910 to dominating the nationalist vote in 1918? Changes in Numbers of Seats Won in General Elections Sinn Féin Home Rule Unionist 90 84 80 70 73 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 19 6 0 1910 General Election 1918 General Election 26
British Reaction to the Rising Rounding up of c. 3,500 suspected of involvement Internment in camps University of Republicanism Declaration of Martial Law suspension of civil rights Execution of Leaders (15) Maxwell/Asquith Connolly s Execution Warnings from Redmond/Dillon Moves to re-start Home Rule DLG negotiating with HR and Unionists Public opinion shifting away from HR: Irish Nation League Irish National Aid Society December 1916 DLG new PM releases interned prisoners
Arthur Griffith rebuilds Sinn Féin Founder of SF 1905 Dual Monarchy Released after arrest despite no involvement in the Rising Begins re-organising the Sinn Féin Party Media and British Authorities had called it the Sinn Féin Rising Griffith re-states his ideas: Withdraw from Westminster Set up a parliament in Dublin Form a government and run the country ignore the British Idea of appealing to America: Rights of nations to self-determination (WW1)
Michael Collins rebuilds the IRB Released from Frongach now a senior figure in the IRB begins reorganising Becomes leader of the IRB after Thomas Ashe dies on hunger strike in 1917 Collins has established a formidable reputation among the prisoners at Frongach Background as an accountant Formed the view that control of information and intelligence were going to be vital in the ongoing push for independence.
Cathal Brugha rebuilds the Volunteers Severely wounded in the Rising not imprisoned. Deeply committed republican, but blamed the IRB for the defeat of the Rising Committed to an open conflict with the British Note potential for future conflict with Collins: IRB Tactics
1917: 3 Separate Organisations, not all on the same page IRB Sinn Féin Volunteers
North Roscommon By-election Sinn Féin clubs appearing around the country Count Plunkett invited to run in by-election Father of proclamation signatory Factions unite to campaign for him Comfortable Victory Lessons for all Griffith: Benefit of rising to popularity of his party/ideas Collins/Brugha: Can political campaigning be used alongside military action/violence to achieve aims?
By-elections, 1917/18 Date Constituency Incumbent Winner Feb 1917 Roscommon North Home Rule Sinn Fein Count Plunkett Feb 1917 Dublin University (Trinity) Unionist Unionist - unopposed April 1917 Belfast South Unionist Unionist - unopposed May 1917 Longford South Home Rule Sinn Féin (SF-51, HR-49) July 1917 South County Dublin Home Rule Home Rule - unopposed July 1917 Clare East Home Rule Willie Redmond (KIA) Sinn Féin (SF-71, HR-29) Aug 1917 Kilkenny City Home Rule Sinn Féin W.T. Cosgrave Nov 1917 Armagh North Unionist Unionist unopposed Jan 1918 Mid Armagh Unionist Unionist unopposed Feb 1918 Armagh South Home Rule Home Rule (HR-64, SF-35, U-1) Mar 1918 Waterford Home Rule John Redmond Home Rule (HR-62. SF-38) Apr 1918 East Tyrone Home Rule Home Rule (HR-71, SF-29) Apr 1918 Tullamore Home Rule Sinn Féin unopposed June 1918 East Cavan Home Rule Sinn Féin (SF-59, HR-41) Southern Constituencies Northern Constituencies Home Rule Unionist Sinn Féin
Leadership June 1917 DLG releases life prisoners incl. de Valera Why was he the ideal leader to bring together nationalist movements?
2 nd Sinn Féin & the Volunteers October 1917 : SF Ard Fheis Volunteers Annual Convention What does this mean?
Conscription and the German Plot 1917 Russian Revolution. Withdraw from the War German offensive on Western Front Need more troops DLG proposes to extend conscription to Ireland The German Plot arrest SF leaders What is the effect of these actions moving into the General Election?
1918 GE http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/h1918.htm irishpoliticalmaps.blogspot.ie/2012/05/irish-uk-general-election- 1918.html