#sinn fein
July 11 1921, London–The Sinn Féin sweep of the Southern Irish elections, winning every seat unopposed except the ones associated with Trinity College, put a deadline on British efforts in Ireland. A Southern Irish government was, by the terms of the Government of Ireland Act 1920, to be established no later than July 12. Sinn Féin, following its usual abstentionist policies, would not take their seats in any Southern Irish parliament, leaving the British forced to either impose military rule on all of Southern Ireland, or reach a negotiated settlement with Sinn Féin. The former was never seriously considered, so it became a question of finding an agreeable basis for negotiations with the Irish.
At the opening of the Northern Irish parliament on June 22, King George gave a conciliatory speech. In the meantime, Jan Smuts, who had recently arrived from South Africa for a conference, began his own negotiations through Tom Casement (brother of the late Roger), and both agreed that a peaceful solution could be found which did not involve British recognition of an Irish Republic. Casement and Smuts arranged the release of additional negotiators, and a truce was agreed to on July 9, entering into effect on July 11. The terms were slightly unclear, with the Irish and British ultimately publishing different versions, but both sides would stop attacks and raids, and the British would cease military maneuvers and searches.
The truce came as something of a surprise to many in the IRA, and it would attract some criticism from those who felt they could beat the British without making concessions regarding Ireland’s political future. British criticism of the truce was more muted, as it was clear the only alternative was a military occupation of the whole island that nobody was in favor of after nearly seven years of war.
Sources include: Michael Hopkinson, The Irish War of Independence
#OTD in Irish History | 21 May:
#OTD in Irish History | 21 May:
1639 – Lord Deputy Thomas Wentworth imposes the Black Oath of loyalty to Charles I on all Ulster Scots over the age of 16.
1745 – Count Daniel O’Connell, a soldier in French and British services, is born in Derrynane, Co Kerry.
1799 – Bill of Union (later the Act of Union) introduced in Irish House of Commons.
1862 – Death of actor, John Drew. Born in Templeogue, Co Dublin, his family emigrated…
#OTD in 1922 – De Valera and Collins agree to a pact whereby a national coalition panel of candidates will represent the pro- and anti-Treaty wings of Sinn Féin throughout Ireland in the forthcoming general election.
#OTD in 1922 – De Valera and Collins agree to a pact whereby a national coalition panel of candidates will represent the pro- and anti-Treaty wings of Sinn Féin throughout Ireland in the forthcoming general election.
As in the Irish elections, 1921 in the south, Sinn Féin stood one candidate for every seat, except those for the University of Dublin and one other; the treaty had divided the party between 65 pro-treaty candidates, 57 anti-treaty and 1 nominally on both sides. Unlike the elections a year earlier, other parties stood in most constituencies forcing single transferable vote elections, with Sinn…
#OTD in Irish History | 20 May:
#OTD in Irish History | 20 May:
1311 – The war of the O’Briens of Thomond escalates as the Norman-Irish become involved on both sides: the de Burghs support Dermot O’Brien and Richard de Clare supports Donough O’Brien. There is a pitched battle at Bunratty on this date, with heavy losses on both sides; de Burgh and others are imprisoned.
1648 – Truce between the confederates and Inchiquin; its adherents are excommunicated by…
#OTD in 1920 – Birth of Joe Cahill, a prominent Irish Republican and former Chief of Staff of the Provisional IRA.
#OTD in 1920 – Birth of Joe Cahill, a prominent Irish Republican and former Chief of Staff of the Provisional IRA.
Joe was known for his comment. “I was born in a united Ireland, I want to die in a united Ireland”.
In May 1920, Cahill was born in Divis Street in west Belfast where his parents had been neighbours with Irish revolutionary James Connolly.
Cahill was the first child in a family of thirteen siblings born to Joesph and Joesphine Cahill. Cahill was educated at primary level at St. Mary’s Christian…
#OTD in 1918 – Sinn Féin leaders arrested over alleged ‘German plot’.
#OTD in 1918 – Sinn Féin leaders arrested over alleged ‘German plot’.
In a dramatic midnight swoop, police and military authorities arrested leading members of the Sinn Féin movement. Among them were a number of MPs and the party’s president, Éamon de Valera, who was seized at his home in Greystones, Co Wicklow and taken to Kingstown Police Station.
Constance Markievicz was apprehended in Rathmines. Party Secretary, Darrell Figgis, who was seized at his home a…
#OTD in Irish History | 18 May:
#OTD in Irish History | 18 May:
1401 – John de Stanley is told that he is to be replaced as lieutenant by Thomas of Lancaster (duke of Clarence and second son of Henry IV), who is 12 or 13 years old. Lancaster’s deputy, Sir Stephen le Scrope, will effectively govern Ireland for the next few years.
1613 – James I’s Irish parliament opens in Dublin.
1798 – The 2nd Earl of Kingston is tried amid great pomp by the Irish House of…
#OTD in 1918 – Almost the entire leadership of Sinn Féin are arrested. 150 were arrested on the night of 16–17 May and taken to prisons in England.
#OTD in 1918 – Almost the entire leadership of Sinn Féin are arrested. 150 were arrested on the night of 16–17 May and taken to prisons in England.
During the last year of the First World War, on the night of 17/18 May, over 70 leading members of Sinn Fein were arrested under the terms of the Defence of the Realm Act. The arrests had been made following the discovery of a supposed plot on the part of Sinn Féin to help Germany enter Ireland. This “German Plot” is generally believed to have been used as an excuse to intern the leaders of Sinn…
#OTD in 1918 – Seventy-three Sinn Féin prisoners are shipped to Britain, after being arrested on 17 May by police and military authorities.
#OTD in 1918 – Seventy-three Sinn Féin prisoners are shipped to Britain, after being arrested on 17 May by police and military authorities.
The arrests caused a public sensation; newspapers were snapped up by those eager for details of what happened.
It is understood that twenty-four of the arrests took place in Dublin, the most recent of them involving Maud Gonne MacBride, who was seized while returning from a visit to George Russell. Also in Dublin, the Sinn Féin headquarters on Harcourt Street and the National Aid offices on…
[Image caption: tweet by the Associated Press (@AP) reading: “Opinion polls say the Irish national party Sinn Féin may be headed for a historic victory in Northern Ireland, which has been led by British unionist parties since it was founded as a state a century ago.” Attached is a link to this article (link).
Then a quote-retweet by @GomiProcione with a still from Star Trek: The Next Generation where Data refers to the Irish Unification of 2024 in that show’s continuty while talking to Captain Picard. End caption.]
Tories handing us a united Ireland? Tiocfaidh ár fuckin lá
