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‘Parnellism and crime’

The Oxford Companion to Irish History | 2007 | 700+ words | Copyright

‘Parnellism and crime’, a series of articles published in The Times in 1887 while an Irish coercion bill was before parliament and appearing to demonstrate, in letters supposedly written by Parnell, his connection with terrorism. The most damaging link was in a letter of 15 May 1882, in which he apparently expressed regret at having to condemn the Phoenix Park murders. Parnell denounced the letters in the House of Commons and demanded a select committee to investigate their authenticity. The Conservative government, however, preferred to establish a special commission to investigate the charges they contained, thus putting the whole nationalist movement on trial. This move largely backfired. The desired link between nationalism and terrorism was inadequately established; the forger of The Times letters, Richard Pigott, was exposed under cross‐examination and the credibility of The Times severely damaged.

James Loughlin

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