Home Rule, Irish

Home Rule, Irish A movement for the re-establishment of an Irish parliament responsible for internal affairs. An association, founded in 1870 by Isaac Butt, sought to repeal the Act of UNION (1800) between Britain and Ireland. This became a serious possibility when Charles PARNELL persuaded the Liberals under GLADSTONE to introduce Home Rule Bills. The first (1886) was defeated in the House of Commons. Gladstone's second Bill (1893) was also defeated. The third Bill (1912), introduced by Asquith, was passed by Parliament but its operation was postponed when war broke out in Europe in 1914. It left unresolved the question of how much of Ulster was to be excluded from the Act. When World War I ended the political situation in Ireland was greatly changed. The EASTER RISING in 1916 and the sweeping majority for SINN FEIN in the 1918 general election were followed by unrest and guerrilla warfare. Lloyd George was Prime Minister when the fourth Home Rule Bill (1920) was introduced in the West-minster Parliament. The Bill provided for parliaments in Dublin and Belfast linked by a Federal Council of Ireland. The Northern Ireland Parliament, to govern the six north-eastern counties of Ulster, was set up in 1920. Following the Anglo-Irish treaty (1921) the IRISH FREE STATE was set up and NORTHERN IRELAND became a self-governing province within the UK. The 26-county Irish Free State had a vague DOMINION status at odds with the independence claimed by Dáil Éireann in 1919. The Anglo-Irish treaty was approved by 64 votes to 57 in the Dáil. The majority group wanted peace and partial independence, the minority group, headed by Eamon DE VALERA, desired the immediate independence of all Ireland and the setting up of a republic. The Irish Free State (called Éire from 1937 to 1949) left the Commonwealth in 1949 and became the Republic of IRELAND.