Unionists wanted to retain the Act of Union and keep their strong link with Britain. Edward Carson was the leader of the Unionist Party between 1910 and 1921. He was a Dublin-born Protestant lawyer. Carson and the Unionist Party wanted:
• the parliament in Westminster to continue to make laws for Ireland
• the British government and the Crown to still have representatives in Ireland.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Crown’s representative in Ireland was called the Lord Lieutenant. The house in the Phoenix Park built as his summer residence (he lived in Dublin Castle otherwise) is now known as Áras an Uachtaráin and is the residence of the President of Ireland.
Edward Carson CHECKPOINT!
1. How had the Irish Parliamentary Party recovered from the Parnellite split by 1910? 2. What were the aims of Sinn Féin? 3. How did they differ from those of the Irish Parliamentary Party? 4. Explain what is meant by dual monarchy. 5. What were the political goals of the IRB? Give two examples. 6. What did the Unionist Party want to achieve?
.
I can describe the aims of each of the main political groups in Ireland in 1910.
TIME TO GO BACK I CAN MOVE FORWARD
THE EVIDENCE! —————————————
WORKING WITH ——————————
Home Rule posters
1. What does each of these posters tell you about the views of Unionists or nationalists towards the idea of Home Rule?
2. Describe the details and symbols you notice in each of the posters.
Anti-Home Rule poster Pro-Home Rule poster
3. What are (a) the benefi ts and (b) the limitations of posters as sources?
