17.7: Ireland and World War I The split in the Irish Volunteer Force
Carson and the Unionists supported the British war effort and encouraged people to join the British army. They felt it would help to maintain their union with Britain and they hoped to receive special treatment after the war. Thousands of Ulster Unionists joined the British army to show their loyalty.
With the nationalists and the IVF, things were not so clear- cut. John Redmond of the Irish Parliamentary Party made a speech in Woodenbridge, Co. Wicklow in which he asked IVF members to join the British army. He hoped that this would benefi t Ireland when it came to the Home Rule negotiations after the war. The Irish Volunteer Force split over the issue of whether or not to support Britain in World War I. At the time, people thought the war would be short and that Home Rule would soon be in place. However, the war lasted for four eventful years.
In this
topic, you will learn about:
The split in the Irish Volunteer Force
Irish soldiers in World War I
Go to pages 103–104 of your Sources and Skills Book for evidence tasks on the recruitment of Irish soldiers.
Army recruitment poster depicting John Redmond
The Irish Volunteer Force split National Volunteers
175,000 agreed with Redmond and felt that supporting Britain would benefi t Home Rule.
246 Irish Volunteers
11,000 disagreed and were led by Eoin MacNeill. They wanted to stay and make sure Home Rule happened.
