Topic 2: Movements for Political and Social Reform, 1870–1914
Perspective Elements
Politics and administration
The Home Rule movement: origins; development; leadership – Butt, Parnell, Redmond.
The Suffrage movement. The first Sinn Féin Party. The Irish Volunteers.
Unionism and the Ulster Question.
Society and economy
Land agitation and land reform. Unionisation of the working classes. The Co-operative Movement. Industrial development in Belfast: the shipyards. Educational reforms: schools and universities.
Culture and religion
The GAA. Cultural revivals: the Gaelic League, the Anglo-Irish literary revival. The consolidation of Catholic identity.
Dublin 1913 – Strike and Lockout
Case Studies
The 1885 and 1886 Elections: issues and outcomes
The GAA to 1891
In their study of the topic, students should become aware of the role of certain key personalities.
Another ’key‘ to developing understanding will be learning to identify the main issues through a familiarity with certain key concepts.
Students should be aware of the contribution of the following to the developments listed under the elements above:
Michael Davitt; Charles Stewart Parnell; Edward Carson; John Redmond; James Larkin; James Connolly; Isabella Tod; Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington; Douglas Hyde; W.B. Yeats
democracy separatism Home Rule
political agitation militarism socialism feminism suffragette
