60 Questions
During the Irish War of Independence, who fought against the British forces?
The Irish Republican Army (IRA)
What event in 1916 led to greater popular support for Irish independence?
The Easter Rising
Which political party won a landslide victory in the December 1918 election in Ireland?
Sinn Féin
What did Sinn Féin do on 21 January 1919?
Formed a breakaway government (Dáil Éireann) and declared Irish independence
What action did the British government take in September that intensified the conflict?
Outlawed the Dáil and Sinn Féin
What did the IRA primarily focus on in 1919?
Capturing weaponry and freeing republican prisoners
Which paramilitary forces were part of the British forces during the Irish War of Independence?
The Auxiliaries and Ulster Special Constabulary (USC)
Who demanded Home Rule for Ireland from Britain in the 1870s?
Irish nationalists in the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP)
What was the response of Ulster unionists to the granting of Home Rule in 1912?
They formed the Ulster Volunteers (UVF)
What was the purpose of the Irish Volunteers?
To prepare for a revolt against British rule
What event led to the execution of the leaders of the Easter Rising?
The British response to the Rising
Who was second-in-command of the Irish Citizen Army during the Easter Rising?
Countess Markievicz
What effect did the British response to the Easter Rising have on Irish public opinion?
It caused outrage and shock
Why was the implementation of the Home Rule Act postponed in 1914?
Due to the outbreak of the First World War
Who won the majority of Irish seats in the 1918 general election?
Sinn Féin
When did the First Dáil meet?
January 1919
What did Sinn Féin pledge not to do?
Sit in the UK Parliament
What was the Irish Republican Army (IRA) formerly known as?
Irish Volunteers
Which police force had the majority of its rank and file members as Irish Catholics?
Royal Irish Constabulary
How many British troops were based in Ireland by July 1921?
50,000
Who was the head of the Dublin Castle administration in Ireland?
Lord Lieutenant
What was the British Cabinet's dual policy in response to the crisis caused by the German spring offensive?
Enact conscription into Ireland
How many policemen in Ireland were killed by the IRA between 1919 and 1921?
513
During the conflict, which group of recruits from Britain became notorious for ill-discipline and reprisal attacks on civilians?
The Black and Tans
What was the name given to the conflict due to the involvement of the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries?
The Black and Tan War
What action of civil disobedience was notable during the conflict?
Refusal of Irish railwaymen to transport British forces or military supplies
Which event on Bloody Sunday in Dublin escalated the conflict in November 1920?
Assassination of fourteen civilians
Which city was burnt out by British forces in reprisal for an ambush?
Cork
What did the Government of Ireland Act create in May 1921?
Northern Ireland
What was the outcome of the post-ceasefire talks in December 1921?
The signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty
During the Troubles in Northern Ireland, which group initially welcomed the British Army as a more neutral force than the RUC?
Catholics
Which of the following was NOT a main participant in the Troubles in Northern Ireland?
Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC)
What percentage of the deaths during the Troubles in Northern Ireland were caused by loyalist paramilitaries?
30%
What was the main focus of the republican paramilitaries during the Troubles in Northern Ireland?
Bombing campaign
What were 'peace walls' built for during the Troubles in Northern Ireland?
To separate Protestants and Catholics
What was the outcome of the Northern Ireland peace process?
Paramilitary ceasefires
What has happened since the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland?
Increased violence by dissident republican groups
During which years did the Troubles in Northern Ireland take place?
1960s to 1990s
What is another name for the Troubles internationally?
The Northern Ireland Conflict
What is the primary cause of the conflict?
Political and nationalistic issues
What were the two main sides in the conflict?
Unionists and Nationalists
What did Unionists and loyalists want for Northern Ireland?
To remain within the United Kingdom
What did Irish nationalists and republicans want for Northern Ireland?
To join a united Ireland
What sparked the conflict in the late 1960s?
A campaign against discrimination
During the Irish Confederate Wars, which group emerged victorious?
The 'planters'
What was the goal of the Orange Order, founded in 1795?
To uphold the Protestant faith and loyalty to William of Orange
What political framework was formed with the Acts of Union 1800?
The incorporation of Ireland into the United Kingdom
What caused tensions and polarisation between communities in Ireland in the late 18th century?
The lifting of restrictions on Irish Catholic land ownership
Which group of people founded the republican Society of the United Irishmen?
Anglicans and Presbyterians
What was the outcome of the failed Irish Rebellion of 1798?
Continued sectarian violence between Catholics and Protestants
What did the Penal Laws curtail in Ireland?
The religious rights of Catholics
During the late 19th and early 20th century, which two factions were the main political groups in Ireland?
Unionists and Home Rule advocates
What was the goal of the Irish Volunteers, formed in 1913?
To ensure enactment of the Third Home Rule Bill
Which political party won the December 1918 general election in Ireland?
Sinn Féin
What event temporarily averted possible civil war in Ireland and delayed the resolution of the question of Irish independence?
The outbreak of the First World War
What was the response of unionists to the campaign for Home Rule in the 1870s?
They resisted both self-government and independence for Ireland
What did the Repeal Association campaign for in the late 19th century?
To repeal the 1801 Union
What did the separatist Sinn Féin party pledge not to do?
To take their seats in the British Parliament
What did the Ulster Covenant, signed by unionists in 1912, pledge to resist?
Home Rule
What did the Home Rule movement seek to achieve?
The restoration of an Irish Parliament
Study Notes
Irish War of Independence
- The Irish Republican Army (IRA) fought against the British forces.
- The 1916 Easter Rising led to greater popular support for Irish independence.
- Sinn Féin won a landslide victory in the December 1918 election in Ireland.
- On 21 January 1919, Sinn Féin declared independence and established the First Dáil.
Events Leading to the War
- In the 1870s, Isaac Butt demanded Home Rule for Ireland from Britain.
- Ulster unionists responded to the granting of Home Rule in 1912 with the Ulster Covenant, pledging to resist it.
- The Irish Volunteers were formed in 1913 to achieve Home Rule.
- The 1916 Easter Rising led to the execution of its leaders.
- The British response to the Easter Rising increased Irish public opinion in favor of independence.
Conflict Escalation
- The British government took action in September 1919 that intensified the conflict.
- The IRA primarily focused on guerrilla warfare in 1919.
- The British forces included paramilitary forces like the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries.
- The conflict was nicknamed the "Tan War" due to the involvement of these forces.
Key Figures and Events
- The Irish Citizen Army's second-in-command during the Easter Rising was Michael Mallin.
- The British Cabinet's dual policy in response to the German spring offensive in 1918 led to the postponement of the Home Rule Act.
- The head of the Dublin Castle administration in Ireland was Lord French.
- By July 1921, there were 50,000 British troops based in Ireland.
Later Events
- The Government of Ireland Act created the Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland jurisdictions in May 1921.
- The post-ceasefire talks in December 1921 led to the Anglo-Irish Treaty.
- During the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the British Army was initially welcomed by nationalists.
The Troubles
- The conflict took place from the late 1960s to the late 1990s.
- Another name for the Troubles is the Northern Ireland Conflict.
- The primary cause of the conflict was the question of Northern Ireland's status.
- The two main sides were unionists and loyalists, who wanted to maintain the union with Britain, and Irish nationalists and republicans, who wanted a united Ireland.
- The conflict sparked in the late 1960s due to civil rights issues.
Historical Background
- The Irish Confederate Wars took place from 1641 to 1653.
- The Orange Order was founded in 1795 to maintain Protestant supremacy.
- The Acts of Union 1800 formed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
- The Penal Laws curtailed Catholic rights in Ireland.
- The late 18th century saw tensions and polarisation between communities due to the Protestant Ascendancy.
- The republican Society of the United Irishmen was founded by Presbyterians.
- The 1798 Irish Rebellion failed to achieve independence.
- The late 19th and early 20th century saw two main political groups in Ireland: the Irish Parliamentary Party and Sinn Féin.
The Origins of the Conflict: Test your knowledge on the Home Rule Crisis and the demand for self-government in Ireland during the late 19th century. Explore the role of the Irish Parliamentary Party and fringe organizations like Sinn Féin in shaping the path towards Irish independence.
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