Southern Irish Unionism during the revolutionary and post-Independence periods, 1912-1932

This research focuses on the role of the Anglo-Irish Ascendancy and commercial interests from the southern 26 counties of Ireland in determining southern unionist policies and political strategies in the early 20th century. The specific time frame under examination extends from the beginning of the Home Rule Crisis in 1912, through the turmoil which resulted in the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, and also looks at the political space occupied by (ex-)unionists within the Free State legislature in the period up until 1932, when Fianna Fáil came to power and began dismantling the Free State settlement. There is a particular focus within the research on those associated with the 1st Earl of Midleton in the Unionist Anti-Partition League (APL), and this research takes advantage of the previously unexamined Anti-Partition League Papers which are held in PRONI.The thesis will argue that commercial interests became increasingly powerful within the Irish Unionist Association (IUA), leading to their pushing for a new departure in southern unionism in alliance with likeminded influential members of the Anglo-Irish Ascendancy (e.g. Midleton, Desart, Oranmore, Donoughmore, inter alia). This resulted in their breaking away from the IUA and the formation of the APL in 1919 as a vehicle for articulating their interests. It will also be argued that the APL, through proactive negotiation with all sides, occupied a more important role in creating the conditions for a peace settlement between the Dáil and British Governments, and also in shaping the terms of the Free State Constitution, than is generally granted. The thesis will further examine how southern or (ex-)unionists attempted to organise politically at a national level within the new political context of the Free State. Particular reference will be made to those associated with former APL vice-chairman and negotiator, Andrew Jameson. It will be argued that the underlying economic and social interests of these individuals/groups pushed them to re-align with groups within in the Free State which matched their own interests.

Grantor dc:publisher

University College Cork

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Ó Corráin, Breandán Mícheál

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• O'Driscoll, Mervyn

• History
• Irish Unionism
• Southern Unionism

Statement dc:rights

• © 2024, Breandán Mícheál Ó Corráin.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10468/16465

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:cora.ucc.ie:10468/16465