By Seán Bernard Newman BACKGROUND Until the summer of 1920, Ulster avoided the worst of the revolutionary violence. It was quiet, although far from peaceful, and the conflict in the South seemed a safe distance away across the provincial border. By the end of the revolutionary period, however, Belfast stood out as the bloodiest district … Read more
By Fiona Fitzsimons A UK census was taken on 19 June 1921, weeks before the Truce ending the Irish War of Independence and six months before the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Political unrest meant that the planned census was not taken in Ireland, although pre-printed forms for the 1921 census of Ireland survive in Kew. In 1921 … Read more
An insignificant document from 1921 minutely pinpoints a turning-point in the revolutionary era. By Tim Bowmer The War of Independence, the Truce and the signing of the Treaty in December 1921 effectively prevented a territory called ‘Southern Ireland’ from coming into being, but its shadow can still be seen through some documents of the period. … Read more
By Margaret Ward During the suffrage years, feminists on both sides of the Irish Sea had cooperated on campaigns for the vote, despite not always agreeing on broader constitutional issues. By 1920, with the intensification of the War of Independence, British feminism became increasingly concerned about the reprisal policy being pursued by Crown forces. The … Read more
By Martin O’Donoghue The rolling news coverage of Donald Trump’s chaotic presidency and the election of Joe Biden as his successor once again underlined the strength of Irish interest in the United States and its diasporic links. Irish interest in the island’s ties with American politics is nothing new. One of the less remarked events … Read more