For almost 40 years the proportion of Nationalist to Unionist Parliamentary seats in Ireland had been stable, indeed almost static, Though Nationalists split into Parnellite and Anti-Parnellites in 1900 the split gave no window of opportunity for Unionists who prudently did not risk their deposits nor waste their time in contesting rock-solid Nationalist seats.In 1910 the Nationalists, who had been reunited under John Redmond in 1900 were again split, with 10 seats going to the breakaway “All For Ireland Movement” mainly in Cork. Again no window of opportunity for Unionists.
In 1918 most 73 seats which had previously gone to Home Rule Nationalists went to Sinn Fein, whose manifesto was Republican and Separatist. But Home Rule Nationalists held 4 seats in Ulster, by arrangement with Sinn Fein and a further 2 Irish seats (West Belfast and Waterford) which they won in direct confrontation with Sinn Fein. Dublin’s rabidly Unionist IRISH TIMES urged Waterford Unionist to back Captain William Redmond, who had
earlier in the year won the by-election arising from the death of his father, the Party Leader, John Redmond. Joe Devlin easily beat off the Sinn Fein challenge in West Belfast, a constituency which took another 65 years to convert to Sinn Fein.
On 21 January 1921 those of Sinn Fein’s successful candidates not in British prisons (except Michael Collins and Harry Boland who were in England to spring Eamon de Valera from Lincoln Prison) met in Dublin and founded Dail Eireann, and reaffirmed the establishment of the Republic proclaimed on Easter Monday 1916.
Elections, parliamentary an local had followed the First Past the Post System. The system had delivered a landslide victory to Sinn Fein. The Royal Irish Constabulary, Britain’s armed, political police in Ireland recommended that Sinn Fein could have its wings clipped if Proportional Representation was imposed on Ireland.
C.P. Scott, Editor of The Manchester Guardian,had breakfasted with Lloyd George on 3rd April 1917 and reported in His diary that LLoyd George “argued very strongly that Proportional Representation was ‘a device for defeating democracy’ and ‘for bringing faddists of all kinds into Parliament and establishing groups and disintegrating parties’ .”
In early 1919 Westminster passed “The Local Government (Ireland) Act imposing Proportional Representation in local elections. In Britain the First Past the Post system remained. PR is a complicated system but the British Government did nothing to explain the new system to voters. It appears there was no need to,
The Daily Mail, not notably pro Sinn Fein, observed –“That Sinn Fein, instead of opposing a change,declaredly designed to cripple its power, should willingly help in its development, is more than remarkable……Incredible as it may seem, not a single penny could be obtained for the purpose of explaining the system to the voters.”
On 15th January 1920 Municipal Elections for all 127 Corporations and Town Councils in Ireland were held.
Republican Majorities were returned for 72 of these.
Republican & Nationalist majorities were returned for 26 of these.
Dorothy MacArdle (The Irish Republic) observed –“Of the twelve cities and boroughs of Ireland eleven declared for the Republic.The only city left to the
Unionists in all Ireland was Belfast, and even in Belfast their majority was reduced.”
In June 1920 Elections were held for 33 County Councils in Ireland, Republican Majorities were returned for 28
Elections were held for 206 Rural Councils Republican Majorities were returned for 182
Elections were held for 206 Rural Councils Republican Majorities were returned for 182
Elections were held for 154 Poor Law Boards Republican Majorities were returned for 138
The response of the British Government was the murder of Republican Mayors and Councillors, the arrest and imprisonment of others, the seizing of others as hostages. It was clear to the world that Sinn Fein’s 1918 General Election victory was a mere passing fad. Local authorities pledged allegiance to the Republic and liaised with Dail Eireann rather than the British bureaucracy in Dublin Castle.
Coming Soon: MISREPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACTS (BY ANTI-DEMOCRATIC POLEMICISTS)
Another post devoid of interest or comment (notwithstanding). I must say: these blogs make for depressing reading. I can only come to the conclusion that the author is inspired by his hatred of any reader in Northern Ireland or their neighbours in the Republic of Ireland who have anything better to do, or a Mr Man book to read.
Yes it is depressing recalling the era when the British govt put a gun to the irish people’s head and demanded they accept the partition of their country and call it democracy. I understand your pain.
Sometimes there’s not enough time to read all these blogs so I’m coming to this one somewhat late. I don’t actually see the ….”hatred of any reader in Northern Ireland or their neighbours in the Republic of Ireland who have anything better to do,….” that Mr Bloggs is referring to . ….just a few cold hard facts and truths about our collective past and maybe some idea as to how we all got to the lovely place where we all are now, with all the unworkable shenanigans that we all have to put up with on a daily basis……as we are currently sailing through the stormy seas of our Annual Christmas Crisis…..
I find these histories to be of general interest . A lot of detail that may not be of much help but otherwise it provides a picture of conditions at that time.
Was politics working for Nationalism then?