War of Independence

Eamonn de Valera

After the unsuccessful Easter Rising and the horrifying executions Sinn Féin tried a new policy.
They wanted to construct an Irish administration and just ignore the British administration. Arthur Griffith was replaced by elections by Eamonn de Valera, who would became leader of the Irish Volunteer Force (IVF) later on.

For the parliamentary elections of 1918 Sinn Féin campaigned with a program that called for the severance of all ties with Britain, an end to the separatist movements in northern Ireland and the establishment of the Republic of Ireland.

[top of page]

Dáil Éireann

After a huge victory of Sinn Féin over the Unionists, Sinn Féin gained 73 of the Irish seats in Westminster, by the elections of 1918 Sinn Féin established the Dáil Éireann, the new parliament in Dublin's Mansion House, in January 1919. The Irish Republic was proclaimed and the Dáil Éireann was in fact the Government and Eamonn de Valera the President.

In an attempt to gain international recognition for the Irish Republic Sinn Féin attended meetings in which the new boundaries of Europe were drafted.
This new approach worked quite well in several areas of the country until the moderated Irish Volunteers became impatient. This swing is reflected in changing their objective from pursuing the Third Home Rule Bill to a complete independent Ireland. In August 1919 the Irish Volunteers took an oath of allegiance to the Dáil and the organisation changed its name in the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

The Irish Republican Army (IRA), the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and British army units got struck in violent cycles. Ambushes carried out by the Irish Volunteers and its successor the Irish Republican Army (IRA) , such as the Soloheadbeg Ambush or the Kilmichael Ambush, alternated with retaliations from the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) or British army.

[top of page]

Ireland Divided

The Government of Ireland Act passed the British Government in 1920. The division of Ireland in north and south was, and still is, unacceptable for both Sinn Féin as the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
With the Anglo-Irish Treaty of July 1921 south Ireland would gain more independence. Because the division of Ireland was not retracted in this treaty it causes discord in Sinn Féin and in the Irish Republican Army (IRA). This rupture led eventually to the Civil War.

[top of page]