The Partition of Ireland

This episode delves into the historical events leading to the partition of Ireland into Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland, highlighting the complex interplay of nationalism, unionism, and international politics.

1. The Easter Rising of 1916 was a pivotal event that galvanized Irish nationalist sentiment.
2. The rise of Sinn Féin and the IRA played critical roles in Ireland's push for independence.
3. Sectarian tensions and economic concerns significantly influenced the opposition to independence in Northern Ireland.
4. The British government's decision to partition Ireland in 1921 was a controversial attempt to quell conflict but led to prolonged violence.
5. The historical wounds from the partition have had enduring impacts, influencing Irish politics and society well into the 21st century.

1: The Easter Rising

The episode opens with the dramatic events of the Easter Rising in 1916, where Irish nationalists launched an insurrection against British rule, setting off a series of events that would lead to the partition of Ireland. Sean Connally: "We fight for freedom!"

2: Rise of Sinn Féin

Post-Easter Rising, the narrative shifts to the political consequences, detailing how Sinn Féin gained popularity and power, transforming Irish politics permanently. Eamon de Valera: "We will achieve independence through unity."

3: The Irish War of Independence

This chapter covers the brutal conflict from 1919 to 1921, where the IRA, under Michael Collins' leadership, fought against British forces. Michael Collins: "We must act, not just speak."

4: The Partition Act

The final chapter explains the political maneuvers that led to the partition of Ireland in 1921, detailing both the immediate and long-term ramifications. Joe Viner: "The partition is a compromise that satisfies no one fully."

• Study conflicts from multiple perspectives to understand their complexity.
• Recognize the long-term impacts of political decisions on communities.
• Engage in dialogues about national and historical narratives to foster understanding.
• Support peace initiatives in regions experiencing similar conflicts.
• Educate others about the history of national conflicts to prevent future violence.

May 3rd 1921: the Government of Ireland Act comes into force, officially partitioning Ireland into two separate countries: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. This episode originally aired in 2022.

People

Eamon de Valera, Michael Collins, Sean Connally, Sir Edward Carson

Companies

None

Books

None

Guest Name(s):

None

Content Warnings:

None

Lindsey Graham
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Joe Viner
It'S late morning on April 24, 1916, in Dublin, Ireland. A group of 30 men and women march through the center of the city. They are all members of the Irish Citizen Army, a nationalist paramilitary organization whose goal is irish independence from Great Britain. Leading the way is a 34 year old captain in the Irish Citizen army, Sean Connally. Connallys heart pounds as he sees the turrets of Dublin Castle looming up ahead.

This monstrous building is the center of the british administration in Ireland, and to irish nationalists, it's a symbol of occupation. The door to the castle gatehouse swings open, and a policeman steps out. Connally removes his pistol from its holster and cocks the weapon. Startled by the sight of Connally's rebel soldiers, the policeman scrambles to unholster his weapon, but Connally is faster, and the policeman falls to the ground, dead. Connally and the rest of the rebels storm the gates, intent on reaching the british officials inside.

But as they charge across the castle courtyard, they come under heavy fire from british rifles. Realizing they're outgunned, Connally orders his men to retreat. They fall back and hurry through the city center until they reach the rebel stronghold at Dublin City hall. There, Connally and his rebel soldiers race upstairs and take up a defensive position on the roof. Crouching low to stay out of sight, Connally lifts his head to check the enemy's position, but as he peers out over the city, he is struck by a british sniper's bullet.

Sean Connally will be the first rebel soldier killed during this insurrection, which will come to be known as the Easter Rising. For six days, battles will rage across Dublin as irish nationalists attempt to overthrow the ruling british government. The Easter Rising will ultimately fail, but the actions of Sean Connolly and others will inspire a surge in support for the cause for which they fought and died. Irish independence. But on the issue of national sovereignty, Ireland is largely divided into two the nationalists, who want independence, and the unionists, who prefer to remain part of the United Kingdom.

The split between these two groups will spark a period of sectarian violence that will culminate in the partition of Ireland into two countries, a separation that comes into form by an act of parliament on May 3, 1921.

Lindsey Graham
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Joe Viner
From noiser and airship I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is history daily.

History is made every day on this podcast. Every day we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is May 3, 1921. The partition of Ireland.

It's December 28, 1918, in Lincoln, England, two years before the partition of Ireland. Inside his cell in Lincoln jail, a tall and thin prisoner named Eamonn de Valera paces back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back. Amon is the leader of an irish nationalist party called Sinn Fein. For years, Sinn Fein existed on the fringes of the political mainstream. Many of its adherents believed the best way to achieve sovereignty was not through acts of parliament, but through violent insurrection.

And for a time, the party's tactics frightened many moderate irish people who shared Sinn Fein's goal of independence. But then came the Easter Rising. After this failed insurrection, the british government rounded up the people responsible and put them to death by firing squad. As a result, many formerly moderate irish nationalists began to rally around Sinn Fein. Fearing the growing influence of this controversial political party, the british government decided to muzzle its charismatic leader, Eamon de Valera.

In 1918, the government accused Eamon of colluding with Germany during World War one. There was no truth to the allegations, but that didnt stop the authorities from imprisoning him in Lincoln jail. But even behind bars, Amon exerts a tremendous influence. Ten days ago, the citizens of the United Kingdom went to the ballot box to vote in a general election that, in a sense, was a referendum on the question of irish independence. In Ireland, members of Sinn who want independence are running to unseat members of the political establishment who want to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Today, as Eamon paces in his cell, he anxiously awaits the results of the election. Soon he hears the jangling of keys as a guard approaches and tosses a newspaper through the bars. Eamon scoops the paper up from the ground and scrambles to look at the front page. Triumph flashes across his face. The headline reads, Sinn Fein sweeps Ireland.

Candidates aligned with Eamon and Sinn Fein win in Southern Ireland, driving most of the establishment politicians from office. And following the election in Dublin, they form their own government and declare Ireland's independence. Eamon is ecstatic, but he knows this declaration won't go unchallenged. He sees struggles for his people on the horizon, and he wants to lead them. So Aemon decides it's time to break out of prison.

Amon is a devout Catholic and volunteers in the prison chapel. And while working there one day, he spots the means of his salvation. The chaplains key to a door that leads to the perfect escape route, the prison exercise yard. Aemon collects soft wax from the candles in the church, and while the chaplain is distracted, he makes an impression of the key. Now all he has to do is send the keys, design and dimensions to Sinn fein members on the outside.

But any correspondence from prisoners must first get by the prison censors. So Eamon employs the help of another prisoner. A fellow irish nationalist. Eamons cohort creates a postcard featuring an elaborate cartoon of a drunk man trying to fit a giant key into a tiny keyhole. Hidden in plain sight in the drawing are the designs and dimensions of the chaplain's key.

But the censors don't catch it, and soon the postcard is sent on its way. Before long, Amon received a gift at the prison, a fruit cake with a key baked inside. It takes him multiple attempts. But eventually, on February 3, 1919, Ammon unlocks the door, slips into the exercise yard, scales a fence, and walks to his freedom. Eamon will one day serve as Ireland's prime minister, but for the time being, he's a man on the run and flees to the United States to garner support and funds for Sinn's newly declared independent Ireland.

But as Sinn Fein gains ground with overseas supporters and across the southern region of Ireland, in the northern part of the country, theres a different political party on the rise, one that vehemently opposes the Ulster Union party.

Its July 12, 1919. Seven months after the 1918 general election in Belfast, several thousand people have gathered to hear a speech by the leader of the Ulster Unionist party, Sir Edward Carson. Carson, a towering, barrel chested aristocrat, shakes his fist as he rails against Sinn Feins attempt to turn Ireland into an independent republic. Carsons voice booms across the crowd as he announces, we confidently reassert that a parliamentary union with Great Britain is essential for the preservation of our liberties. The people roar their approval.

The northern irish province of Ulster is very different from the rest of the island. In the 17th century, english agricultural workers flocked to the uninhabited region of Ulster to establish plantations, and with them, they brought their religion, Protestantism. But the rest of Ireland remained staunchly catholic, and it wasnt long before this religious divide sparked political disagreement. The british government refuses to recognize the legitimacy of this new irish republic. But still, many Ulster unionists protests are afraid for their future.

For one thing, they are a protestant minority in a catholic country. And for another, Ulsters industrial economy relies on links with Great Britain and her empire. Independence could be financially devastating. So they work hard, organize, and become a political force in the north. And this rise of the Ulster unionists doesnt go unnoticed by the leaders of Sinn.

But with Eamonn de Valera in America, the irish nationalist fight will have to find a new leader at home, an irish intelligence expert named Michael Collins. Michael's often brutal tactics will lead to a further rise in violence and a deadly clash that will come to be known as Bloody Sunday.

Lindsey Graham
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Joe Viner
Its fall of 1920 in a catholic church in Dublin, about six months before the partition of Ireland, a man named Binney Burns steps into a confessional and kneels. Binney is a member of the growing military wing of Sinn Fein, known as the Irish Republican army, or the IRA. Vinnie speaks through the lattice work that divides penitent from priest and says, bless me father, for I have sinned. Under the command of Michael Collins, iras director of intelligence. Vinnie works in a special unit known by members as the squad.

Michael Collins has ordered these soldiers to carry out hits on spies and informants who have worked their way into Sinn and the IRA. Vinny has recently killed one of these spies, and he's here in this church to confess. Vinny does not hold back the truth. He tells the priest that he shot a man dead. Vinnie says he did it because hes a soldier and its his duty to kill spies.

The priest listens to Vinnys confession and his reasoning. And before giving Vinnie his blessing, the priest smiles and says, good man. Michael Collins has worked hard to bring members of the Catholic Church to his side. Michael is a student of history, and he knows his battle cannot be waged with guns alone. It must also be fought with words and ideas.

Through a powerful propaganda machine, Michael has managed to win the hearts and minds of the majority of the Irish Catholics in the south, including many of the country's priests and bishops. But even with support from the church, Michael and the IRA face a legion of enemies. The Ulster Unionists continue to rally support in Northern Ireland, especially with Protestants. And british authorities have established a vast intelligence unit in Ireland to support the soldiers they have on the ground and to undermine the nascent Sinn government. Michael is well aware that the IRA can never outman the british military or the british backed police in Ireland.

But he does believe if he can strike military leaders and cause enough damage, the IRA will continue to gain ground and ultimately force the British to leave Ireland for good. Michael says he is a builder, not a destroyer. But he makes it clear he's not afraid to get rid of people if they hinder his work. And soon enough, Michael will decide to get rid of some british army officers.

On November 21, 1924, men walked down a quiet street in south Dublin. Theyre members of a notorious IRA hit squad known as the Twelve Apostles. One of the assassins clutches a piece of paper with the names and addresses of british army officers reportedly living in the area. With the peaks of their flat caps pulled down low, the assassins approach the first house and kick in the front door. In a bedroom upstairs, they find a british officer asleep in his bed.

They draw their pistols and riddle him with bullets. All around Dublin, similar scenes are unfolding as a part of an elaborate scheme masterminded by the IRAS director of intelligence, Michael Collins. Before the morning is over, nine british officers will be dead. When the british authorities learn about the assassinations, they demand retaliation. Soon they receive a tip that IRA gunmen are hiding in the crowd at a gaelic football match in Croke Park, a stadium in Dublin.

So later that afternoon, british constables descend on the area. The scene quickly descends into chaos when the constables begin firing indiscriminately into the crowd. By the end of bloody Sunday, as this day of violence will come to be known, 29 people will be dead, including 14 innocent civilians. And in a few short weeks, war rages all across Ireland as british backed irish police clash with the IRA over control of the country. The conflict is known as the Irish War of Independence, and between 1919 and 1921, it will claim over 2000 lives.

Even as Ireland burns with the flames of civil war, politicians in London are desperate to find a solution to the irish problem. That solution will be known as partition. The Government of Ireland act, as it is called, partitions the country into two self governing political entities, Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. The measure will largely be ignored by Sinnoh, and it will be met with resentment from many Ulster unionists as well as a solution to a crisis. The partition seems to make almost no one happy.

The division lines leave catholic minorities in the north and protestant minorities in the south, and both feel as though theyre being abandoned. But as the act officially comes into effect on May 3, 1921, a new, unpopular political reality takes hold in Ireland. But May 3 comes and goes without much in the way of resistance. One month later, Britain's King George V will come to Belfast to inaugurate the new northern irish parliament. The monarch will address a cheering crowd, and the king will voice his sincere hopes for reconciliation between the north and south, but ultimately in vain.

The partition of Ireland will mark a new chapter in a sectarian conflict that will rage throughout the 20th century, one that will give rise to a violent struggle in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles, a period of bloodshed that will last from the late 1960s to the late 1990s. It won't be until nearly a hundred years after the date of partition that the violence finally wanes and reconciliation is sought and unification becomes a new possibility.

Lindsey Graham
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Joe Viner
It'S May 3, 2021 in Lisbon, Northern Ireland. A band marches down the rain soaked streets of the city. Cheers from the windows of houses and from small groups gathered along the road blend in with the music. The band is marching to commemorate the date 100 years earlier when partition officially created Northern Ireland. The celebration is small due to restrictions related to the global pandemic caused by by COVID-19, but the fervor of the participants cannot be muted.

Soon the ban passes a group of protesters. Some hold signs calling for a united Ireland that would bring the Republic of Ireland in the south and Northern Ireland back together. Similar events are taking place across the region. Bands are marching and church services are being held, but many irish people are not sure what they are supposed to be celebrating. The spectacles in the street do not erase the many questions that remain about the regions future or its difficult past.

At a parade in Belfast, Northern Irelands largest city, Sinn Fein makes their presence known. Members of the Irish Nationalist political party drape a large banner over a tower block along with the Sinn Fein logo. The banner reads, a united Ireland is for everyone. Lets talk about it. Before the day is over, authorities will take the banner down and british Prime Minister Boris Johnson issues a measured statement saying the government will continue to showcase all the brilliant things Northern Ireland contributes to the rest of the UK and the world.

But it is also important that we pause to reflect on the complex history of the last 100 years. The complex history between Ireland and the United Kingdom began long before the formation of Northern Ireland, but 100 years on, the scars remain from the conflict that pit neighbor against neighbor and tore families apart along dividing lines that were made official when the country was partitioned by the Government of Ireland act, which came into effect on May 3 1921.

Lindsey Graham
Next on History daily May 6, 1937 the Hindenburg, the largest rigid airship ever built and the pride of Nazi Germany. Bursts into flames, killing 36 people.

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Joe Viner
From noiser and airship. This is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Molly Bach Sound design by Derek Behrens Music by Lindsey Graham. This episode is written and researched by Joe Viner. Executive producers are Steven Walters for airship and Pascal Hughes for noiser.

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