LEAVING CERT REVISION CASE STUDIES AND DOCUMENTS

The Anglo-Irish Treaty Negotiations, October – December, 1921 Preliminary Negotiations, July – Oct 1921 Preliminary negotiations began between De Valera and Lloyd George. They met four times in London, after which they wrote. De Valera wanted a 32 county republic Lloyd George wanted Ireland to remain within the British Commonwealth as a dominion Britain wanted a separate government in Northern Ireland They wanted to control the naval bases in Ireland for their own defence. After many disagreements Lloyd George came up with a compromise wording asking for a meeting to ‘ascertain how the association of Ireland with the community of nations known as the British Commonwealth may best be reconciled with Irish national aspirations.’

The Irish Delegation Leader of the Delegation: Arthur Griffith Michael Collins – reluctant to go, but went from loyalty to Dev Robert Barton – extreme Republican Eamonn Dugann – Lawyer Charles Gavan Duffy – Lawyer Erskine Childers – Secretary and ‘observer’.

The British Delegation Prime Minister – David Lloyd George Minister for War – Winston Churchill Conservative Party Leaders – Austen Chamberlain and Lord Birkenhead The unionist were not present, but were the ‘silent ghost’ at the table.

Irish Instructions ‘Envoy plenipotentiaries’ BUT Told to refer everything back to Dublin Ambiguous????!!!!!

De Valera Why didn’t he go? He said: –I’m head of State –I’ll control the militant Republicans –I’ll be a second line of defence They said: He wanted to avoid the blame when a Republic wasn’t achieved.

Strengths and Weaknesses Weaknesses Dev’s absence The ambiguous instructions London Inexperience of the Irish delegates Strengths

Main Issues Constitutional Status Partition and unification Britain’s defence If negotiations broke down Ireland wanted to break on the question of unity, England wanted to break on the Imperial question, both because of Public Opinion.

Negotiations At first carried out by full delegations then broke up into sub-committees Early agreement on naval bases, trade, and Irish debt for World War I Britain offered the Six Counties if Ireland would stay in the Empire Griffith promised that if ‘essential unity’ were guaranteed he would agree to this.

The North The Northern Unionist under Craig completely refused this. Lloyd George proposed a Boundary Commission Ireland couldn’t break over the ‘Ulster Question.

Further Negotiations Devalera proposed ‘external association’ Rejected by Britain because it would keep Ireland out of the Empire The Oath was eventually agreed on, which made the king Head of State and Ireland a Dominion. The North was the last obstacle

Signing 6 th December 1921 Lloyd George threatened ‘immediate and terrible war’ Griffith signed, then Collins, finally Duggan, Barton and Gavan Duffy Collins writes ‘this morning I have signed my death warrant’.

Terms of the Treaty Dominion Status Irish Free State Governor General Oath of Allegiance Treaty Ports Boundary Commission