We are arguing against the Anglo-Irish Treaty.
The Treaty was
an agreement between England and Ireland following the War
of Independence. It was signed in October 1921 and this
signified the end of the violence throughout Ireland.
The Irish delegates that travelled to London to participate in
the arguments were Micheal Collins, Arthur Griffith, Robert
Barton, Eamonn Duggan and George Gavan Duffy. Eamonn De
Valera decided to stay at home to control the extremists in
Ireland but the delegates had to report back home before
signing anything. The English government team were Lloyd
George, Winston Churchill, Austen Chamberlain and Lord
Birkenhead. The intentions of the Irish delegates were to return
home to a Republic of 32 counties, complete independence from
England and to remove the border between the North and
South. After many intense negotiations, the Anglo-Irish Treaty
was signed.
The Treaty was signed on the 6th of December 1921. Micheal
Collins and Arthur Griffith were in favour of signing. Gavan
Duffy was reluctant and Barton strongly disagreed with the
Treaty. According to Barton, Duggan couldn’t be found when it
came to the signing of the Treaty so his signature had to be cut
from a menu card.
The terms of the Anglo Irish Treaty were
● Ireland would be known as a free state and not a republic.
● Ireland would still be a dominion of (part of) the British
Commonwealth and the King was head of the State of
Ireland.
● Members of the Dail and senate would take an oath of
allegiance to the Irish Government and faithfulness to the
king of England.
● Britain would have the use of three ports Berehaven, Cobh
and Lough Swilly.
● A boundary Commission would be established to divide
the North and South of Ireland.
The main issues of controversy of the Anglo-Irish Treaty were
the Free State of Ireland rather than a Republic, the oath of
allegiance and the six counties remaining a part of the UK.
Many Irish people believed that the Treaty was betraying the
hundreds of people who died fighting for a Republic. Families
that had lost loved ones know that they would not have
accepted the Treaty. Ireland was a Free State and a dominion
of England which means that it is semi-independent and still a
part of the British Commonwealth. During the War of
Independence, 1,500 lives were lost, homes, buildings and towns
were destroyed, Black & Tans were brutal to the Irish and nearly
5,000 people were severely injured over the course of the 2 ½
years. The Anglo-Irish Treaty did not give the people of Ireland
the freedom that they fought for.
The Oath of Allegiance was also very controversial as it meant
that members of the Dail had to swear that they would be
faithful to the King and to the Irish government. A lot of the Dail
members believed that they could not swear to be faithful in a
country that had taken away Ireland’s rights and caused
thousands of deaths. Many of the members had already sworn
to “support and defend a Republic” when the Dail was first
founded so the Oath of Allegiance would break that promise.
The boundary commission term had the most impact on
Nationalists in Ulster. This meant that the 6 counties of Armagh,
Antrim, Derry, Fermanagh, Down and Tyrone were going to
remain a part of the UK and still are today. As there were most
unionists in this part of the country at the time Nationalists’
votes were outnumbered. Republicans in the South of Ireland
felt as though the border divided their country and that they
left the people of the North behind. Nationalists in the North of
Ireland were angry that they didn’t also get the rights and the
Republic they had fought for. It denied Ireland of complete
freedom. This term of the Treaty proved to be a massive issue in
the Civil War and the Troubles.
Better terms could have been negotiated by the delegates. It
was said that Micheal Collins was wine and dined in London so
his full attention wasn’t on the arguments. The delegates spoke
of how this gave us some amount of freedom but we didn’t get
the rights the people of Ireland wanted and needed. We would
never get another proper opportunity to negotiate. For example
the border between Northern Ireland and the South still exists
today. This has divided our country and the North is still
governed by the UK.
Here are a few quotes from Dáil debates:
Harry Boland: “in my opinion, it denies a recognition of the Irish
nation. this Treaty denies the sovereignty of the Irish nation,
and I stand by the principles I have always held— that the Irish
People are by right a free people.’’
Austin Stack: “I stand for what is Ireland's right, full
independence
and nothing short of it. It is easy to understand that countries
like
Australia, New Zealand and the others can put up with the
powers
which are bestowed on them, can put up with acknowledgments
to the monarch and rule of Great Britain as head of their State,
for
have they not all sprung from England?”
Margaret Pearse [mother of Patrick Pearse]: “It has been said
here on several occasions that Pádraig Pearse would have
accepted this Treaty. I deny it. As his mother I deny it, and on
his
account I will not accept it.”
After the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, there were two sides.
Micheal Collins and Arthur Griffith; who were in favour of the
Treaty.
Eamon de Valera; who did not support the Treaty.
The long term effects of the Anglo Irish treaty
1. the Agreement failed to end the violence of the
Troubles or resolve questions on how Northern Ireland
should be governed,
2. The Anglo-Irish Agreement followed a particularly
difficult phase of the Troubles. The collapse of the
Sunningdale Agreement in mid-1974 triggered a decade of
division, tension and paramilitary violence.
3. The anglo irish treaty led to start of the civil war
In conclusion, the Treaty didn’t give Ireland the republic and the
rights that we fought for. Better terms could have been
negotiated. It denied Ireland of basic freedom and caused
violence and destruction across the country.
