The 1918 Election & The First Dáil 1919 and the Year that Followed

This particular suite of notes is quite wordy, but we have broken it into sections you can tackle in bite-size chunks. It deals primarily with the General election of 1918 and the aftermath.

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The 1918 General Election

• The 1918 General Election, held on 14 December 1918, was one of the most significant elections in Irish history, marking a decisive shift in the country's political landscape.

• This election was the first to be held in the United Kingdom after World War I and the first to include a broader electorate, thanks to the Representation of the People Act 1918.

• This act extended voting rights to all men over 21 and women over 30 who met certain property qualifications, significantly increasing the electorate in Ireland.

  • The election was held after the Easter Rising and was heavily influenced by the events of the preceding years, including the 1918 Conscription Crisis and the so-called German Plot.

• These events severely weakened the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP), which had dominated Irish politics for decades and had been the primary advocate for Home Rule.

• The IPP was increasingly seen as ineffective and out of touch with the rising nationalist sentiment that was sweeping through Ireland.

• In contrast, Sinn Féin emerged as the primary political force advocating for full Irish independence.

• Under the leadership of Éamon de Valera and Arthur Griffith, Sinn Féin campaigned on a platform of establishing an independent Irish Republic, rejecting the Home Rule solution that the IPP had long pursued.

• The party also promoted the policy of abstentionism, meaning that if elected, its members would refuse to take their seats in the British Parliament and instead convene their own parliament in Ireland.

• The election was held in the context of widespread anti-British sentiment, particularly in the wake of the British government's heavy-handed responses to Irish nationalist activities.

• Sinn Féin successfully positioned itself as the party of change, appealing to a population disillusioned with the IPP's failure to deliver Home Rule and increasingly supportive of more radical solutions.

• The results of the 1918 General Election were a watershed moment in Irish history, leading to the establishment of the First Dáil Éireann and setting the stage for the Irish War of Independence.

The Advantages That Sinn Féin Had Leading Into the Election

• As Sinn Féin approached the 1918 General Election, the party had several significant advantages that positioned it for a major electoral victory. The first and most obvious was the widespread disillusionment with the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP).
• The IPP's long-standing pursuit of Home Rule, once the dominant political strategy for achieving Irish self-government, had increasingly come to be seen as a failure, particularly after the Easter Rising of 1916 and the British government's subsequent actions.
• The IPP's association with the British government, especially during the controversial 1918 Conscription Crisis, alienated many Irish voters who were now more inclined to support a party advocating for full independence.
• Sinn Féin also benefited from the Easter Rising itself despite not having organised the rebellion. The British authorities' mistaken association of Sinn Féin with the Rising and the harsh repression that followed, including the execution of its leaders, turned public opinion against British rule and increased support for Sinn Féin.
• The party capitalised on this shift in sentiment, presenting itself as the legitimate successor to the Rising's ideals and the primary vehicle for achieving Irish independence.
• Another advantage was Sinn Féin's effective use of the abstentionism strategy, which resonated with the electorate's desire for a complete break from British political institutions.
• By pledging not to take their seats in Westminster and instead to establish an independent Irish parliament, Sinn Féin offered a clear and radical alternative to the IPP's more moderate approach.
• This strategy not only distinguished Sinn Féin from its rivals but also allowed it to harness the country's growing nationalist fervour.
• Additionally, the 1918 Conscription Crisis played a crucial role in boosting Sinn Féin's popularity. The party's leadership in the successful resistance against British attempts to impose conscription in Ireland galvanised support among a population already weary of the war and resentful of British rule.
• Sinn Féin's role in organising mass protests and mobilising public opposition to conscription helped to solidify its image as the defender of Irish interests.
• Finally, the expansion of the electorate through the Representation of the People Act 1918 worked in Sinn Féin's favour.
• The inclusion of a large number of new voters, particularly younger men and women, many of whom were radicalised by the events of the previous few years, gave Sinn Féin a broader base of support. These new voters were less likely to be loyal to the IPP and more inclined to support Sinn Féin's bold vision of an independent Ireland.

The Results and Significance of the 1918 General Election

• The results of the 1918 General Election were a seismic shift in Irish politics, with Sinn Féin winning a landslide victory that dramatically altered the political landscape.
• Sinn Féin won 73 out of 105 seats in Ireland, while the once-dominant Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) was nearly wiped out, securing only six seats.
• The remaining seats went to Unionist candidates, particularly in Ulster, where Unionist sentiment remained strong.
• Sinn Féin's overwhelming victory was not just a repudiation of the IPP's Home Rule strategy but also a clear mandate for Irish independence.
• The party's success demonstrated that a significant majority of the Irish electorate supported Sinn Féin's platform of establishing an independent Irish Republic and rejected the idea of continued participation in the British political system.
• The election results effectively marked the end of Home Rule as a viable solution to the Irish question.
• One of the most significant aspects of the election was Sinn Féin's policy of abstentionism. As promised, Sinn Féin's elected representatives refused to take their seats in the British Parliament and instead convened the First Dáil Éireann in Dublin in January 1919.
• This act of defiance symbolised a complete break from British rule and was a critical step in the Irish struggle for independence.
• The establishment of the Dáil was seen as the legitimate expression of the will of the Irish people, further undermining British authority in Ireland.
• The 1918 General Election also had a profound impact on the broader political and social dynamics in Ireland.
• It led to the marginalisation of moderate nationalist forces and the rise of a more radical, republican movement that was willing to use both political and military means to achieve its goals.
• The election results set the stage for the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921), as Sinn Féin and its associated military wing, the Irish Republican Army (IRA), sought to turn their electoral mandate into a reality.
• Internationally, the election and the subsequent establishment of the Dáil garnered significant attention and support, particularly from Irish-American communities and other nationalist movements around the world.
• The election results also posed a serious challenge to the British government, which now faced a legitimised nationalist movement with widespread popular support.
• In summary, the 1918 General Election was a turning point in Irish history, signalling the end of the old political order and the beginning of a new era of radical nationalism that would lead to the eventual establishment of the Irish Free State.

The Establishment of the First Dáil (January 1919)

• The establishment of the First Dáil Éireann on 21 January 1919 was a landmark event in the Irish struggle for independence following Sinn Féin's sweeping victory in the 1918 General Election.
• This new parliament was convened by Sinn Féin's elected representatives, who had won 73 out of 105 seats in Ireland but refused to take their seats in the British Parliament as part of their policy of abstentionism.
• The First Dáil met at the Mansion House in Dublin, symbolically asserting Ireland's right to self-governance. Only 27 Sinn Féin TDs (Teachtaí Dála, or members of the Dáil) were present at this first meeting, as many others were either imprisoned by the British or unable to attend.
• Nonetheless, the gathering marked the beginning of an alternative Irish government that claimed legitimacy based on the democratic will of the Irish people, as expressed in the 1918 election.
• During its first session, the Dáil adopted the Declaration of Independence, which asserted that Ireland was a sovereign nation separate from the United Kingdom.
• This declaration rejected British authority over Ireland and proclaimed the establishment of the Irish Republic.
• The Dáil also issued a Message to the Free Nations of the World, seeking international recognition for Ireland's independence and calling on other nations to support Ireland's struggle against British rule.
• Another significant action taken by the First Dáil was the adoption of the Democratic Programme, a document that outlined the social and economic principles that the new Irish government would pursue.
• This programme emphasised social justice, workers' rights, and the redistribution of wealth, reflecting the influence of both republican and socialist ideas within Sinn Féin.
• The establishment of the Dáil represented a direct challenge to British rule in Ireland. It marked the beginning of a parallel government that sought to operate independently of British institutions.
• However, the British authorities immediately contested the Dáil's existence. They refused to recognise its legitimacy and continued to enforce British law in Ireland.
• The First Dáil's creation was not just a political declaration; it was also a signal of intent that would soon be backed by military action.
• On the same day that the Dáil convened, members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) ambushed a Royal Irish Constabulary patrol at Soloheadbeg in County Tipperary, an event widely regarded as the beginning of the Irish War of Independence.
• The establishment of the First Dáil thus marked the start of a new phase in the struggle for Irish independence, one that combined political legitimacy with armed resistance.