The Decade of Centenaries - memories and reflections
THE YEARS 1912 to 1923, between the Third Home Rule Bill and the end of the Civil War and the Irish Free State’s admission to the League of Nations, redefined the political geography of Ireland. The counterpart to the virtual independence of the greater part of the island, completed over the following quarter of a century, was the establishment of Northern Ireland in six of the nine Ulster counties as a devolved jurisdiction within the United Kingdom.
Decisive change took place against the backdrop of the First World War and its aftermath. A hundred years later, it has been helpful to look back on the whole process of change over those years.
The changes in Ireland resulted from many disparate forces, not only political and military, but economic, social and cultural as well. There was a significant short- and long-term human cost resulting from the violence that occurred. It is a matter of ongoing debate as to whether the eventual overall outcome was achievable without resort to force or the threat of it.
* Full article available in printed copies.
Martin Mansergh
is Deputy Chair of the Expert Advisory Group on Centenary Commemorations, formerly a Fianna Fáil T.D. and advisor to the Taoiseach.