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An energetic exploration of British efforts to undermine Home Rule and Charles Stewart Parnell
An energetic exploration of British efforts to undermine Home Rule and Charles Stewart ParnellOne of the most intriguing periods in Irish history was the pursuit of Home Rule towards the end of the 19th century.has assiduously dug into a part of this campaign for self-determination when the British establishment genuinely felt threatened by the prospect of Ireland’s freedom and its wider impact on their empire; so much so that they set in motion a full-blown conspiracy to prevent the Irish campaign achieving its aims under the charismatic leadership of The Parnellites proved an imperialist’s nightmare and the British, far from any sentiments of playing the part of “honest broker”, did everything in their powers to “criminalise a popular political movement”, as Dungan’s fellow historian Paul Bew has it.
Political power plays for discrediting the Irish involved British prime minister Lord Salisbury and his Tory Government utilising their intelligence services with “black ops” propaganda and agents provocateurs; colluding with The Times of London to target Parnell with fabrications of violent plots and smears against his personal life ; and a special commission being subsequently formed to investigate the newspaper’s allegations.
Dungan notes of the commission: “ battering ram’s ultimate purpose was to remove Home Rule from the neighbourhood of acceptable politics”, and he is unashamedly scathing on Britain’s attitude towards Ireland at the time: “There was an all-encompassing, loosely co-ordinated British Government conspiracy – simultaneously blatant and covert – to undermine Irish constitutional nationalism. ”‘An incredible initiative’: Dolly Parton project gives books to thousands of Irish childrenLand is All That Matters , yet such is the richness of the intense political activity involving a colourful dramatis personae that the book’s 400 pages never feel padded.
The Plot Against Ireland is an energetic work of research on a fascinating era of Irish history that the author, also well known for his broadcasting, delivers with clear-headed assuredness. As a reader closes its pages, the realisation takes hold that there was a method in the madness to the plotting; a case of history delayed.
“It worked well enough to allow a breathing space after which the more benign alternative could be deployed,” writes Dungan, “Killing Home Rule with kindness”. Never Say War. Life inside Russia: Lifting the lidMOST READKillarney sees ‘worst flooding in a lifetime’ with orange rain warning issued for DublinIrish coach called on to steady ship after five Sydney Swans players are suspendedReport lists more than 60 measures to address business costs and ease regulatory burden
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