Independent Irish Party facts for kids

The Independent Irish Party (IIP) was a group of Irish politicians. They were elected to the UK Parliament in 1852. These 48 members were supported by the Tenant Right League. This group wanted to help farmers who rented land.

The party promised to be independent. This meant they would not take special favors from the government. They wanted to improve farming laws. Their main goals were called the "three F's": fair rent, fixed tenure, and free sale. This meant fair prices for rent, secure leases, and the right to sell improvements made to the land.

However, the party faced problems. Many members cared more about changing a law called the Ecclesiastical Titles Act 1851. This law made it harder for the Catholic Church to set up its own leaders in the UK. Also, some main leaders left the party to join a new government.

More members left over time. By 1857, only 13 independent members remained. They later split in 1859. This happened when they disagreed on supporting a new government. This new government did try to make some small changes to Irish land laws in 1860.

Forming the Party and Early Problems

The Tenant Right League was created in 1850. It brought together groups from both Protestant areas in Ulster and Catholic areas in the south. Charles Gavan Duffy helped start the League. He was the editor of a newspaper called The Nation. Other important people involved were James MacKnight, Frederick Lucas, and John Gray.

Ireland was suffering from the Great Famine at this time. Farm prices were also falling. Duffy believed that fighting for tenant rights could unite all of Ireland. He hoped it would create a new national political party.

In the July 1852 elections, 48 members were elected. They promised to support the tenant cause. Duffy was one of them, elected from New Ross. However, the idea of a "League of North and South" did not fully work in Ulster. Only one tenant-right supporter, William Kirk, was elected from Ulster. Many Protestant voters did not support the League's candidates.

One big problem was the Ecclesiastical Titles Act 1851. Many League candidates wanted to get rid of this law. This law limited the Catholic Church's power in the UK. Some people worried that the League was being used for other political goals. They thought it was not just about tenant rights. Julius McCullagh, a tenant-rights supporter, said the Act "divided a people now happily uniting." Landowners in the north also threatened to remove existing tenant rights if their preferred candidates were not elected.

In November 1852, the government tried to pass a land bill. This bill would pay Irish tenants for improvements they made to their land if they were forced to leave. The bill passed in the House of Commons but failed in the House of Lords. The League and its members were not impressed. Landlords could still raise rents freely, which would make the payments useless.

The Independent Irish MPs had a lot of power in Parliament. They voted to bring down the government. But two main leaders, John Sadlier and William Keogh, broke their promises. They took jobs in a new government led by Lord Aberdeen. About 20 other members followed them. This new government did not promise to help with tenant rights.

Party Splits and End

The main Catholic leader in Ireland, Archbishop Paul Cullen, did not like the idea of an independent party. He tried to reduce support for the remaining Independent Irish Party members. The Catholic Defence Association also left the League. One of the League's founders, Lucas, even complained about Cullen to the Pope. This made the Catholic Church less supportive.

Charles Gavan Duffy felt that the fight for Irish tenants was hopeless. He was tired and unwell. In 1855, he announced he was leaving Parliament. He felt he could no longer achieve his goals. In 1856, Duffy and his family moved to Australia.

In the 1857 election, only 13 Independent Irish members kept their seats. Farm prices had improved, so farmers were less interested in protests. One seat was won in the north by Samuel MacCurdy Greer. He supported tenant rights. However, Greer was more aligned with British reformers, not the Independent Irish Party.

The Independent Irish Party never became a strong, organized group. They struggled to get all their members to vote together. In 1859, the remaining members split. They disagreed on whether to support a new government led by Lord Palmerston. This disagreement showed the party was no longer united.

The new government passed the Landlord and Tenant Law Amendment (Ireland) Act 1860. But this law only confirmed existing rental agreements. It did not bring the "three F's" that the party wanted. The real changes to land laws came later, in the 1880s. This was during a time called the Land War. It was led by the Irish National Land League and the Irish Parliamentary Party.

Prominent parliamentary members

• Charles Gavan Duffy, August 1850 - November 1855
• William Keogh, July 1852 – December 1852
• George Henry Moore, October 1855 – April 1857
• John Maguire, April 1857 – June 1859
• John Sadleir, July 1852 - December 1852

Election results