New Departure (Ireland) facts for kids

The term New Departure describes a few times in the late 1800s when Irish groups tried to work together. Some Irish people, called republicans, wanted Ireland to be completely free from Britain. They were ready to use force if needed. Other groups wanted "Home Rule", which meant Ireland would govern itself but still be part of Britain. They wanted to achieve this peacefully.

After the Fenian Rising of 1867 (a rebellion) and the sad executions that followed, many people supported the Fenians, but their ideas became a bit less extreme. At the same time, the Home Rule movement started to become more daring. This created a chance for these different groups to work together. The idea of a "New Departure" was first mentioned by John Devoy in a newspaper article in 1878. He suggested a new plan for Irish politics.

Early Efforts: 1868–1869

In 1868 and 1869, John O'Connor Power, a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), started working with George Henry Moore, a Member of Parliament (MP) from Mayo. This was one of the first "New Departure" attempts.

However, Moore died in 1870. O'Connor Power then focused on getting Fenian support for Isaac Butt, another important Irish leader. O'Connor Power was a pioneer in getting revolutionary and peaceful activists to cooperate. He believed they could work towards the same goal, even if they used different methods.

Michael MacDonagh, a writer, explained O'Connor Power's idea. He said O'Connor Power helped convince the Fenians to give the Home Rule movement a chance. His idea was to have two parts to the nationalist movement. One part would work inside the British Parliament, and the other would work in Ireland using revolutionary methods. Both parts would work separately but aim for the same goal: more self-government for Ireland.

At the same time, Isaac Butt, the leader of the Home Rule League, started a campaign to free the Fenian Rising prisoners.

Working Together: 1873–1876

The efforts of O'Connor Power and Patrick Egan led to another "New Departure" in 1873. Fenians supported the creation of the Home Rule League in November 1873. The IRB believed that while they waited for the right time for a war with England, they should support movements that could help Ireland gain independence.

But the IRB soon became disappointed. They felt the Home Rulers were not achieving enough. So, on August 20, 1876, the IRB ended their partnership. They told their members to stop working with the Home Rule movement within six months. In March 1877, the IRB's leaders made sure this rule was followed. John Barry and Patrick Egan resigned from the IRB council. John O'Connor Power and Joseph Biggar refused to resign and were removed from the group.

A New Plan: 1878

Even after the split, revolutionary and peaceful Irish nationalists stayed in touch. In January 1877, a journalist named James Joseph O'Kelly convinced John Devoy to meet with Irish politicians. In January 1878, Devoy met with Charles Stewart Parnell in Dublin.

Later, in March, some important IRB members, John O'Leary and John O'Connor, met secretly in London with MPs like Charles Stewart Parnell, Frank Hugh O'Donnell, William Henry O'Sullivan, and O'Kelly. This meeting was to discuss if the IRB and Parnell could work together. O'Leary shared his strong views, saying that most Irishmen who entered the British Parliament would soon be influenced by British ways. He felt that to keep their honor, Irishmen should stay away from everything English. Parnell listened but did not make any promises.

In late 1878, Michael Davitt of the IRB went on a speaking tour in the United States to raise money. He was helped by William Carroll and John Devoy of Clan na Gael. On October 13, in Brooklyn, New York, Davitt gave a speech. He said that Irish republicans couldn't stop Irish people from voting or becoming MPs in the British Parliament. However, they could influence who was elected. He felt that the Home Rule League, especially Isaac Butt and John O'Connor Power, were not doing enough to stop Ireland from becoming too much like Britain.

Davitt believed that Charles Stewart Parnell and Joseph Biggar were good Irish MPs. He thought Irish republicans should help more strong nationalists get elected. John Devoy then spoke, saying that if Irish republicans wanted support from Britain's enemies, like Russia, they needed to show stronger opposition to Britain, both inside and outside Parliament. He pointed out that Russia saw the Irish as loyal to Britain, not as a threat. So, it was important to replace leaders in all Irish public groups with committed nationalists. Both Davitt and Devoy also stressed that solving the Irish land problem was key. This meant giving land ownership to the farmers themselves.

On October 27, 1878, Devoy wrote an article in the New York Herald summarizing these ideas. He called it a 'new departure'. He also said that Irish participation in the British Parliament would be temporary. At the right time, Irish nationalist MPs would leave London and form their own Irish government in Dublin. Davitt was worried this link to the Fenians might hurt Parnell, but Devoy convinced him it wouldn't. IRB leaders John O'Leary and Charles Kickham did not agree with working with the peaceful groups. Parnell didn't comment directly, but he started using strong language about land ownership in his speeches in Ireland. This set the stage for their successful teamwork in 1879 during the Land War.

Working Together: 1879

A "New Departure" plan was created by John Devoy of the American Clan na Gael when he visited Paris and Ireland in 1879. His main visit was to plan a revolutionary war against Britain. So, the "new departure" talks were Devoy's own idea, separate from his official mission.

The leaders of the IRB officially refused to support his call to work with Parnell and his more radical group within the Home Rule League. However, Michael Davitt of the IRB supported it as his own personal idea. Both Davitt and Devoy were highly respected by local Fenians. This allowed them to create a very successful, though short-lived, unofficial partnership. This partnership was between moderate Fenians and Parnell's radical Home Rulers. They agreed verbally in Dublin on June 1, 1879. Devoy supported this agreement because he believed that the demands of the Land League would not be granted by a Parliament of British landlords.

This cooperation led to the growth of the Land War, which was a big protest against landlords across Ireland. It also led to the creation of the Irish National Land League and caused a major problem for the British Government.

Many different groups worked together for the cause of small tenant farmers:

• Revolutionary nationalists like Matt Harris and Thomas Brennan.
• Conservative nationalists like James Daly.
• Catholic leaders, including the very important Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Thomas Croke. He told Devoy that he had "more respect for the Fenians than for any other men in Ireland."
• Peaceful politicians like Parnell and Joseph Biggar.
• Practical Fenians like Davitt.

Sources

• Home Rule. An Irish History 1800–2000, Alvin Jackson, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003, ISBN: 978-0-19-522048-3.
• That Irishman: The Life and Times of John O'Connor Power, Jane Stanford, The History Press Ireland, 2011, ISBN: 978-1-84588-698-1.
• Davitt and Irish Revolution 1846–82, T. W. Moody, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1981, ISBN: 978-0-19-820069-7
• The Revolution in Ireland, 1879–1923, ed. D. G. Boyce, London: Macmillan, 1988, ISBN: 0-333-40389-4
• The Fenians in Context, Irish Politics & Society, 1848-82, R. V. Comerford, Dublin, 1985.
• "The Home Rule Movement", Michael MacDonagh, Fisher Unwin, Dublin and London, 1920.
• "The Life of Charles Stewart Parnell, 1846–1891", R. Barry O'Brien, London and New York, 1910.