Historical evidence on Home Rule ignored

Professor John A Murphy is ignoring a lot of historical evidence to the contrary when he says the prospects for the Home Rule Act of 1914 was just a world of ‘genteel order envisaged by well-off elite’ and a world away from ‘an independent Ireland’ (Irish Examiner, September 23).

Patrick Pearse, subsequently leader in 1916, thought it worthwhile enough to speak from Home Rule platforms in 1912. The half a million unionists, who signed a covenant to ‘use all means necessary’ to prevent it from being implemented, were not convinced that it would not lead to an independent Ireland with themselves in a minority. Andrew Bonar Law, leader of the Conservative opposition, also thought this prospect real enough when he backed those unionist threats of civil war to prevent it from becoming a reality.

Getting the Home Rule Act passed by the most powerful parliament in the world, giving self rule to the island of Ireland with a parliament in Dublin, involved more than just ‘genteel order’ and was a considerable achievement.