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.

Far from being ‘unhistorical’ as Prof Murphy says, some of those in powerful positions in the British empire 100 years ago thought the prospect of an independent Ireland real enough that they went to considerable unconstitutional and extra-parliamentary extremes to prevent all Ireland Home Rule becoming a reality.

Anthony Leavy

Shielmartin Drive

Sutton

Dublin 13