Home Rule League

The Home Rule League was a political group in Ireland from 1873 to 1882. It worked to support home rule, which means Ireland could make its own decisions while still being part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The group wanted Ireland to have more control over its own laws and government.

The Home Rule League was also called the Home Rule Party. It helped bring attention to the need for change in Irish history. Later, it was replaced by the Irish Parliamentary Party, which kept working for home rule.

There was also a related group in Great Britain called the Home Rule Confederation of Great Britain. This group supported the same ideas but focused on people living in Great Britain.

Origins

After the Fenian Rising of 1867 did not work, people in Ireland looked for quieter ways to reach their goals. The Home Rule League started as a group called the Home Government Association in 1870 by Isaac Butt, a lawyer from Dublin. On November 18–21, 1873, this group became a full political party named the Home Rule League. In the 1874 election, many joined, including some from rich Irish families, former Liberal Party members like Sir John Gray, and more radical members such as Joseph Biggar and Charles Stewart Parnell. These more radical members used tactics to slow down government work in Parliament, which upset Butt and the British government.

Changes under Parnell

In 1877, a man named Parnell became the leader of a group in Great Britain that supported Irish home rule. Another leader, Butt, still led the main group in Ireland. After Butt passed away in 1879, William Shaw took over for a short time. In 1880, Parnell became the leader of the Irish group and won more seats in a big election. In 1882, Parnell changed the group's name to the Irish Parliamentary Party to work better toward Irish home rule. Under Parnell, the group grew stronger and included more middle-class and Catholic members.

Main article: parliamentary party

Main articles: Irish Parliamentary Party, Irish Home Rule

Chairmen (leaders) of the Party, 1873–1882

The Home Rule League had three main leaders from 1873 to 1882.

• Isaac Butt led from 1873 to 1879.
• William Shaw led from 1879 to 1880.
• Charles Stewart Parnell led from 1880 to 1882.