Presidents of the Government of the Irish Republic
1796-1797: Wolfe Tone (Society of United Irishmen)
-Irish Republic formally declared at Cork after the War of the French Revolution (1792-1804) > Great Irish Rebellion (1796-9)
-and a Government serving as an executive directory on the French model
-in 1797, the United Irishmen successfully take Dublin
-Council of Three Hundred named to serve as Ireland's legislature
-with that, Wolfe Tone resigns post as President of Government (but still remains leading figure)
1797-1798: Arthur O'Connor (Society of United Irishmen)
1798-1799: Edward Fitzgerald (Society of United Irishmen) [captured, executed]
-formally known as Lord Edward Fitzgerald
-but cast off this title with the declaration of a republic in favor of "Citizen", or as he says, "Paddy"
-organizes a campaign of warfare based on the croppy soldier
-seeking to win with irregular warfare, and "crop warfare" becomes a term for this sort of conflict
-wave of assassinations and the like
-a United Irishmen attack launched on the Irish Parliament headquartered in Armagh sees a lot of Irish peers assassinated
-when Dublin's lines fall and Hoche killed in the field, Fitzgerald refuses to flee, and goes down with the ship
-when British troops enter into Parliament House, he simply allows them to capture him
-his trial is the trial of the century
-and because he's a peer, he has privilege of being tried in the House of Lords
-a truly filmy act where he repeatedly denies the title of Lord in favor of "Paddy"
-ends with him declaring he fought for the unity and independence of the Irish people
-found guilty of being hung, drawn and quartered
-refuses having this punishment commuted
-accepts this brutal execution bravely, to the amazement of many
-to posterity, Lord Edward Fitzgerald, or "Paddy", is remembered as one of the greatest revolutionaries of all time
-and as a youth icon
1799-1801: Samuel Neilson (Society of United Irishmen) †
-leads small movement which constantly is on the move in crop warfare
-ultimately captured and summarily executed
Chief Secretaries of Ireland
1847-1856: Charles Herbert (Radical)
-sees disintegration of repeal assoc after death of "father of the nation" o'connell, more radical irish confed emerges
-elections are for radicals due to popularity of baines
-made tentative steps towards land reform, with recognition of custom of ulster
1856-1860: Isaac Butt (Moderate)
1858 def. George Henry Moore (Radical)
-establishes denominational schools with govt funding for all religions
-unseated by baines, due to assembly responsibility not established
1860-1862: George Henry Moore (Radical)
1861 def. Isaac Butt (Moderate)
-constantly opposed by assembly members for not following assembly responsibility
-measures consistently frustrated
-eventually goes on to resign, allow isaac butt to take over, in what is instrumental to the formation of assembly responsibilty convention
1862-1873: Isaac Butt (Moderate)
1864 def. George Henry Moore (Radical)
1867 def. Sean O'Connor (Radical)
1870 def. Sean O'Connor (Radical)
-crisis gives him popularity with people who otherwise prefer radicals, wins landslide
-opposed to burgeoning land reform movement but still enables very limited redistribution
-popularity eventually dissipates over his latent toryism, results in radical victory
1873-1882: Sean O'Connor (Radical)
1873 def. Isaac Butt (Moderate)
1876 def. John Parnell (Moderate)
1879 def. John Parnell (Moderate)
-institutes more radical land reform
-defends and promotes irish language, funds irish schools
1882-1891: John Parnell (Moderate)
1882 def. Sean O'Connor (Old Radical), [some name](New Radical)
1885 def. Sean O'Connor (Radical), [some name](Fenian)
-radical party split between old and new radicals, primarily land focused with new radicals believing land reform too moderate
1891-1896: John Redmond (Moderate)
1896-1901: John Redmond (Moderate-Radical Alliance)
-firmly catholic but belongs to established family, shows weakening religious divides and rise of anti-fenian sentiments
1901-1902: [some name](Fenian)
-successfully gains recognition of full irish legislative independence in some areas
1901-xxxx: [some name](Radical-Moderate Alliance)