From Home Rule to Lone Rule: The Evolution of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland from 1914 to 1918

Abstract

The Roman Catholic Church has long been one of the most prominent and influential institutions in Ireland. From 1914 to 1918, it was approaching its apex of power when Ireland was still governed by the British Empire. However, few historians in Ireland or elsewhere have ever written extensively about the Catholic Church in Ireland during World War I. In 1914, most of the Irish people were still desirous of Home Rule and membership in the British Empire but with a relationship with Britain like that of Canada or Australia rather than like India or Kenya. By the end of the First World War, most Irish had moved towards independence and the establishment of an Irish republic. Given the prominence of the Catholic Church in Irish life, the purpose of this thesis is to analyze the evolution of the Catholic Church in Ireland and its public stances during the rapidly changing political and social environment from 1914 to the end of the First World War in 1918. I chose this period specifically because 1914 was the start of the First World War and the Irish relationship with Britain was much less hostile than it would be in the coming years. With the Easter Rising in less than two years and an Irish War for Independence beginning only a few years after that, Ireland was entering one of its most consequential historical epochs. As such a prominent institution, the Catholic Church’s relationship with the Irish is critical to understanding the period as well as its influence on politics. I have explored dozens of articles from prominent newspapers in both Ireland the United Kingdom to determine the Catholic Church’s role in the evolution of Ireland from a land that was in favor of continued membership in the British Empire though with Home Rule status into a land that was moving in the direction of republicanism and independence from the United Kingdom. This was especially true when it came to topics such as partition and conscription. When Ireland gained its independence in 1922, the Catholic Church was seen by the Irish public as not just a religious institution but as an integral part of the Irish political landscape and Irish society. This view was solidified during the critical early years of the development of the Republic of Ireland which this thesis will cover.