Troubles and Transition - Ireland 1900 to 1930
Introduction
Postal aspects of the struggle for Irish independence and change from the British to an Irish postal administration.- Background to the Rising
- The Easter Rising of 1916 and its Aftermath
- The War of Independence
- British Forces in Ireland
- The Civil War
- The Transitional Period and its Consequences
- Postal Stationery
- Official Mail
- The Postal Strike of 1922
- The Border
- The Introduction of Irish
- Postage Due Labels
- Epilogue - Independence
A Home Rule Act for Ireland had been passed in May 1914, but was suspended for the duration of the Great War. The Easter Rising of 1916 changed the situation and helped cause the eclipse of the Irish Parliamentary Party by Sinn Fein at the 1918 General Election. Dail Eireann was formed by MPs who refused to sit at Westminster, it sat in secret and led a parallel administration. Concurrently a guerilla war of independence was fought against crown forces. The Treaty of 1921 established a Provisional Government of Ireland, but imposed partition and retained an oath of loyalty to the King. This acceptance of less than the full republic led to civil war, an inauspicious start to the new Irish Free State.
The effective transfer between the British and Irish postal authorities took place at midnight on 31 March, 1922. Overprinted British stamps had already been issued on 17 February, 1922. The first stamp of Irish design was issued on 6 December, 1922, the day the Irish Free State came into existence and the first anniversary of the Treaty.
Reference: Irelands Transition by Dr. C.I. Dulin,
published by MacDonnell Whyte Ltd., Dublin 1992 ISBN 09517095-1-8