7 Basic Irish Political Words

Seven basic Irish words that will help you in a conversation about politics with an Irish person.

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Background: A very quick history lesson to give you a deeper understanding of Irish politics.
1800 - the Acts of Union - the Kingdom and Parliament of Ireland subsumed into a union with Great Britain to create the “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland”.
1830 to 1848 - Repeal Association of Daniel O’Connell campaigning for a repeal of the Acts of Union.
1845 to 1852 - the Great Famine - 1 million dead, 1 million flee Ireland. Caused by potato blight, but grossly exacerbated by indifference, government policy failure and ideology from the ruling government in London. Intense resentment in Irish communities forced to flee their homeland.
1870 to 1918 - Home Rule movement - a campaign for self government for Ireland for domestic affairs. (Somewhat similar to the devolved government of Scotland today). Most famously associated with Charles Stewart Parnell. First Home Rule Bill was defeated in the House of Commons in 1886. A second Home Rule Bill was passed in 1893 but was defeated in the House of Lords. The House of Lords had their veto removed in 1911 and a third Home Rule Bill was passed in 1914. Unionists in Ulster deeply feared loss of religious freedoms and economic decline “Home Rule means Rome Rule”. A paramilitary force, the “Ulster Volunteers” was set up which threatened to resist by force of arms the implementation of Home Rule. Nationalists respond by setting up a similar “Irish Volunteers”. “The Curragh mutiny” occurs when senior officers in the British army in Ireland threaten to disobey orders of military operations against the Ulster Volunteers. This is seen as tacit approval from the British establishment for the Unionist position in Ulster. It was seen by Irish nationalists as evidence that the British establishment never intended implementing Home Rule in Ireland.
September 1914 - Home Rule suspended due to the outbreak of World War I.
Easter 1916 - Irish republicans stage an armed insurrection against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing a sovereign Irish republic. Initially public opinion in Ireland was against it, but turned in favour due to the harsh British treatment of the leaders and participants of the rising. Physical force republicanism replaces constituational nationalism as the dominant political force in Ireland.
1918 - Sinn Féin replace the Irish Parliamentary Party as the dominant political party in Ireland. It’s aim is to achieve an independent Irish republic.
1919 - Sinn Féin abstain taking their seats in Westminster instead assembling in the Mansion House in Dublin and proclaim themselves the parliament of Ireland - Dáil Éireann. The British government outlaw both Dáil Éireann and Sinn Féin leading to a guerrilla war between the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and British forces.
1921 - Anglo Irish Treaty - establishment of the Irish Free State. 6 counties of Ulster opt out of the Irish Free State to create Northern Ireland.
1922 to 23 - Irish Civil War - Sinn Féin and the IRA split into those supporting the treaty and those opposing it. Pro-treaty side wins and will go on to become Fine Gael. The anti-treaty side under Éamon de Valera go on to form Fianna Fáil.
1937 - Bunreacht na hÉireann - the constitution of Ireland.

The word Taoiseach comes from ancient Irish meaning leader or chieftain. Similarly Tánaiste means heir apparent.