Fenian Rising (1867)

The Fenian Rising was a failed armed rebellion against British rule organized by the Fenians—that is, members the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). The insurrection sought to overthrow British rule and establish an autonomous and sovereign Irish Republic. On March 5, 1867 an estimated 10,000 men across Ireland participated, but by the next day the rising was crushed and its leaders imprisoned. The rising was unorganized and the men poorly armed. However, the Fenians’ calls for an Irish nation, the criticisms of British imperialism, and the embracement of Irish culture left an impact. [1] These ideas influenced the creation of the Gaelic League—a group dedicated to the preservation of Irish culture—and the more popular Sinn Fein party.

The pragmatic British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone began to implement drastic Irish reforms. For the rest of his political career, Gladstone would seek a solution to the Irish question and improve the relationship between the countries. In the long-term, Gladstone was unsuccessful, giving way to more drastic means of Irish independence.

[1] Shin-Ichi Takagami, “The Fenian rising in Dublin, March 1867,” Irish Historical Studies 29, no. 115 (1995): 349.