Antrim: The Irish Revolution, 1912-23

by Brian Feeney

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Antrim contained the largest Presbyterian population on the island of Ireland. It also contained most of Belfast—the largest city in Ireland—which dominated the economy of the north-east. Belfast was tightly integrated into Britain’s politics and economy, and the vast majority of its inhabitants, who were overwhelmingly Presbyterian and unionist like the rest of the county, were determined to keep it that way. In Antrim there was no land war, the majority of the population supported the RIC and Crown forces, and only a minority voted for home rule. Belfast was the centre of Ulster unionist resistance to home rule, and the location of the headquarters of the Ulster Unionist Party and the UVF. This carefully researched book explores the political, economic, and social links between Ulster unionist leaders in Belfast and the Conservative Party in Britain, which proved decisive in obstructing the Irish Revolution. The book examines the outbreak of intense sectarian violence in Belfast and Lisburn in 1920, the ‘Belfast Pogrom.’ It describes the reconstitution of the UVF as the Ulster Special Constabulary and, controlled by unionist politicians, the USC’s role in repressing the nationalist community. Using the most recent documents available, Feeney analyses the personnel, actions, and constraints the IRA’s 3rd Northern Division faced, and provides the first comprehensive account of the campaign in north Antrim.

192 pages, Paperback

Published September 10, 2021

About the author

Brian Feeney, a political columnist with the Irish News, is a leading nationalist commentator and frequent broadcaster on Northern Ireland affairs. He was an SDLP councillor for sixteen years. He is co-author of Lost Lives: the story of the men, women and children killed in the Northern Ireland troubles. In 2001 the book won the Christopher Ewart-Biggs award for its contribution to reconciliation in Ireland and Europe. A historian by profession, he is Head of History at St Mary's University College, Belfast.

Reviews

[Senioreuge]

This is one work in a series of accounts charting the Irish Revolutionary period in the early decades of the 20th century, it is perhaps the most difficult in the series. The repercussions of the events are not just fresh in memory (real or imagined), but are being played out every day in the politics of the North of Ireland particularly in towns and streets of Antrim. The most recent focus for the revival of tribalism was the advent of "brexit" and its attendant "threat to the union". Perhaps the only real change since the events of 100 years ago is the demographic changes, the 2021 census due to report soon will be yet another cause for concern that may well be improved up into a storm by some familiar names. Sometimes, as they say, the more things change the more they stay the same.