Two Nations Theory (Ireland)
Encyclopedia
The Two Nations Theory holds that the Ulster
Protestants
are a distinct Irish nation.
According to S J Connolly's Oxford Companion to Irish History (p. 585) this idea first appeared in the book Ulster As It Is (1896) by the Unionist
Thomas Macknight
.
It was also advocated by the Tory writer W F Monypenny in his 1913 book The Two Irish Nations: An Essay on Home Rule, and was later taken up by the British Conservative politician Andrew Bonar Law.
It was advanced in 1907 by the future Supreme Court judge and Sinn Féin
Republican TD Arthur Clery
in his book The Idea of a Nation. Clery appears to have been motivated by his view of Irishness as essentially Gaelic and Catholic, and by the belief that partition would facilitate the achievement of Home Rule. He is unusual in supporting the "two nations" theory from a nationalist perspective; it is more usually advocated by Unionists.
Since most advocates of the "Two Nations Theory" used the idea to oppose Home Rule
and later to justify the partition of Ireland
, it was strongly criticised by Irish Nationalists such as John Redmond
(who famously stated that "the two nation theory' is to us an abomination and a blasphemy") and Éamon de Valera
and, somewhat later, by Seán Lemass
and Douglas Gageby
.
In 1962, the Dutch geographer Marcus Willem Heslinga (1922–2009) argued in his book The Irish Border as a Cultural Divide that there were good cultural reasons for the existence of the border. Paramount among these was religious difference which resulted in the partition of Ireland being a division between ‘two nations’ on the island of Ireland – the Catholic Irish nation in the Republic and the Protestant Ulster nation in Northern Ireland.
This view was also put forward by the Irish Communist Organisation (later the B&ICO) in 1969, in response to the crisis in the North. On the basis of the Leninist theory of nationalities, they theorised that Ireland
contained two overlapping nations and that it was necessary to recognise the rights of both. Jim Kemmy
TD of the Democratic Socialist Party was influenced by these ideas.
Around the same time, the Irish nationalist Desmond Fennell put forward the idea that the Ulster Protestants were a separate national group that had not been absorbed into the Irish nation, and the solution to the conflict was joint administration of the Six Counties
by the UK and Irish governments. Fennell put these ideas forward in articles for the Sunday Press
and Irish Times; his 1973 pamphlet, "Towards a Greater Ulster", also outlines these ideas.
The ideas of Conor Cruise O'Brien
about Northern Ireland, especially in his book States of Ireland (1973), were also labelled as “two nations theory” by some commentators.
In a 1971 speech, Tomás Mac Giolla of Official Sinn Féin condemned O'Brien, Fennell and B&ICO's "two nations theories" as a capitulation to British imperialism
.
In the mid-1970s, several members of the Vanguard Loyalist group also embraced
the Two-Nations Theory.
A variation on this idea was discussed by David Miller in his study of the Ulster Protestants, Queen's Rebels. He argued that Ulster Protestants, while not a nation, were a pre-nationalist group (separate from Irish Catholics) that operated according to loyalty to the
British Crown. He stated that there was thus a "nation" (Irish Catholic Nationalists) and a "community" (Irish Protestant Unionists) in Ireland.
In 2006, Jack Conrad, a member of the CPGB
, proposed in the Weekly Worker
magazine that a solution to the Northern Ireland conflict would involve the recognition of the Ulster Protestants (who he called the "British-Irish"), and the solution he outlined was “We stand for a united Ireland, within which a one-county, four-half-county British-Irish province exercises self-determination" by retaining its separate status from the Republic of Ireland. Subsequently, some writers claimed Conrad was attempting to resurrect the Two-Nations Theory.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
Protestants
Protestantism in Ireland
Protestantism in Ireland- 20th Century decline and other developments:In 1991, the population of the Republic of Ireland was approximately 3% Protestant, but the figure was over 10% in 1891, indicating a fall of 70% in the relative Protestant population over the past century.The effect of...
are a distinct Irish nation.
According to S J Connolly's Oxford Companion to Irish History (p. 585) this idea first appeared in the book Ulster As It Is (1896) by the Unionist
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
Thomas Macknight
Thomas Macknight
Thomas MacKnight was an Anglo-Irish newspaper editor, biographer and publisher. He was the originator of the Two Nations Theory in 1896, which argues that the Ulster Protestants are a distinct Irish nation....
.
It was also advocated by the Tory writer W F Monypenny in his 1913 book The Two Irish Nations: An Essay on Home Rule, and was later taken up by the British Conservative politician Andrew Bonar Law.
It was advanced in 1907 by the future Supreme Court judge and Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
Republican TD Arthur Clery
Arthur Clery
Arthur Edward Clery was an Irish politician and university professor.-Early life and education:His father, Art Ua Cleirigh, was a barrister practising in India who published books on early Irish history. Clery was brought up to a considerable extent by a relative, Charles Dawson...
in his book The Idea of a Nation. Clery appears to have been motivated by his view of Irishness as essentially Gaelic and Catholic, and by the belief that partition would facilitate the achievement of Home Rule. He is unusual in supporting the "two nations" theory from a nationalist perspective; it is more usually advocated by Unionists.
Since most advocates of the "Two Nations Theory" used the idea to oppose Home Rule
Home rule
Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....
and later to justify the partition of Ireland
Partition of Ireland
The partition of Ireland was the division of the island of Ireland into two distinct territories, now Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland . Partition occurred when the British Parliament passed the Government of Ireland Act 1920...
, it was strongly criticised by Irish Nationalists such as John Redmond
John Redmond
John Edward Redmond was an Irish nationalist politician, barrister, MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party from 1900 to 1918...
(who famously stated that "the two nation theory' is to us an abomination and a blasphemy") and Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
and, somewhat later, by Seán Lemass
Seán Lemass
Seán Francis Lemass was one of the most prominent Irish politicians of the 20th century. He served as Taoiseach from 1959 until 1966....
and Douglas Gageby
Douglas Gageby
Douglas Gageby was the pre-eminent Irish newspaper editor of his generation. His life is well documented and a book of essays about him, written by many of his colleagues who had attained fame for their literary achievements, was published in 2006 [Bright Brilliant Days: Douglas Gageby and the...
.
In 1962, the Dutch geographer Marcus Willem Heslinga (1922–2009) argued in his book The Irish Border as a Cultural Divide that there were good cultural reasons for the existence of the border. Paramount among these was religious difference which resulted in the partition of Ireland being a division between ‘two nations’ on the island of Ireland – the Catholic Irish nation in the Republic and the Protestant Ulster nation in Northern Ireland.
This view was also put forward by the Irish Communist Organisation (later the B&ICO) in 1969, in response to the crisis in the North. On the basis of the Leninist theory of nationalities, they theorised that Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
contained two overlapping nations and that it was necessary to recognise the rights of both. Jim Kemmy
Jim Kemmy
Jim Kemmy was an Irish socialist politician from Limerick, who started his political career in the Labour Party...
TD of the Democratic Socialist Party was influenced by these ideas.
Around the same time, the Irish nationalist Desmond Fennell put forward the idea that the Ulster Protestants were a separate national group that had not been absorbed into the Irish nation, and the solution to the conflict was joint administration of the Six Counties
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
by the UK and Irish governments. Fennell put these ideas forward in articles for the Sunday Press
Sunday Press
The Sunday Press was a weekend tabloid newspaper printed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia from 1973 until 1989. It was Melbourne's second Sunday newspaper, the first being the Melbourne observer....
and Irish Times; his 1973 pamphlet, "Towards a Greater Ulster", also outlines these ideas.
The ideas of Conor Cruise O'Brien
Conor Cruise O'Brien
Conor Cruise O'Brien often nicknamed "The Cruiser", was an Irish politician, writer, historian and academic. Although his opinion on the role of Britain in Northern Ireland changed over the course of the 1970s and 1980s, he always acknowledge values of, as he saw, the two irreconcilable traditions...
about Northern Ireland, especially in his book States of Ireland (1973), were also labelled as “two nations theory” by some commentators.
In a 1971 speech, Tomás Mac Giolla of Official Sinn Féin condemned O'Brien, Fennell and B&ICO's "two nations theories" as a capitulation to British imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
.
In the mid-1970s, several members of the Vanguard Loyalist group also embraced
the Two-Nations Theory.
A variation on this idea was discussed by David Miller in his study of the Ulster Protestants, Queen's Rebels. He argued that Ulster Protestants, while not a nation, were a pre-nationalist group (separate from Irish Catholics) that operated according to loyalty to the
British Crown. He stated that there was thus a "nation" (Irish Catholic Nationalists) and a "community" (Irish Protestant Unionists) in Ireland.
In 2006, Jack Conrad, a member of the CPGB
Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee)
The Communist Party of Great Britain is a political group which publishes the Weekly Worker newspaper. The party favours the creation of a unified "Communist Party of the European Union"...
, proposed in the Weekly Worker
Weekly Worker
The Weekly Worker is a newspaper published by the Communist Party of Great Britain . The paper is well known on the left for its polemical articles, close attention to Marxist theory and the politics of other Marxist groups...
magazine that a solution to the Northern Ireland conflict would involve the recognition of the Ulster Protestants (who he called the "British-Irish"), and the solution he outlined was “We stand for a united Ireland, within which a one-county, four-half-county British-Irish province exercises self-determination" by retaining its separate status from the Republic of Ireland. Subsequently, some writers claimed Conrad was attempting to resurrect the Two-Nations Theory.