Aftermath of the Rising: Political Shift

Active learning works well for this topic because the political divisions after the Treaty are complex and emotionally charged. Students need to engage with multiple perspectives and grapple with the human cost of disagreement to truly understand the consequences. Role-playing and discussion activities make these abstract ideas concrete and relatable.

• 5th Class
• Voices of the Past: Exploring Change and Continuity
• 3 activities
• 20 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze how the British military response to the 1916 Rising directly influenced Irish public opinion.
2. Explain the key factors contributing to Sinn Féin's significant electoral gains in the 1918 general election.
3. Compare the political platforms of Sinn Féin and the Irish Parliamentary Party in the period following the Rising.
4. Predict the likely consequences of Sinn Féin's electoral success on Anglo-Irish relations.

Formal Debate

⏱ 50 min·Whole Class

Formal Debate: The Treaty Debates

Divide the class into 'Pro-Treaty' and 'Anti-Treaty' sides. Using simplified versions of the actual 1922 Dáil speeches, students must argue whether the Treaty is a 'stepping stone' to freedom or a betrayal of the Republic.

Prepare & details

Analyze how the British response to the Rising fueled nationalist sentiment.

Facilitation Tip: During the Treaty Debate, assign roles clearly and provide primary source quotes to ground arguments in historical evidence.

Setup: Two teams facing each other, audience seating for the rest

Materials: Debate proposition card, Research brief for each side, Judging rubric for audience, Timer

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Building a State

Students work in groups to solve 'New State Problems': How do we design new stamps? What should the new police (Gardaí) look like? How do we fix the bridges blown up in the war? They present their solutions to the class.

Prepare & details

Explain the reasons for Sinn Féin's electoral success after 1916.

Facilitation Tip: For Building a State, provide a mix of primary documents and creative constraints to help students see the practical challenges of governance.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Brother against Brother

Students read a story about a family divided by the Civil War. They discuss in pairs why it was so difficult for people who had fought together against the British to now fight each other.

Prepare & details

Predict how the shift in public opinion would impact future political developments.

Facilitation Tip: In Brother against Brother, pair students with opposing viewpoints to ensure debate stays focused on ideas rather than personalities.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Experienced teachers approach this topic by framing the Civil War as a tragedy born of idealism, not just a political disagreement. They avoid simplifying the conflict to ‘pro-Treaty’ or ‘anti-Treaty’ labels, instead emphasizing the emotional weight of the Oath and the fear of losing the Republic. Research shows that using personal letters or diaries from the period helps students connect to the human stories behind the politics.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students actively weighing arguments, recognizing the nuances of the Oath of Allegiance debate, and tracing the human impact of the Civil War. They should be able to connect political decisions to personal stories and explain why the split was so painful for Irish society.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Treaty Debates, watch for students oversimplifying the Civil War as a fight over partition.

What to Teach Instead

Use the Treaty Debate to redirect students to the Oath of Allegiance by providing them with excerpts from Dáil debates where pro- and anti-Treaty TDs explicitly discuss the Oath’s symbolic power.

Common Misconception

During the Collaborative Investigation: Building a State, watch for students assuming the Civil War lasted years.

What to Teach Instead

During the timeline activity in Building a State, have students calculate the duration of the conflict using dates from military reports and contrast this with the timeline of political divisions that followed.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After the Treaty Debates, pose the question: ‘Imagine you are an Irish citizen in 1917. Based on the British response to the Rising and the actions of Sinn Féin, what political party would you vote for and why?’ Facilitate a class discussion where students justify their choices using evidence from the debate.

Quick Check

After the Treaty Debates, provide students with a short paragraph describing the political climate after the 1916 Rising. Ask them to identify two reasons why Sinn Féin’s popularity grew and one way the British response contributed to this growth. Collect and review responses for understanding.

Exit Ticket

After Brother against Brother, have students write two sentences explaining the main goal of Sinn Féin after 1916 and one sentence predicting a future political development that might result from their electoral success.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students who finish early to research and present on the role of women in the Civil War, using sources like the Bureau of Military History Witness Statements.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence starters for the Treaty Debate, such as ‘One argument for the Treaty is…’ or ‘The anti-Treaty side might respond by saying…’
• Deeper exploration: Have students analyze political cartoons from 1922-1923 to identify how propaganda shaped public opinion during the conflict.

Key Vocabulary

Home Rule	A movement seeking to establish a self-governing Irish parliament within the United Kingdom, which was a central political issue before and after the Rising.
Sinn Féin	An Irish republican political party that advocated for greater Irish autonomy and later, complete independence from British rule.
nationalist sentiment	A feeling of pride in and devotion to one's nation, often accompanied by a desire for political independence or self-determination.
electoral success	Achieving a significant number of votes and winning seats in an election, indicating strong public support for a political party or candidate.
guerrilla warfare	A form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary or irregular soldiers, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tactics, and mobility to fight a larger and less mobile traditional military.