Irish Parliamentary Party

The Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) was formed in 1882. It had originated in the Home Government Association which was established in 1870 by Isaac Butt, a Member of Parliament, academic and barrister. He favoured limited self-government (home rule) for Ireland, to be achieved by legislation passed at Westminster; this narrow objective was to define the movement for the next fifty years. Butt became convinced that Britain was mishandling Irish affairs. His own nationalist feelings were aroused while acting for the defence of some Fenian prisoners between1865-68. By the time of his death in 1879, his ineffectual leadership was being superseded by others amongst the small group of Irish home rule MPs, who were angrier and more militant than himself.

In the 1880s, the IPP developed into a powerful, popular and successful party under Parnell’s charismatic leadership. He created a highly centralised, disciplined and modern party. All its candidates were pledged to ‘sit, vote and act as directed’; needy MPs were provided with financial support, and an effective constituency organisation was built up in Ireland. It had a parallel organisation in Britain. Parnell took full advantage of Ireland’s growing political consciousness and the extension of the franchise (1884-85), championed land reform and attracted the support of the Catholic hierarchy. He exploited favourable circumstances at Westminster, notably Gladstone’s conversion to home rule in 1885. By the late 1880s, the IPP consistently won up to 86 of Ireland’s 103 Commons seats.