The Irish Independence supporters throughout the United States were known as
Fenians. Fenian is the gaelic word for a soldier or warrior. This Fenian society was little
more than a cover for a secret armed organization known as the I.R.B (Irish Republican
Brotherhood). The I.R.B. was an organization dedicated to preparing for an armed revolt
in Ireland. A lot of the United States based Fenians meanwhile obtained military training
during the North-South Civil War, and they returned home to Ireland in 1865 ready to
fight the English ("Kelley" 19).
In the early 1880's, rural Ireland and it's legislative representatives started to press a
demand for Home Rule. The home rule campaign called for re-establishment of the Irish
colonial parliament in Dublin which had been abolished by the act of union in 1800.
Severance of ties to Britain was not an aim of the home rulers who were content at this
stage to request a portion of control over Ireland's affairs ("Kelley" 22).
In 1881 the British attempted to reduce the league and to curtail the reform process.
Once again rural attacks increased. Members of the secret revolutionary society called
the "Invincibles", which was an offshoot of the I.R.B, assassinated two British colonial
officials in a Dublin park ("Kelley" 21).
In the 1885 Westminster elections, home rulers captured 85 of 103 Irish seats
("Kelley" 22). The British Liberal Party proposed a plan in 1886 for Ireland called Home
Rule. This plan said that all of Ireland would have remained part of Great Britain, but
would have it's own parliament for domestic affairs. Protestants in Ulster feared that
Ireland would have a catholic parliament. The plan was defeated in parliament by British
conservatives and by the liberals who were against there own party ("Northern" World
Book 529).