Ireland George Bernard Shaw

dublin city centre in ruins after easter rising, april 1916

shaw had long supported principle of irish home rule within british empire (which thought should become british commonwealth). in april 1916 wrote scathingly in new york times militant irish nationalism: in point of learning nothing , forgetting nothing these fellow-patriots of mine leave bourbons nowhere. total independence, asserted, impractical; alliance bigger power (preferably england) essential. dublin easter rising later month took him surprise. after suppression british forces, expressed horror @ summary execution of rebel leaders, continued believe in form of anglo-irish union. in how settle irish question (1917), envisaged federal arrangement, national , imperial parliaments. holroyd records time separatist party sinn féin in ascendency, , shaw s , other moderate schemes forgotten.

in postwar period, shaw despaired of british government s coercive policies towards ireland, , joined fellow-writers hilaire belloc , g. k. chesterton in publicly condemning these actions. anglo-irish treaty of december 1921 led partition of ireland between north , south, provision dismayed shaw. in 1922 civil war broke out in south between pro-treaty , anti-treaty factions, former of whom had established irish free state. shaw visited dublin in august, , met michael collins, head of free state s provisional government. shaw impressed collins, , saddened when, 3 days later, irish leader ambushed , killed anti-treaty forces. in letter collins s sister, shaw wrote: met michael first , last time on saturday last, , glad did. rejoice in memory, , not disloyal snivel on valiant death . shaw remained british subject life, took dual british-irish nationality in 1934.