Irish Parliamentary Party

The Irish Parliamentary Party was a nationalist political party in Ireland. The Party wanted Ireland to be able to govern itself, instead of being governed by the United Kingdom. The Party was created in the nineteenth century by Isaac Butt. Its most famous leader was Charles Stewart Parnell.

In 1886, the Party helped convince British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, to announce a Home Rule bill. The bill would make Ireland leave the United Kingdom. Ireland would become a British colony which could govern itself. Ireland would have its own parliament, instead of having representatives in the British Parliament. The bill did not get passed.

Other Home rule bills were presented later on. They were different from the original because they would have kept Ireland's representation in the British Parliament (instead of giving Ireland its own parliament). None of these bills succeeded. One was passed in 1914, but it was canceled because of the First World War. Another was enacted in 1920, but it failed because of Irish rebellion. It was replaced by an independent Irish Free State, which included most of the island. A Home Ruled Northern Ireland was also created in six counties of Ulster that stayed in the United Kingdom.