At Home and Abroad

Discover how Irish revolutionaries transformed their independence struggle into a global diplomatic campaign (1919-1923). Through innovative public diplomacy and diaspora mobilisation, they developed strategies for small nations to influence world affairs. This pioneering study locates the struggle within the context of post-war settlements as Irish republicans sought to shape international relations. It is often forgotten that leaders of the Irish Revolution considered the domestic and international campaigns for Irish independence to be organically linked. Focusing on this dimension can relocate the Irish struggle in its original and fullest context. This collection of essays follows the activities of Irish envoys abroad over four years as they defended the right of Dáil Éireann to self-determination and lobbied for its recognition in the capitals of Europe and the British Commonwealth, as well as in the United States. The global impact of Terence MacSwiney’s hunger strike protest is highlighted, as well as the important role played by Catholic networks, diaspora activists and women volunteers. By reconsidering its international dimension, this book locates the Irish Revolution within an appropriate background of post-war settlements that were not only contested but also remained comparatively fluid. Cultural repercussions of the Irish struggle are also examined at a time of growing international debate about small, emergent states and the existence of contested state boundaries arising from the upending of the old international order caused by the First World War.