Map of the Irish Republic showing result of General Election, Dec., 1918

God Irrevocably Fixed the Boundaries of IRELAND – Text, lower left.

For the nation of Ireland, the 1918 United Kingdom general election was one of the most important political events of its long history. Held in the shadow of the Easter Rising, World War I, and the Conscription Crisis, it featured a much broader electorate (men 21+ and women 30+) thanks to the Representation of the People Act 1918. Up to that point, most Irish MPs had been Nationalists of the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP), supportive of Home Rule within the greater United Kingdom. To a younger generation subjected to the horrors of war, this was an unacceptable level of compromise. A more radical party known as Sinn Féin (“Ourselves”), demanded a completely independent Irish Republic and vowed to refuse their seats in London, should they be elected. And elected they were; ultimately winning 73 out of Ireland’s 105 available seats.

This ephemeral map was published by the Friends of Irish Freedom in New York to celebrate the landslide victory of the republican party. Three colors – green, orange, and white – highlight the overall victors, but fail (deliberately) to show any nuance through the use of shading. While the Ulster Unionist Party remained firmly entrenched in the northeast, and the IPP was relegated to a mere half-dozen seats, the map paints a broad stroke of republican dominance. Accompanying text and carefully selected statistics showcase the popularity of Sinn Féin and undermine the efficacy of British authority. An interesting, persuasive piece that reflects the serious national divisions that would ultimately lead to partition.