This document provides teaching materials for a history lesson on the Irish Treaty negotiations between October and December 1921. It includes an introduction outlining the aims of an inquiry-focused approach to teaching the topic. The document then outlines a case study approach divided into 4 steps: 1) events between July-October 1921 leading to negotiations, 2) main issues that arose in negotiations, 3) circumstances around signing the agreement, and 4) divisions that emerged in Ireland after. It provides primary sources and historians' perspectives to facilitate student analysis of the key events and issues relating to the Irish Treaty negotiations in 1921.

1. Leaving Certificate History
The Treaty negotiations, October-December
1921:
helping students to think critically
http://pdst.ie/postprimary

2. Helping students to think critically
• Increasing focus on students’ ability to think
critically
• The enquiry-focused approach: rationale
• Card-sorting and critical skills (Booklet, pages
43-48)

3. The enquiry-focused approach
Aims
• To give a clear focus to a series of lessons
• To clarify for all concerned what the learning
purposes are
• To ensure that the sequence of lessons is
leading to improved understanding on the
part of the students

4. Case study: contextual overview
• ‘War of independence’: different designations,
perceptions of IRA
• June 1921: both sides’ interest in peace moves
• July-September: London talks → exchange of letters
→ proposals for London conference, formula agreed?
• Irish delegation: members, de Valera’s absence,
delegates’ status, case to be argued
• British delegation, venue, duration of conference
• Boundary commission proposals, signing of Articles
of Agreement, resulting divisions

5. A glossary of terms
• Developing students’ historical literacy
• Key terms: Articles of Agreement, boundary
commission, British Commonwealth,
dominion status, envoys plenipotentiary,
external association, fiscal autonomy,
Government of Ireland Act 1920, oath of
allegiance, reprisals

6. Timeline
• Government of Ireland, 1920
• 1921, May/June: background to truce
• July: truce, de Valera in London
• August-September: Lloyd George-de Valera
correspondence
• October-December: developments in talks
• 6th December and following: signing of Articles
of Agreement and subsequent divisions

7. Biographical notes
• Irish delegates (leaders?)
• Irish secretaries (Childers, Chartres)
• British delegates (leaders?)
• British secretaries (Jones, Curtis)
• Other key figures

8. Useful websites
• http://treaty.nationalarchives.ie/
• http://multitext.ucc.ie/d/The_Treaty_Negotiat
ions_October-December_1921/
• http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-
room/digital-book-collection/digital-books-by-
subject/history-of-ireland/pakenham-peace-
by-ordeal/
• www.hist.ie

9. The Treaty negotiations, October-
December, 1921
• An enquiry: What happened between July and
December 1921 that led to major political
division in Ireland?
• Rationale for this?
• Steps into which the enquiry can be broken

10. The Treaty negotiations, October-
December, 1921
Introduction to the enquiry
• King’s speech
• Significance of Northern settlement?
• Possible hook:
http://treaty.nationalarchives.ie/document-
gallery/treaty-newsreel/

11. Enquiry, Step 1
• What happened between July and October,
1921, that led to the Treaty negotiations
which took place between October and
December?
• Potential benefits of using this question to
focus on the subject matter of the case study?

12. What happened between July and
Oct. 1921 ...?
• Lloyd George’s invitation to de Valera to
attend a conference (Source 1A)
• De Valera’s responses
• Truce
• De Valera’s acceptance of invitation (Source
1B)

13. What happened between July and
Oct. 1921 ...?
David Low, The Star, 12th July 1921 © Express Syndication

14. What happened between July and
Oct. 1921 ...?
• De Valera, Lloyd George meet in London: what Lloyd
George offered
• De Valera’s responses (Sources 1D, 1E)
• Lloyd George’s ‘fresh’ invitation of 29th September
(Source 1G)
• De Valera’s acceptance (Source 1H)

15. What happened between July and
Oct. 1921 ...?
• Delegated appointed
• Plenipotentiary status
• Instructions given (Source 1I)
• Envisaged elements of settlement

16. The delegates in London
http://multitext.ucc.ie/viewgallery/1205?slideshow=18

17. Enquiry, Step 2
• What are the main issues that arose in and
around the Treaty negotiations?
• Potential benefits of using this question to
focus on the subject matter of the case study?

18. What are the main issues that arose...
between October and December?
• Significant developments
• Commentary
• Associated sources

19. What are the main issues that arose...
between October and December?
• Griffith’s initial impressions (Source 2A)
• Childers to de Valera, 21st October, re. strategy
on issue of Crown (Source 2B)
• Griffith and Collins discussions with Lloyd
George and Chamberlain on issues of Crown
and essential unity (Source 2C)

20. What are the main issues that arose ...
between October and December?
• Griffith discussion with Lloyd George, 2nd
November (Source 2D)
• Griffith letter to de Valera re. boundary
commission proposal, 12th November (Source
2E); nature of undertaking given to Lloyd
George?

21. What are the main issues that arose ...
between October and December?
• Irish memorandum of 22nd November and
British response to it (Source 2F)
• Griffith letter to de Valera re. Chequers
meeting with Lloyd George, 28th November
(Source 2G); exchange on issue of Crown

22. Enquiry, Step 3
• What were the circumstances in which the
Articles of Agreement for a Treaty were signed
in the early hours of 6th December?
• Potential benefits of using this question to
focus on the subject matter of the case study?

23. What were the circumstances in which
the Articles of Agreement were signed...?
• Significant developments
• Related sources

24. What were the circumstances in which
the Articles of Agreement were signed...?
• Interview between Collins and Lloyd George
(Source 3A): Collins’ thoughts on boundary
commission
• Final sub-conferences (Source 3B): Lloyd
George’s use of Griffith ‘letter’; concession on
trade?; threat of war?

25. Source 3C
David Low, The Star , 7th December 1921 © Express Syndication

26. Source 3D
David Low, The Star , 9th December 1921 © Express Syndication

27. Enquiry, Step 4
• What divisions emerged in Ireland in
December, 1921, following the signing of the
Treaty?
• Potential benefits of using this question to
focus on the subject matter of the case study?

28. What divisions emerged... following
the signing of the Treaty?
• Significant developments
• Related sources

29. What divisions emerged... following
the signing of the Treaty?
• Delegates summoned to cabinet meeting on
8th December (Source 4A): Desmond
Fitzgerald’s surprise at de Valera’s response
• Austin Stack’s recollection of cabinet meeting
(Source 4B)
• C.S. Andrews’ recollection of IRA response
(Source 4C)
• De Valera’s letter to the press (Source 4D)

30. What divisions emerged ... following
the signing of the Treaty?
• Extracts from Dáil debates on Treaty (Sources
4E, 4F, 4G, 4H, 4I, 4J, 4K, 4L)
• Questions to help students interrogate the
sources (Booklet, p.49)

31. The Treaty negotiations: Aftermath
Attributed to
Constance de
Markiewicz
Courtesy of
The National
Library of
Ireland

32. Courtesy of
The
National
Library of
Ireland

33. The Treaty negotiations, October-
December, 1921
• Card sorting and critical skills
• Supplementary cards
• Use of cards to facilitate categorisation of
arguments for and against Treaty

34. Group activity
Critical skills exercise

35. The Treaty negotiations, October-
December, 1921
• Historians’ views (Secondary sources A-E)
• Interrogating the historians

36. What happened between July and
December 1921 that led to major
political division in Ireland?
Your conclusions on the enquiry
Booklet p. 50

37. http://pdst.ie/postprimary