Carson and Redmond together…..but on a stamp

28 May 2020

The stamp marks the 100th Anniversary of the signing of the Government of Ireland Act 1914, better known as the Home Rule Act. The 60c stamp, designed by Ger Garland, features John Redmond, Leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, and Unionist politician Edward Carson. 
 
An accompanying first day cover features the stamp and a reproduction of a satirical cartoon of the time. The stamp features Carson and Redmond against a map of Ireland. Both are available at irishstamps.ie, main post offices or the Irish Stamp shop in Dublin’s GPO.

The so called ‘Home Rule Act’ was passed by parliament in 1914 and was intended to provide a measure of self government for Ireland then under British rule. The Act emerged after Catholic Emancipation and the emergence of a strong Irish Party. The two key figures of the time were Redmond, a Wexford politician who pushed the cause of Irish Home rule and Carson, from Dublin, who opposed it.

Redmond led the Irish Parliamentary Party from 1900 to 1918 while Carson was the leader of the Unionist Alliance and Ulster Unionist Party from 1910 until 1921.