More than nearly anyone else, Edward Carson (1854-1935) stands out in popular memory as the voice of Ulster in the period of the Home Rule Crisis and the War of Independence. In many ways though, he was as disappointed with the outcome of the period as his opponents on the extremes of Irish Nationalism. His Unionism was an all-island one, determined to resist Home Rule and ultimately reluctant to see a separate state emerge in Ulster.

Carson was born in Dublin and for much of his life was a respected barrister there. It was his clinical cross-examination of Oscar Wilde as defence counsel for the Marquess of Queensberry during the Queensberry Vs Wilde libel case. It was that case that was largely responsible for Wilde's fall from grace. The text of parts of that cross examination can be seen here and makes for fascinating reading.

He served as Solicitor General of Ireland and later for England & Wales. He also served at Attorney General for England & Wales. He served briefly as First Lord of The Admiralty from 1916-1917 and was a member of the English War cabinet from 1917-1918 and he was MP for the University of Dublin (Trinity) from 1892 until the 1918 General Election when he switched constituencies to Belfast Duncairn.

Carson was a strong proponent of Ireland remaining within the Union with Britain and was the leader of the Irish Unionist Parliamentary Party and the Ulster Unionist Party from 1910-1921.

In that capacity he was one of those behind the Ulster Covenant and the mass movement that saw hundred of thousands of Northern Unionists signing a solemn declaration of principles in opposition to All Ireland Home Rule. He was also responsible with of the creation and arming of the Ulster Volunteers who were pledged to resist the imposition of Home Rule on an island wide basis.

However, he was truly a Unionist in the sense of the entire island remaining within the Union and when the Government of Ireland Act was passed, he stepped down as leader of the Ulster Unionists in favour of his Deputy, Craig. Craig went on to the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.

This view of Carson, as a principled politician who was simply oppossed to Irish indepedence has been challenged by some. One of the most recent examples is Niall Meehan's remarks in the Irish Times in October 2009:

Anti-Catholic pogroms centred on Belfast shipyards were initiated in July 1920 by unionist leader Edward Carson and retrospectively endorsed by his deputy, James Craig, Northern Ireland’s first prime minister. Over 10,000 were said to have been driven from their work within two weeks, including “rotten Protestants” (ie socialists) who objected and 1,500 Catholic ex-British army servicemen.

Carson moved to England in 1921 where he served as a Lord of Appeal, and was made a life Peer of the Empire. Although to many in the State of Northern Ireland, he was considered a hero, he remained detached from Northern Irish politics until his death. He died in 1935 at his home in Kent. His body was returned to Belfast for a state funeral and he was buried in St Anne's Cathedral.

Image Crown Copyright 2007