‘Ireland is in Paris and is knocking at the door!’

Shortly after their electoral victory in the December 1918 general election, Sinn Féin mandated several delegates to represent Ireland at the Paris Peace Conference. Many constituents viewed the negotiations in Paris as a diplomatic means to obtain legitimacy and recognition for the Irish election, thus allowing Ireland to become a nation. Invoking several principles set down by the American president, Irish delegates attempted to force the British to leave the territory, with a view to Ireland becoming a player in the post-war international landscape. These delegates strove for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the conflict that pitted them against the British government.