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When attempting to appeal to the Irish who believed in a free and independent Ireland, propaganda had to take this into account and alter its message. There could be no mention of the empire or even Britain for that matter, instead they attempted to mainly focus on Ireland. By emphasizing the role of Ireland and framing enlistment as something to do for Irish pride and glory, the propaganda was able to circumnavigate the fact that they would actually be serving the British empire.
John Redmond, a nationalistic politician, was also used in propaganda to influence those who believed in a free Ireland. Redmond was able to secure Home Rule for the Irish but WWI delayed its implementation. Redmond believed that if Ireland assisted England’s efforts in the war, the implementation of Home Rule would be accomplished much more smoothly. Therefore, he went throughout Ireland giving speeches in an attempt to garner volunteers for the armed forces. A propaganda poster using Redmond as a tool is displayed below.
