The Ambiguities of the Liberal Alliance

Abstract Parnell was openly critical of Dillon’s reinvigoration of land agitation: increasingly, he favoured a more limited settlement of the land question to be made with Conservative politicians. Dillon’s new agitation ‘The Plan of Campaign’ did, however, further complete the isolation and demoralization of Irish landlordism. Dillon further angered Parnell by re-introducing the embarrassing name of P. J. Sheridan into public life at the very moment when Parnell wanted to put all his connections with ‘men of violence’ into the dustbin of history. Parnell was furious. He was well aware that English journalists were pottering around in this murky phase of his political life. Parnell wanted to see a peace again in Ireland but Dillon, with the help of several Liberal MPs, defied him.