A Vision was written in the wake of a decade of violent struggle for Irish independence from British rule. On Easter in 1916, a coalition of Irish nationalist groups led an armed insurrection localized mainly in Dublin. The leaders hoped that Ireland could seize its claim to nationhood while the Great War diverted Britain’s attention and resources. The Easter Rising failed to achieve its aims, as the British forces quickly suppressed the insurrection and meted out what many viewed as harsh reprisals. Yet the swift executions of the Rising’s leaders, meant to deter Irish nationalist sentiments, instead made martyrs of Irish nationalist leaders. Public opinion, previously ambivalent or even opposed to the actions of the Rising, began to shift. The nationalists had lost the battle of the Easter Rising, but they gained an important national symbol and rallying cry.

Following the Easter Rising, the political landscape of Ireland transformed rapidly. The War of Independence, which lasted from 1919 to 1921, saw the Irish Republican Army (IRA) wage a guerilla campaign against British forces. This conflict was more than just a military engagement; it represented the broader aspirations of a people for self-determination, an embodiment of the shifting political and cultural identity of the Irish.