The most authoritative statement of what Home Rule meant was made by Isaac Butt (1813-1879), who envisaged an arrangement whereby Ireland, Scotland and England would have a common sovereign, executive, and 'national council' at Westminster for the purposes of statehood, while each country would have its own parliament for national affairs.

By permission of Oxford University Press

Connolly, S.J. (Ed.) The Oxford Companion to Irish History Oxford , O.U.P., 2nd Edition, 2002