PowerPoint Presentation

The Irish penal laws: In effect from 1650 1829Exclusion of Catholics and Dissenters from public office.Ban on intermarriage between Catholics and ProtestantsCatholics barred from holding firearms or serving in the armed forcesBar from membership in either theParliament of Irelandor theParliament of EnglandBan from votingExclusion from the legal professions and the judiciaryEducation Act 1695 ban on foreign education; repealed 1782.Bar to Catholics and Dissenters entering universityOn a death by a Catholic, his legatee could benefit by conversion to theChurch of Ireland;Popery Act Catholic inheritances of land were to be equally subdivided between all an owner's sons with the exception that if the eldest son and heir converted to Protestantism that he would become the one and only tenant of estate and portions for other children not to exceed one third of the estate. This "Gavelkind" system had previously been abolished by 1600.Ban on converting from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism on pain ofPraemunire: forfeiting all property estates and legacy to the monarch of the time and remaining in prison at the monarch's pleasure. In addition, forfeiting the monarch's protection. No injury however atrocious could have any action brought against it or any reparation for such.Ban on Catholics buying landBan on custody of orphans being granted to CatholicsBan on Catholics inheriting Protestant landProhibition on Catholics owning a horse valued at over 5Roman Catholic lay priests had to register to preach under theRegistration ActWhen allowed, new Catholic churches were to be built from wood, not stone, and away from main roads.Ban on Catholic teachers and educationAny and all rewards not paid by the crown for alerting authorities of offences to be levied upon the Catholic populace within parish and county.

Three Cultural Groups in Ireland in the 19th-CenturyThe Anglican AscendancyThe Ulster PlantersThe Catholic Majority

Anglican AscendancyThe cultural and political elite, about 10-15% of the population. Owned the majority of land in Ireland, and rented it out to (mostly Catholic) labourers. Ascendancy power was mostly based around Dublin.Much of the Ascendancy were educated in England, and would have had English accents and traditions.The Ascendancy controlled the Irish parliament, until it was abolished after the act of Union of 1801.

Ascendancy Dublin

Old Medieval Dublin

New Streets designed by the Ascendancy

Georgian architecture in Dublin

Ulster PresbyteriansDescended from English and Scottish Planters, who had populated Ulster settlements since 1609. About 10% of the population. Spoke English (and sometimes a Scottish dialect known as Scotch).Were loyal to the British crown. Since they were not Anglican, they were not part of the Ascendancy. Nevertheless, since they were Protestant and culturally British, they were politically allied with the Anglican Ascendancy against the Catholic Irish.The Presbyterian north, unlike the rest of the Island, became a centre of the Industrial revolution (mostly ship building and Linen production).

The Catholic MajorityOutside Ulster and Ascendancy Dublin, most of the population were Irish-speaking and Catholic.This group was often referred to as the indigenous or native Irish.Most of the Catholic majority were landless tenant farmers. By 1841, 40% of these farmers lived in one-room, mud-walled cabins. The average farmer could afford to rent 5 acres (0.02km2), which was only enough to feed a family for a few months every year.A huge proportion of the tenants were cottiers meaning that they rented less than 1 acre of land, and lived on a subsistence level.Even after 1829, the penal laws had ensured that most Catholic Irish owned little or no land, were poorly educated, and had minimal authority in the community.Rent increases throughout the 18th and 19th centuries caused constant tensions between the Anglican landowners and this Catholic majority.

Left: A restored cottiers dwelling. Durng the 19th century, entire families and their animals would have lived in one-room cabins like this

Right: a landscape showing the distribution of tiny land plots

Theobald Wolfe Tone

Excerpt from the Speech of Theobald Wolfe Tone (Irish Nationalist leader)"To subvert the tyranny of our execrable government, to break the connection with England, the never failing source of all our political evils, and to assert the independence of my countrythese were my objects. To unite the whole people of Ireland, to abolish the memory of all past dissentions To unite Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter under the common name of Irishmen in order break the connection with England, the never failing source of all our political evils, that was my aim If the men of property will not support us, they must fall. Our strength shall come from that great and respectable class, the men of no property".

Boolavogue Folk song about the 1798 Rebellion

Lyrics

At Boolavogue, as the sun was settingO'er the bright May meadows of Shelmalier,A rebel hand set the heather blazingAnd brought the neighbours from far and near.Then Father Murphy, from old Kilcormack,Spurred up the rocks with a warning cry;"Arm! Arm!" he cried, "For I've come to lead you,For Ireland's freedom we fight or die."He led us on against the coming soldiers,And the cowardly Yeomen we put to flight;'Twas at the Harrow the boys of WexfordShowed Booky's Regiment how men could fight.Look out for hirelings, King George of England,Search ev'ry kingdom where breathes a slave,For Father Murphy of the County WexfordSweeps o'er the land like a mighty wave.We took Camolin and Enniscorthy,And Wexford storming drove out our foes;'Twas at Sliabh Coillte our pikes were reekingWith the crimson stream of the beaten Yeos.At Tubberneering and BallyellisFull many a Hessian lay in his gore;Ah, Father Murphy, had aid come overThe green flag floated from shore to shore!At Vinegar Hill, o'er the pleasant Slaney,Our heroes vainly stood back to back,And the Yeos at Tullow took Father MurphyAnd burned his body upon the rack.God grant you glory, brave Father MurphyAnd open heaven to all your men;The cause that called you may call tomorrowIn another fight for the Green again.