The United Irishmen:A Land Based Rebellion from

the Sea Janelle Harrison, MA, RPA

SHA Conference 2012Baltimore, MD

January 7, 2012

The American Revolution

The FrenchRevolution

George Washington to New York City Irish, December 2, 1783

“If the Example of the Americans Successfully continuing in the Cause of Freedom, can be of anyUse to other nations; we shall have An additional motive for rejoicingAt so prosperous an event-”

Causality: The Philosophical Relationship Between Cause

and Effect

Grattan’s Parliament

Threats of Violence Through

18th Century Media

(Cartoons)

Accounts of Mutiny

A Rainbow Coalition

The FrenchInvasion 1st

AttemptOf Bantry Bay1796

N

French FrigateLa Surveillante

• Only Ship reported to be lost during the French Invasion of Ireland in 1797

• Original Geophysical Survey was conducted in 1997 by The University of Ulster in Partnership with Environmental and Heritage Service

• Shortly after I presented my research on Bantry Bay in 2007, Several papers were published in Vol. 41, No 3 of Historical Archaeology

The French FleetOff the Coast ofBantry Bay

According to Wright & Evans, Historical and Descriptive Account of the Caricatures of James Gillray

Pitt, Dundas, Grenville, and Windham are the four winds which blow up the storm to destroy the invaders. FFox, as the carved figure at the head of the Revolution, is represented as influencing the United Irishmen. The crew of the jolly-boat are Sheridan, Liberty Hall, Erskine, M. A. Taylor, and Thelwall, who, it is insinuated, were all approvers, at least, of the Irish rebellion."

The Battle of Camperdown&

The Irish Rebellion

On the 11th of October 1797 the British fleet lead by Admiral Duncan battled with the Dutch fleet of the coast of the Netherlands, as soon as the Dutch started to head out east-by southeast.

The British won the battle capturing 10 of the 17 ships of the line, lead by the Dutch Admiral De Winter.

It was the intention of the Dutch to cover the landing of the French in Ireland to support the planned Irish Rebellion, and then to storm Scotland with 50,000 troops and cease the Scottish midlands from British control.

But Admiral Duncan, a Scots man and British Naval Officer thwarted the Dutch plan of attack with his successful defeat of the Dutch at the Battle Of Camperdown.

H.M.S. VenerableBattle Of Camperdown

Napoleon Bonaparte Abandons The Irish Rebellion For Egypt

N

French Land

The 2nd French Invasion of Ireland

Theobald Wolfe Tone &The 2nd French Attempt

At Bantry Bay• The French try to land 3,000 troops and Theobald Wolfe Tone

on the 12th October 1798 at Bantry Bay

• After 3 hours of Battle with the British Royal Navy the French surrendered

The United Irishmen Trying to Keep the Flame Alive

Humbert’s Proclamation to the Irish People

CONCLUSION

“but as history shows in every country and age a tyrannous power needs to perpetuate itself by

measures even more revolting to humanity than the act of rebellion itself.”