1.1.1.1 The Irish Volunteers

• Religion was a dominant theme in Irish politics before 1774. Catholics tried to achieve greater toleration of their religion following the passage of the 1691 Penal Laws
• Decisions reached by the Irish parliament had to be approved by the lord lieutenant of Ireland who was the chief representative of the British monarch
• The American Revolution inspired the growth of a more thoughtful and forceful nationalist perspective. It also encouraged the militarisation of Protestants who wanted to defend Ireland against potential enemies whilst Britain was fighting abroad
• Irish Volunteers regularly paraded and undertook military drills to prepare for a potential invasion. By 1782, there were over 60,000 well trained militia ready to fight
• Henry Grattan, an Irish MP for Charlemont in the Dublin parliament in 1775, advocated for greater legislative independence. He demanded that Ireland should be an independent nation under the same crown as Britain
• In February 1782, a number of Volunteers in Ulster held a meeting at Dungannon's parish church where they passed resolutions demanding legislative independence for the Irish parliament
• The Constitution of 1782:

  1. Repealed the 1720 Act (which allowed Britain to legislate for Ireland)
  2. Reduced Britain's control over legislation in Ireland to a simple right of veto
  3. Granted an annual Mutiny Act
  4. Declared that Irish judges were irremovable, except by parliamentary action
• Whilst the Constitution of 1782 granted the Irish parliament greater legislative power, it was still under the control of the lord lieutenant.
• The Volunteers, led by Henry Flood, held a second convention in 1783 which looked to reduce the influence of the lord lieutenant. Parliament refused these reform plans and a 3rd convention, which lacked popular support, also failed