1798 rebellion

• The Causes of the 1798 Rebellion

  • The Protestant Ascendency: Following the Irish Plantations, Ireland was under complete control of the British Crown. The Dublin parliament dealt with domestic issues but was controlled by the Protestant Ascendency, the wealthy land-owning minority. Only Anglicans (members of the Church of Ireland) could vote or become MPs, leaving most Irish people without a say in Irish affairs.
• More causes

  • Irish Catholics: Catholics made up 75% of the population but owned only 15% of the land. The Penal Laws restricted their freedoms, preventing them from voting, sitting in Parliament, or attending school, leading to poverty and poor education.
• More causes

  • Irish Presbyterians: Presbyterians (dissenters) also couldn't vote or sit in parliament. They made up 10% of the population, mainly in the northeast.
  • Influence of the American and French Revolutions: News of these events inspired many Irish people with ideas of liberty and equality.
• The United Irishmen: Founded in Belfast in October 1791, they aimed for religious equality and removal of British influence through peaceful means.
• • Theobald Wolfe Tone: A Protestant barrister and founding member, he was inspired by the French Revolution's ideals of ‘liberty, equality, fraternity’.
  • Wolfe Tone argued for Catholic rights in his 1791 pamphlet, An Argument on Behalf of the Catholics of Ireland.
• • The United Irishmen published a newspaper, The Northern Star.
• Rising support led Britain to abolish most Penal Laws and give Catholics voting rights, but they also banned the United Irishmen, causing Wolfe Tone to flee to the US.
• The United Irishmen became a secret society, committed to revolution. Wolfe Tone sought French military support in 1796, but a storm thwarted their landing at Bantry Bay.
• Response to the United Irishmen

  • British forces used torture (half-hangings, pitch-capping) to extract information about suspected rebels.
  • Part-time armies: Militia (loyal Catholics) and yeomanry (loyal Protestants) were established.
  • The Orange Order was founded to unite Anglicans and Presbyterians against Catholics.
  • Spies led to the capture and execution of several leaders, including Lord Edward Fitzgerald.
• Road to Rebellion

  • 1798 saw the emergence of physical force nationalism, with Irish nationalists willing to use violence for independence.
• • Despite losing key leaders, the rebellion proceeded:
  • Dublin and surrounding counties: Uncoordinated attacks led to British victories in Kildare, Meath, Carlow, and Wicklow.
  • Ulster: Rebels were defeated in Antrim Town and Saintfield.
  • Wexford: Led by Fr John Murphy, saw early successes but ended in defeat at Vinegar Hill. Atrocities by rebels included burning 200 Protestants alive in a barn at Scullabogue.
  • Death of Wolfe Tone: Captured with French troops at Lough Swilly, he attempted suicide and died days later.
• Consequences of the 1798 Rebellion

  • Growth of Sectarianism: Conflict based on religious divides intensified.
  • The Act of Union (1801): Abolished the Dublin Parliament, creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, with governance from Westminster.
  • Legacy of Wolfe Tone: Known as the ‘Father of Irish Republicanism’, his ideas inspired future rebellions: Robert Emmet (1803), Young Irelanders (1848), Fenians (1867), and the 1916 Easter Rising.