IRISH REBELLION OF 1798

Includes background, causes & consequences

Unionists

Wanted to maintain British rule in Ireland

Nationalists

Sought to gain independence from Britain

Nationalists disagreed about how they would achieve independence

Some wanted to do it parliamentary using peaceful means and others supported physical force which meant organizing an armed rebellion.

What are the causes of the rebellion?

Protestant Ascendancy, Penal laws, Poverty in the Countryside, French and American revolution, and the United Irishmen

Protestant Ascendancy

The Irish parliament was controlled by the Protestant Ascendancy (Church of Ireland). Even though they made up 15% of the population they still owned most of the land.

Penal Laws

The Protestant Ascendancy used Penal Laws to maintain its power in Ireland. These laws discriminated against Catholics & Presbyterians. They also had to pay tithes to the Anglican clergy

Poverty in the countryside

Most of the people in Ireland lived in the countryside. Most of these people were tenantless farmers or landless laborers. As the population grew; the lands subdivided causing it to weaken. As a result, many people were very badly off.

French and American Revolution

The Americans inspired the Irish to strive for independence. While the French’s ideology of equality, liberty and fraternity appealed to the Irish.

The United Irishmen

The society of united Irishmen was founded in Belfast on October 1791. They wanted to reform the parliament and change the laws. They were the ones who planned the 1798 rebellion.

Wolfe Tone

A Dublin lawyer who came to prominence when he wrote a pamphlet called “An argument on behalf of the Catholics in Ireland“

What was the influence of the war between Britain and France?

Britain brought in a policy of repression, banning the United Irishmen making them a secret, oath bound society.

Wolfe Tone sought help in France so …

General Hoche and his French fleet sailed to Ireland but could not land in Bantry Bay due to bad weather.

General Lake

burned houses, flogged and tortured suspects, frightened people, and confiscated arms and ammunition from the United Irishmen.

1798 Rising

The rising broke out on 4 areas.

Dublin, Kildare and Meath

A rising signaled attacks on the mail coaches but was easily put down.

Wexford

Yeonmanry and militia provoked rebellion led by Father John Murphy & Bagenal Harvey. Some victories at Enniscorthy and Wexford

Scullabogue & Wexford town

A massacre of 100 Protestants in a barn and killed nearly 100.

Vinegar Hill

Where the Wexford rebels were defeated, pikes were no match for muskets. Then leaders were executed.

Ulster

Rising in Ulster by McCraken and Munro- defeated

French General

Humbert, landed in Killala, defeated British in Races of Castlebar, defeated at Ballinamuck, Co. Longford.

End of Tone

He was captures in ship off Irish coast; tried, found guilty of treason and killed himself.

Reasons for defeat

Network of spies, lack of arms, insufficient help, poor weather

Act of Union

Abolished Irish parliament. The British did not believe the Irish could be trusted to rule themselves.

Sectarianism

The sectarian murders in Wexford made many Protestants believe it was a mistake to trust Catholics. The Orange Order became very popular.

Encouraged other rebellions

Wolfe tone encouraged other rebellions like that of 1803 and 1916, both of which failed.

Inspired Constitutional Nationalists

The level of bloodshed inspired some nationalist leaders like Danioel O’Connell and Parnell to try constitutional means.