18th Century Ireland Articles - Early Movements Toward Irish Freedom by Dr. Samuel Couch

Article: 18th Century Ireland
V. Early Movements Toward Irish Freedom

by Dr. Sam Couch, Ph. D.
Owner, Rising Road Tours

Desperate, the United Irishmen (mostly Protestant) took secret oaths to overthrow the government. The society peaked at 500,000 but was rife with spies. Tone, exiled himself in America for a time and then went to France. In December 1796 he induced the French to send a force to invade Ireland. The ships were put off by storms. The ships that did reach Ireland at Bantry Bay had to return to France and the terrible winter weather continued.

Since the United Irishmen flourished in Ulster, General Lake set out a campaign in March 1797 to root out radicalism. His powers were absolute and his methods were ruthless. As a result, the government proclaimed martial law. Leaders were arrested and the military occupied the country. Many dreadful and cruel acts ensued. This moved peaceful citizens into desperate straits and allied them against the government.

Grattan attempted to have parliament relieve the grievances of the people. Unsuccessful in this endeavor, Grattan and his party left parliament. In 1797 a Dutch fleet again tried to invade. Again foul weather delayed them and they were defeated at Camperdown.

May 23, 1798 was set as the day for revolution. Government informants told British powers of the plan and the leaders were arrested including Lord Edward Fitzgerald, Oliver Bond, Thomas Addis Emmet (Robert Emmet's brother), Dr. MacNevin, Arthur O'Connor and others. Lord Edward resisted and was wounded. Ultimately the wound caused his death.

A partial rising began in Kildare, Wicklow and Wexford in May. On May 26, 4000 rebels were defeated at the Battle of Tara. The rebellion was worst in Wexford. People here rose against the atrocities of the militia. They retaliated blindly against Protestant loyalists in retaliation that was often worse than the excesses of the militia.

Father John Murphy led a group of men after his chapel was burned. At the Battle of Outart Hill near Enniscorthy they defeated a party of North Cork militia. They took Enniscorthy, Gorey and Wexford. Bagenal Harvey, a Protestant Wexford gentleman, was named leader and they set up camp on Vinegar Hill overlooking Enniscorthy. The rebels took Tubberneering, Newtownbarry and New Ross. They had little discipline and were soon driven out by the military. A rebel group acting on their own seized a group of loyalist prisoners at Scullabogue near New Ross. They murdered 37 of the group and burned over a hundred by setting fire to a barn in which the rebels had taken refuge.

The rebels began a march toward Dublin but were driven back at Arklow. General Lake attacked Vinegar Hill with a battalion of 20,000 men. The rebels lost after a bloody battle and fled. This loss caused them to give up and they abandoned Wexford town. Many of the leaders were arrested and hanged including Bagenal Harvey and Father John Murphy, the hero of Vinegar Hill.

The country now was at the mercy of the yeomanry and the militia. Dreadful atrocities and murders took place among the peasants. In retaliation, bands of rebels committed frightful outrages.

Rebellion in the north was delayed. Here rebels nearly all were Protestant. The Ulster rebellions were put down after several battles. The two chief leaders, Henry Joy McCracken and Henry Monro were taken and hanged. Lord Cornwallis was appointed Lord Lieutenant in June. His first act was to attempt to stop the atrocities of the soldiers and militia. He was unsuccessful for several months.

Following the crushed rebellion, a French force under General Humbert landed at Killala Bay in Mayo. They were forced to surrender and returned to France. In September another small expedition, with Wolfe Tone on board, attempted invasion. They were defeated in Lough Swilly in northern Ireland. Tone was taken to Dublin where he was tried, convicted and sentenced to be hanged. On the morning of his execution he cut his throat with a penknife and died a few days later.

Pitt believed that the time had come for a legislative union between England and Ireland. The Irish parliament did not approve of this suggestion. The English Parliament, however, approved the measure. In order to gain consent of the Irish, the government used bribes (titles, pensions, situations, and direct cash) in exchange for votes.

Under Union, the Irish membership would be reduced from 300 Irish members to 100. This meant certain boroughs would be disfranchised. In order to buy off the opposition of the borough owners each seat was purchased 15,000 Pounds per seat. The government was forced to pay 1,260,000 Pounds for this privilege.

This generated the needed majority for the bill that passed the Act of Union. A minority of 115, who could not be bought, voted against the act. On January 1, 1801, Union was enacted and the Irish parliament no longer existed. The two countries now became the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland."

Robert Emmet, a 24-year old idealist and revolutionary, tried to revive the Society of United Irishmen. He proposed an insurrection in Dublin with the goal of taking the Castle. A small scale rising took place in 1803 without his knowledge. Rebel stragglers led it. A few persons were killed and the rising easily was put down. Emmet was accused, tried and hanged in Dublin.

This series of articles is based on lectures given by Dr. Samuel Couch to Irish Studies courses at Georgia Southern University and Young Harris College between 1997 and 2004. Documented sources come from Couch's research and studies in American universities and with scholars in Ireland. The articles are in no way intended to be comprehensive.

Background materials come from, but are not limited to, readings in the following books:

Duffy, Sean, ed., Atlas of Irish History. Gill & Macmillan: Dublin. 1997.
Joyce, P.W., Outlines of the History of Ireland from the Earliest Times to 1905. M.H. Gill & Son: Dublin. 1909.
Killeen, Richard, A Short History of Ireland. Gill & Macmillan: Dublin. 1994.
Smyth, Daragh, A Guide to Irish Mythology. 2nd ed. Irish Academic Press: Dublin. 1996.

Any lack of attribution to primary sources is unintentional and the sole responsibility of Dr. Couch.

Rising Road Tours
828-648-8893 (Tel) ~ 888-648-8893 (Toll-free) ~ 828-648-8895 (Fax)
sam@risingroadtours.com

28 Newfound Street, Canton, North Carolina 28716 USA

Article: 18th Century Ireland V. Early Movements Toward Irish Freedom

Article: 18th Century Ireland
V. Early Movements Toward Irish Freedom