The 1798 Rebellion

The 1798 Rebellion The United Irishmen: Revolution in Ireland

The United Irishmen • •

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Inspired by the revolutions in France and America. Founded in 1791. Wanted to unite “Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter” to create an Irish Republic free of Britain. Leaders were liberal Protestants: Theobald Wolfe Tone, Henry Joy McCracken, Thomas Russell, Thomas Drennan. They had travelled abroad and been inspired by the French Revolution. The British administration in Dublin Castle regarded them with great suspicion. After war broke out between Britain and France in 1793, the United Irishmen were declared an illegal organisation. They became a secret society, dedicated to creating a Republic by force.

The Rising in Leinster •

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Due to confusion, the Rising did not happen in Dublin as planned. Although Wolfe Tone had succeeded in getting help from France, bad weather prevented the ships from landing. There was no coordination between the Dublin leadership and the provinces. Government forces easily beat the rebels in Kildare, Carlow, Wicklow and Meath. In Wexford, people were infuriated by the execution without trial of 35 United Irishmen, and by the burning of the church at Boolavogue. Led by the parish priest of Boolavogue, Fr. John Murphy, the rebels defeated the British at Oulart Hill. They captured Enniscorthy and Wexford, but could not capture New Ross. They retreated to Vinegar Hill near Enniscorthy

Fr. John Murphy, leader of he Rebellion in Wexford

The Rising in Ulster •

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The Rising in Ulster was mainly a Presbyterian rising. The military commanders were Henry Joy McCracken and Henry Monro, a descendant of General Monro, who had been defeated by Eoghan Roe O’Neill at Benburb. The British forces, aided by the Orange Order, which had been set up as an organisation to protect Protestant priviliges, defeated the Ulster rising at a battle at Ballynahinch, 12 km from Belfast. Henry Monro was hanged before his family at his own front door.

The modern Orange Order marching on the 12th of July. They helped the British forces defeat the United Irishmen

The end of the Rising •

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The British Forces under General Lake wiped out the United Irishmen at Vinegar Hill. Fr. Murphy was racked, flogged and hanged. He was beheaded and his body was burned. The British forces made his parishioners heave the windows and doors of the Catholic church open so the smell of his burnng body would fill the church. After Vinegar Hill, the United Irishmen of Wexford murdered 70 unarmed Protestant prisoners, piking and burning them to death. In revenge, the Yeomanry (the mainly Protestant militia) murdered, plundered and pitch-capped many Catholics. General Cornwallis, the British Lord Lieutenant, was furious and tried to stop them, but he was not very successful.

Atrocities by both sides

Unarmed Protestant men, women and children were piked and burned to death by the rebels after Vinegar Hill

A Yeomanry officer pitchcapping a United Irish prisoner.

Results of the 1798 Rebellion •

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Wolfe Tone committed suicide in his jail cell, rather than be hanged by the British. Many other United Irish leaders were hanged or deported to Australia. Although the United Irishmen had hoped to unite Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter, memories of the atrocities carried out during the Rising led to a great increase in sectarian bitterness. Frightened by Presbyterian participation in the Rising, the Orange Order began to pose as the champions of all Protestants, and to preach an increasing “Protestant vs. Catholic” message. The Rising persuaded the British government to abolish the Irish parliament in the Act of Union of 1801. Henceforth, Ireland would send 100 members to the British House of Commons.

Crest of the United Irishmen The United Irishmen were the first secret Irish Republican movement