1. The 1798 Rebellion

2. What were the consequences of the Plantations from 1550-1650s?
Introduction of English people in Ireland
A new class of people – called the Protestant Ascendancy
New religion
Land now belonged to foreign ‘planters’
Irish dispossessed
Common law had replaced the old Irish Brehon Law

3. Penal Laws Catholics were discriminated against
Catholics could not buy land, teach, set up schools,
They could not openly practise their religion
Not allowed to own land

4. Who lived in Ireland in 1790s?
1. The Protestant Ascendancy – wealthy landowners
Owned most of the land in the country
Descendants of the planters during the plantation
Protestants – belonged to the Church of Ireland
Got all important jobs
...judges, politicians
But they were the minority
...of the population

5. Who else lived here? Presbyterians and Catholics
They were the majority of the population
But they had no power
NO vote
No jobs in parliament
Paid a tithe to the Church of Ireland
Penal laws against Catholics

6. Background to the Rising – Discontent and anger
Ireland was still ruled by British king
The British govt controlled Ireland
Even though we had a parliament in Dublin...

7. ...Poynings’ Law limited our freedom to make laws for our country
...it was made up of rich Protestant landlords and
...Poynings’ Law limited our freedom to make laws for our country
So Ireland was not free

8. Religious Discrimination
Catholics and Presbyterians had no power
They even paid a tithe to the Church of Ireland
Couldn’t vote or become politicians
Were v poor
Paid high rents to Protestant landlord
This made people angry
They wanted a rebellion

9. Why was there a rebellion?
The Protestant Ascendancy had all the power
The Catholics suffered terrible discrimination
They wanted to get rid of the British power over Ireland
Inspired by the American and French revolutions which overthrow the power of kings
Inspired by the ideals of revolutions
- equality for all; democracy

10. The United Irishmen Set up by Wolfe Tone in 1791
Appalled by the bad treatment of Catholics
Tone was a Protestant who wanted all Irish people to be united...
no matter what religion they were

11. Aims of the UI founders – Wolfe Tone and Henry Joy McCracken
aims = 1. To united Catholics and Protestants
2. To achieve irish freedom from Britain
3. To end British power by peaceful means...
...if possible
Support spread quickly for the UI throughout Ireland

12. British Response Banned the UI because they supported the French Rev
UI became a secret, revolutionary movement
They now wanted an irish republic
They would now use violence to get it
Began to plan a rebellion

13. French Help Tone went to France Persuaded them to send military help
Dec 1796 French ships with 14,000 soldiers...
...set sail for Bantry Bay in Cork
General Hoche was leader
Couldn’t land –
bad weather
Had to abandon the plan

14. British Response Br govt furious at Irish
Determined to hunt down any rebels
Used terror tactics
Went through countryside searching for weapons
Tortured and killed people
Half hanging and pitch capping also used spies to find out UI leaders
Arrest UI leaders
Famous leader arrested was Lord Edward Fitzgerald

15. 1798 Rebellion Even though its leaders were arrested..
Groups of UI decided to go ahead with a rebellion
But no central leadership
No organisation
No clear plan
The rebels also had had no weapons - Why?
Because of British army searches
Used pikes – would be no match for guns

16. The Rebellion Starts Starts in Leinster – Kildare and Meath
Easily defeated
But the British brutality inspires a sudden rebellion in Wexford!
This is the most successful and famous rebellion

17. Wexford Rebellion Fr John Murphy inspires people to rebel
Group of peasants beat the English army in Enniscorthy
Set up camp at vinegar hill
Captured Wexford
Bagnal Harvey becomes
...leader of rebellion
He was a protestant landlord!

18. British Response Br army strikes back Beat the rebels at New Ross
Br kill the rebels without trial

19. Massacre of Protestants
The Rebels then make a huge mistake
In response, other rebels massacre 100 innocent, unarmed Protestants at Wexford Bridge
Remem the UI were supposed to unite the diff religions
Now protestants were afraid of the Catholic rebels
Didn’t want to help them anymore
Br forces finally beat Wexford rebels at vinegar hill in June 1798
Fr Murphy and Harvey killed

20. Rebellion in Ulster In response to the Wexford Rebellion,...
small uprisings break out in UIster
Henry Joy McCracken led one
Easily defeated
Many protestants had refused to join after hearing of the Massacre

21. French help - again Tone had been in France
Persuaded Fr gov to send help again
1000 men under Gen Humbert
Land at Killala, Mayo in Aug 1798
Too small – rising was already over
But some success – Races of Castlebar
How did it gets its name?
Marched towards Dublin
But defeated at Ballinamuck

22. Tone captured
Another French expedition with Tone onboard arrived at Lough Swilly, Donegal
Captured by Br
Tone recognised and arrested
Sentenced to death
Commits suicide

23. Why did the Rebellion fail?
1. Br govt forces were larger,
better trained and better armed
2. pikes were no match for Br guns
3. spies in UI betrayed the rebels
4. French assistance – too little, too late
We were relying too much on it

24. Act of Union, 1800
After the rebellion the Br govt was determined to control Ireland
Act of Union abolished the irish parliament
Ireland was now directly ruled by Br govt
Ironically, the aim of the UI was?
To increase irish freedom
In the end, their actions actually reduced it

25. The Influence of Wolfe Tone
Wolfe Tone had introduced the idea of republicanism
For the next 200 yrs irish groups would carry out violent rebellions...
and attacks on British
People would be inspired by Tone to keep fighting for a republic

26. Results of the Rebellion
1. Huge death – 40,000 people
2. Act of Union – increased Br control of Ireland
3. The influence of Wolfe Tone and UI