The Rise of Irish Nationalism in the Nineteenth Century Essay

The British have reigned over the Irish so long and so cruelly that they have left Ireland in “state of dependence” psychologically, politically, and economically. In other words, the “ideology of Protestant consumption” has “actually eroded” the self-confidence and sense of worth of the Irish so badly that it has left Ireland a nation unable to sustain itself (Mahoney). England is eating up Ireland. But this tribulation cannot be blamed solely on the British. Swift cleverly condemns the British aristocracy for their mistreatment of the Irish people while also criticizing the Irish people for allowing this exploitation.

1823 saw the rise of Daniel O’Connell (the only real person mentioned in the play), a disillusioned veteran of 1798 who founded the Catholic Association. O’Connell campaigned for better civil rights and social conditions for the Irish people, hence Maire reporting that he said “We should all be learning to speak English” (399). O’Connell believed that it was necessary to use the English language in order to allow Ireland to progress in a quickly modernising Western world. In 1829, due to his efforts in Parliament, the Catholic Emancipation Act came into force overturning the penal laws.

     Everything that happened in Ireland during nineteenth century has indeed been overshadowed by the catastrophe which overtook the country between 1845 and 1851. The Irish Potato Famine of 1845-1851 was one of the great catastrophes of the nineteenth century and divides modern Irish history. It was a disaster which poisoned Anglo-Irish relations for many generations to come, and had profound effects not only in Ireland itself, but in England and North America as well.

K.H. Connell, in his paper “Land and Population in Ireland, 1780-1845”, describes and explains the significant population growth in Ireland prior to the famine of 1845 and how the uses of the Irish land changed with the population growth.

England was in favor of landlords in Ireland due to a good majority of the landlords to be English and that their taxes were benefiting England. This causes bias in newspapers and articles about the landlord’s behaviors which is clearly seen in this article. Historians can read the article and decipher what it was like for these landlords and how much of the article is trying to persuade their readers one way or another especially since it was written by an Englishmen. It is important in understanding the New Departure’s goals and motivations for the Irishmen and the move towards freedom for Ireland. It shows how tenants are willing to fight back against the government which in turn fuels the fire for rebellions and ultimately moves the Home Rule party deeper into existence even with landlords doing everything they can to stay in

Surely, Protestant churches were also involved in these political uprisings against the Catholic Irish, but it defined the cultural unity of Ulster culture that still pervaded the urban environment of Toronto : “Not just Churches but organizations brought from home that embodied an Irish Protestant group identity like the Orange Order, flourished in Canada…the orange order might serve as a mainstay of imperial loyalties” (Whelehan, 2014, p.192). These British loyalties defined the larger support that the Orangemen received in Protestant Ontario, which reveals the expanded interrelationship between Protestant religious values that often trumped the nationalist aspirations of the Orange Order in relation to their fellow Irishmen of Roman Catholic

No matter their religion, language, or struggles they faced upon arrival in America throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the one thing all Irish had in common was their reason for leaving Ireland; the English. Whether Catholic from southern Ireland or Presbyterian from the Ulster region, the Irish were systematically oppressed by the Anglican Church of England. For those who could afford the passage, America meant freedom to worship as they chose and for the Ulster Presbyterians; recognition that their church was valid. For the southern Irish, unfortunately, during the 1800’s America was a heavily Protestant country that harbored severe suspicions of Catholics and rumors the Pope was plotting to destroy their country. This meant

Clearly, a large portion of the turmoil experienced during this type could be put down to the changing government of the period. Though democratically elected and in more direct control of the Irish nation, the Home Rule government what the Irish called the Free State in its first years was not as responsive to the people as some desired (Ferriter, n.d.). An effective civil service providing for many needs was set up, but the ruling party and government experienced internal strife over significant differences of opinion throughout this decade (Ferriter, n.d.). The government was a democracy, but a very young democracy, and with all of the problems that this youth entails in a newly freed and democratically empowered nation and population.

During the time after the Jacobite Wars, Ireland began to grow a significant amount of enmity for the Westminster Parliament. The distaste for English presence grew rapidly among the Irish; Irish began to take part and support the colonies in the race for freedom among the British rule. Irish Protestants form militias of “Volunteers”, united Protestants and Catholics form the United Irishmen. During this time the irish cause mayhem and upheavals throughout the land in a yearn for separateness from British Rule.

A large part of Irish history revolves around Ireland’s long and bloody fight for independence from Great Britain. However, what many people do not know about this conflict is that it did not only play out in these two countries, but was carried over to North America during the 19th century by the Fenian Brotherhood. During that time many Irish people doubted a rebellion in their own country could be successful, because the British military proved to be too strong and unwavering. The Fenian Brotherhood approached the problem from a different side by attacking British colonies in Canada in order to pressure Great Britain into releasing its claim on Ireland. These attacks were called the Fenian raids on Canada and occurred between 1866 and 1871.

The Irish had suffered long before in the hands of the English when Cromwell had been in control and had taken away land held by the catholic majority of the country to members of the protestant minority. This created a large tension among the population with the oppressed majority and the rather entitled minority who by Trevelyan’s snooty tone did indeed see themselves as the superior people in the country. (Trevelyan’s tone is probably the most dismissive when in discussion of the Irish, mayhaps showing his own true dislike.) (Trevelyan, p. 116-

Unionists feel that if Roman Catholics won The War of the Two Kings and persevered their land to its original state, Ireland would not have a deep-seated relationship with Great Britain. Unionist’s however, are very grateful for these relations and believe it has established them as a great and united country. Historians Moody and Martin state, “The sense of national unity manifested itself in the removal of a number of religious, social and economic disabilities which in the past had been imposed on the Irish Catholics, though it should be quickly added that generosity was checked by caution. Only extreme liberals were prepared to allow Catholics a share in political power” (204). Since Protestants have always recognized and rejoiced the British having a positive role in Ireland, the unity that resulted from the war was viewed as a triumph to Protestants then and Unionists now. After the victory of William of Orange the penal laws were set into place. These laws motived about 5,500 Catholics elite to convert to Protestantism. As the penal laws were solidified into the Irish law system, for the next century Ireland was controlled by Protestant elite, known as the protestant Ascendancy. However, this elite group did not want the majority of Catholics to convert, so the Ascendancy would maintain their high power position. This governmental position lead to protestants powerful political role in Ireland today. Although Nationalism has had many Protestant leaders, Unionists were inevitably always led by Protestant leaders and politicians. The War of the Two Kings set precedence for contemporary Irelands political structure to be centered around religious innuendoes.

In the last three decades of the 19th century, Northern Ireland’s political violence claimed the lives of 3,500 people. At the time of this political violence,

The defeat of James ' forces by his Protestant son-in-law, William of Orange, Ireland had become a Protestant-dominated country by the end of the seventeenth century, with political power firmly in the hands of the island 's landowning Protestant Ascendancy, a class that experienced its great affluence and influence during the eighteenth century.

Moffatt, Lewis, b. (1886). The Irish land question: scheme for a peasant propriety in Ireland . Edition. (E-book) Toronto: C. Blackett Robinson, page 3. Available at: https://archive.org/details/cihm_11156 URL [Accessed