Irish Rebellion of 1798

Quick Facts: Who was Irish Rebellion of 1798?

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Irish Rebellion of 1798

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A popular insurrection against the British Crown in the Kingdom of Ireland.

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Origins & Early Life

The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (Irish: Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster Scots: "The Turn Out"/"The Hurries") was a popular insurrection against the British Crown in what was then the separate, but subordinate, Kingdom of Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen. First formed in Belfast by Presbyterians opposed to the landed Anglican establishment, the Society, despairing of reform, sought to secure a republic through a revolutionary union with the country's Catholic majority. The grievances of a rack-rented tenantry, and of market-town traders, journeymen and weavers drove recruitment. While assistance was being sought from the French Republic and from democratic militants in Britain, martial-law seizures and arrests forced the conspirators into the open.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Beginning in late May 1798, there were a series of uncoordinated risings: in the counties of Carlow and Wexford in the southeast where the rebels met with some success; in the north around Belfast in counties Antrim and Down; and closer to the capital, Dublin, in counties Meath and Kildare. In late August, after the rebels had been reduced to pockets of guerrilla resistance, the French landed an expeditionary force in the west, in County Mayo. Unable to effect a conjunction with a significant rebel force, they surrendered on 9 September. In the last open-field engagement of the rebellion, the local men they had rallied on their arrival were routed at Killala on 23 September. On 12 October, a second French expedition was defeated in a naval action off the coast of County Donegal leading to the capture of the United Irish leader Wolfe Tone.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In the wake of the rebellion, Acts of Union 1800 abolished the Irish legislature and brought Ireland under the crown of a United Kingdom through the Parliament at Westminster. The centenary of the rebellion in 1898 saw its legacy disputed by nationalists who wished to restore a legislature in Dublin, by republicans who invoked the name of Tone in the cause of complete separation and independence, and by unionists opposed to all measures of Irish self-government. Renewed in a bicentenary year that coincided with the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, the debate over the interpretation and significance of 1798 continues. In the last decades of the 18th century, the British Crown in Ireland faced growing demands for constitutional reform. The Protestant Ascendancy had relaxed the Penal Laws by which, in the wake of the Jacobite defeat in 1691, it had sought to break the power, and reduce the influence, both of the Catholic church and of the remaining Catholic gentry.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1691: 1691 Milestone — The Protestant Ascendancy had relaxed the Penal Laws by which, in the wake of the Jacobite defeat in 1691, it had sought to break the power, and reduce the influence, both of the Catholic church and of the remaining Catholic gentry.
2. 1798: 1798 Milestone — The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (Irish: Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster Scots: "The Turn Out"/"The Hurries") was a popular insurrection against the British Crown in what was then the separate, but subordinate, Kingdom of Ireland.
3. 1800: 1800 Milestone — In the wake of the rebellion, Acts of Union 1800 abolished the Irish legislature and brought Ireland under the crown of a United Kingdom through the Parliament at Westminster.
4. 1898: 1898 Milestone — The centenary of the rebellion in 1898 saw its legacy disputed by nationalists who wished to restore a legislature in Dublin, by republicans who invoked the name of Tone in the cause of complete separation and independence, and by unionists opposed to all measures of Irish self-government.
5. 1998: 1998 Milestone — Renewed in a bicentenary year that coincided with the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, the debate over the interpretation and significance of 1798 continues.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Irish Rebellion of 1798

True or False: “The Irish Rebellion of 1798 was solely organized by Protestant dissenters against Catholic landowners.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The Society of United Irishmen aimed for a union among all people—Protestant, Catholic, and Dissenter—to achieve radical reform.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adam Mickiewicz — Historical peer (Born in 1798) (1798): National Poet of Poland, Romantic master, and leading voice of Slavic literature.
• Adrien Duport — Historical peer (Died in 1798) (1798): French politician and lawyer, known for his advocacy in the Parlement and opposition to royal ministers.
• Albert Luthuli — Historical peer (Born in 1898) (1898): Pioneering anti-apartheid activist and leader of the ANC in South Africa.
• Alexander Calder — Historical peer (Born in 1898) (1898): Pioneering American sculptor celebrated for kinetic mobiles and monumental abstract forms.
• Aitana Bonmatí — Historical peer (Born in 1998) (1998): Star Spanish midfielder known for her decorated career with Barcelona and the Spain national team.
• Akira Kurosawa — Historical peer (Died in 1998) (1998): Master of Japanese cinema, known for dynamic style and epic storytelling.
• Edward Cave — Historical peer (Born in 1691) (1691): Pioneering English printer, editor, and publisher who coined the term 'magazine'.
• George Fox — Historical peer (Died in 1691) (1691): English founder of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

Frequently Asked Questions about Irish Rebellion of 1798