Ireland 1801-1921

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How effectively did Irish Catholic and nationalist leaders advance their cause in the years 1801-1921?

Irish Catholic and nationalist leaders between 1801 and 1921 advanced their causes with varying effectiveness. The 1801 Act of Union which aimed to bind Ireland closer to Britain failed to live up to its high hopes and Ireland’s subordination to Britain largely remained. Consequently, Irish Catholic and nationalist leaders from 1801 and 1921 attempted to improve Ireland’s constitutional status and enhance the prosperity of life in Ireland. The extent to which Irish leaders were effective is dependant on a range of criteria. Firstly, the influence of beneficial factors outside of the leaders’ control must be considered as the leaders may have had external factors helping them to advance their cause whereas other leaders may have had to advance their cause completely of their own accord. Also, the political climate must be analysed because the inherent power of the British government may have ensured some leaders had distinct advantages as different governments had different levels of amenability towards helping Irish change. The extent of change the leaders brought about and the long term effectiveness the Irish leaders had must be considered.

Daniel O’Connell, as an Irish Catholic leader, unequivocally advanced his cause extremely effectively up to the passage of the momentous 1829 Roman Catholic Emancipation Act. Indeed, the work of O’Connell and his Catholic Association proved fundamental in the passage of this Act and the extent of change brought about was highly significant. The Act was highly significant as it marked an emphatic turnaround in the position and prospective opportunities to Irish Catholics. Prior to the Act, Catholics were unable to take the necessary oath to become MPs and so were deprived of the right to represent Catholic interests constitutionally. The 1829 Act overhauled this restriction on Catholic rights, enabling the Catholic cause in Ireland to take the political centre stage on a national scale. This is a great testament to the effectiveness of O’Connell as in future the Irish Catholic cause would represented in the House of Commons and Irish reform would be subsequently much more viable.  

O’Connell’s Catholic Association was key to his high level of effectiveness in defeating the major obstacles that had hitherto prevented an Emancipation Act. In particular, O’Connell had to overcome the British political situation, something he achieved with incredible effectiveness. The Tory government was split on the idea of Emancipation while the conservative House of Lords were overwhelming opposed and yet both were forced to accept Emancipation. The historian J.C Beckett argues,

‘The rapid progress of the Catholic Association alarmed the government; and this alarm was increased, and in some measure justified, by the violent language that O’Connell regularly employed’. 

Beckett’s view is very accurate in light of the culmination of O’Connell’s Emancipation campaign. The introduction of the ‘Catholic rent’ in 1824, was of great significance as the Irish masses were now able to contribute financially and therefore joined the campaign with the other social classes. The creation of the Catholic Association, with O’Connell as the venerated leader, created the impression Catholic Ireland was united and consequently had the potential to frighten the British government into political reform. The fact that O’Connell exacerbated this element of fear within the British government, through a policy of brinkmanship, thoroughly demonstrates his effectiveness in his strategy to obtain the Emancipation Act. Accordingly, Prime Minister Wellington, strongly opposed to Catholic Emancipation himself, was forced to persuade the House of Lords and the King to concede Emancipation as an alternative to the prospect of rebellion. It is true to say that the simultaneous raising of the franchise qualification which cut the Irish electorate by a sixth tainted O’Connell’s effectiveness. O’Connell himself experienced the detriment of this later on but this should not overshadow his immense achievement in the long run. The very fact that the House of Lords and King, who were vehemently against Emancipation, were left with no option but to pass the groundbreaking Act to avoid a rebellion illustrates O’Connell’s uncompromising effectiveness at advancing Catholic Emancipation. The long term effectiveness is significant as Catholics had the opportunity to be fully part of the parliamentary process but ,moreover, it set the precedent for future mass Irish movements because it was proved they could defeat British resistance to Irish reform.  

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In contrast to his emphatic Catholic Emancipation campaign, O’Connell’s effectiveness at advancing the Irish Catholic cause from 1829 onwards was greatly reduced. Emancipation had seen the O’Connellites in a position to push for Irish reform in the House of Commons but they failed in their quest to secure radical change. In particular, O’Connell seemingly demonstrated a lack of effectiveness by failing to maximise his standing in the Whig and O’Connellite alliance during 1835-40. Though only an informal alliance, the Whigs seem to have come off better by maintaining government status. Certain reforms during the alliance helped to advance O’Connell’s ...

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