In 1688, King James II lost the throne of England for wanting to restore the Roman Catholic religion. He turned to King Louis XIV of France, and to Ireland, for help which led to a war breaking out. In 1689 King James’ army trapped 35000 Protestants in the city of Londonderry, in Ulster, and laid siege to the city. Thousands died of disease but they did not surrender. Then the British ships sailed up the river Foyle to the rescue. The siege of Londonderry was over. England had a new Protestant King, who had come from the Netherlands, William of Orange. He was James II’s son in law. William took his army to Ireland to fight James and his Catholic allies. In 1690 William won great victories at the Battle of the Boyne. These wars were called the Williamite Wars and Protestants of Ulster still celebrate their victory over the Catholics. Every year in July and August there are Orange marches and parades through the streets.
William of Orange’s victories over James II’s Catholic armies in 1690 gave Protestants more power in Ireland. However, there was still a danger of further Catholic rebellion. Protestants ruled Ireland firmly from their Parliament in Dublin. To weaken the Catholic religion the Penal Laws were passed which made it impossible for Catholics to buy land. This further increased the divisions between Catholics and Protestants, which led to the Orange Order being formed. The Catholics tried again to rebel in the uprising but were defeated at the battle of Vinegar Hill in 1798. The British Government decided its as too dangerous to allow Ireland to continue to have its own Parliament. An Act of Union in 1800 united Ireland to Britain. Ireland was to be ruled from the British Parliament.
In 1823, Daniel O’Connell forms the Catholic Association to campaign for Catholic emancipation; he succeeded because of the fear of rebellion in Ireland.
In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution took place in Ireland. The main industrial growth was in Protestant Ulster. Whilst the south remained mostly agricultural. The growth of industry meant that many people went to live in towns in Ulster. Separate Catholic and Protestant areas grew up in places like Belfast and Londonderry. These places were cut of from each other, causing the towns and cities to be divided into two communities. Competition for jobs and close proximity increased the tension which led to riots.
Ireland consists of 70% of farmland. But in 1870 only 3% of the population were landowners. Hatred of the landowners was common and aggravated by the fact that most of them were descended from the Scottish and English Protestants who had settles on land taken away from the Catholics. The Catholics lived as tenants but felt they had more right to the land than their landlords. To solve this problem the British Government put controls on the power of landlords. By the end of the nineteenth century many Protestant landlords were selling off their land. The British also helped Tenants to buy land by passing many acts.
In 1846 there was a total failure of the potato crop in Ireland. Ireland was a land of peasant farmers. They lived almost entirely on potatoes. When all the food was gone, thousands began to die of starvation and disease. A million people died in the potato famine. Others tried to escape misery and death by emigrating. They went to United States and others to Canada. The potato famine of the 1840s nearly halved the population.
In 1858 Revolutionary Irish Nationalists formed the Fenians (Irish Republic Brotherhood). They wanted Ireland to be a united country, free from foreign control, and they were willing to back a revolution. They weren’t afraid of achieving this by violence. In 1867 the Fenians rose against the British. But they were betrayed by one of their own men, Corydon. He told the British Government of their plans. The rising failed, and the Fenian Leaders were imprisoned.
William Gladstone was the leader of the British Liberal Party and became the Prime Minister of Britain in 1868. Gladstone ended compulsory payment of church rates and 1869 disestablished the Church of Ireland. This meant that Protestantism was no longer the official religion. The next year he passed a Land Act to protect tenants against unfair eviction by their landlords. However, Irish Nationalists were not satisfied with Gladstone’s efforts. Many Catholic and Protestant Irish people wanted to run Irish affairs themselves. They wanted their own Parliament in Dublin, which would be in charge. This was called Home Rule. In 1870 the Home Rule association was formed and became a political party. Protestants as well as Catholics supported the Home Rule Party. In 1867 a Protestant landlord, Parnell, became leader of the Party. Parnell and the Irish MPs tried to disrupt the running of Parliament. In 1879 he became Chairman of the Irish National Land League. Parnell’s campaign was a major threat to Gladstone. He decided to action against him , and in 1881 arrested and sent Parnell to prison. However he was later released and Gladstones attempts to pacify Ireland had failed.
Growing support in Parliament for Home Rule worried Irish Protestants. In 1885 the Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union was formed to elect MPs who supported the Union and opposed Home Rule. Gladstone decided to support Home Rule. He now believed it could pacify the problems in Ireland. He also wanted Liberals to form the next Government, which needed help from the Home Rule Party to form the next government. Encouraged by the Orange Order the Unionists became a political party in January 1886.
Gladstone asked the House of Commons to agree to a law for Home Rule in Ireland in 1886. The opposition however was well organised and the Home Rule was rejected.
In Ulster there was a high number of unemployment for both Catholics and Protestants. The Orange Order stirred up hatred and discrimination against Catholics. Trouble broke out in Belfast and the Protestant mob ran wild. Fighting continued to break out between the Catholics and Protestants.
The Home Rule Party was weakened by a scandal and in 1890 its leader Parnell was taken to court for adultery. He refused to resign as the leader which led to the Home Rule Party being bitterly divided after his death. Parnell’s death did not stop Gladstone. In 1893 his second Home Rule Bill was passed in the House of Commons but was defeated in the House of Lords which had the power to reject laws.
The Home Rule Party was reunited in 1900 under the new leadership of Redmond. By 1911, the Liberals had enough support in Parliament to reduce the power of the Lords to stop Bills becoming Acts. The House of Lords could now only delay bills for two years. In 1912 another Home Rule Bill was introduced. It was due to become a law in 1914.
The Unionists, were furious and prepared to resist Home Rule in Ulster. In 1913 the Ulster Volunteer Force was formed to resist Home Rule by force.
In 1914 most Protestants wanted Ireland to remain united with Great Britain under the Act of Union of 1800. In a united independent Ireland Roman Catholics would outnumber them and be able to outvote them.
The Unionist leaders prepared to make Ulster independent of both Ireland and Great Britain. In March 1914 the Liberal Government suggested that the British army would be used to force the Unionists to accept Home Rule. Large amounts of money were raised to buy guns from Germany to arm the UVF. A Civil War looked inevitable both the Irish Volunteers and the UVF were prepared to fight. Yet Ulster was still loyal to the King of England. This loyalty was put to the test when England went to war with Germany and Austria in August 1914. To win the Unionists’ support it was agreed to delay Home Rule until the war was over. The threat of civil war between Irish Nationalists and Protestants in Ulster was lifted by the outbreak of the first World War in 1914.
