Keane

Irish history

1714            7% of land of Ireland held by Catholics   

1796            United Irishmen plotting rebellion

1829            Catholic emancipation passed - achieved by O'Connell   

1845 - 49      Potato famine, fever, starvation

1861            Beginning of American Civil War   

1865            14% of land of Ireland held by Catholics

1879            Evictions and land war   

1914            Home Rule Act - World War 1

1921            Ireland divided in two separate areas. 

Catholics

In early 1700's Mass was celebrated in ruined Churches or in  open fields.  A Catholic could not hold an office of State, stand for Parliament, vote, join the army or navy or buy land.  A lease could be held no longer than 31 years.  On his death his land was to be divided among his children, unless one became Protestant, in which case he inherited the lot.  Severe limitations were put on the activity of priests.

Famine

1841 population of Ireland 8 million.  The cause of the potato famine was fungus.  1 million died, one and half million emigrated.  England did little to relieve it.  Greedy landlords - overcrowding - evicted tenants. One third of Ireland people depended solely on the potato for survival.

Rebellion

By 1865 Stephens had 85000 men organized in Ireland alone to receive arms from America, to rebel and raise the flag of Ireland - of the Irish Republic (population 1961 was 2.8 million).

Keane

Daniel Keane Shanagolden Ireland

Keanes Shanagolden with Vin Kane Canberra

IRISH HISTORY

·        Until 13 000 BC, Ireland was linked to England during the Ice age.

·        6000 BC, Ireland became a separate intity.

·        3000 BC: Ireland was initially populated from Scottish inhabitants crossing the Irish sea during the stone age.  They were hunter gatherers who used stone tools and weapons

·        Much more is know about the new stone age people who farmed land and domesticated cattle etc and wove textiles around 3200 BC.  The society was well organised.  A huge burial tomb 13 metres high and 80 metres long was discovered.

·        2000 BC: Next was the bronze age.

·        350 BC – Ireland entered the Iron age.

·        Ireland’s patron saint was actually a Romanized Briton.  Kidnapped by Irish pirates when he was 16, Patrick worked for 6 years as a herder before escapeing and making his way back to Britain.  He trained for the priesthood and in 432 he returned to Ireland to preach the Gospel.  Remarkably little is known of his activities

·        By 500 – 800 Monasteries had been founded – they proved more powerful than the local Bishops.  Some monsasteries went to war with each other.  Most monks were celebrate but increasingly Abbots married.

·        Features of the monasteries:  extreme ascetiscism, mortification, solitude, prayer, liturgy, study of the scriptures with the aim of salvation.  Many made the utimate sacrifice and became missionaries outside of Ireland.  Book production and art developed and made its mark in Europe.  Many Irish monks began to teach not only religion but grammar and reading.

·        600 onwards, Christianity flourished and made the people literate – Irish missionaries were very active.

·        795 – Vikings invaded – monasteries were plundered – they continued the invasion until lat 1100’s.

·        1012, King Brian Boru defeated the Noresemen and their allies – he united the Irish but he and his immediate heirs fell at Clontarf

·        The Norman invasion and they stayed over centuries – by that stage few monasteries had survived – they had been destroyed and plundered.

·        Intermarrying with the Norman invaders with the Irish who became more Irish than the Irish

·        By 1200 monasteries were revived.

·        1361 – 20% of the population was struck down by the Black Death.

·        Betweem 1349 amd 1450 the population of Europe fell by 60% and 75% in rural areas by the Black Death.

·        1366 – a law passed to ban marriage between the Normans and the Irish which was mostly ignored.

·        Henry VIII (1509 – 47) became head of the English Church – 400 monasteries were suppressed in Ireland but many continued on with help from the local people.

·        Before 1536 no Irish sat in Parliament.

·        The Irish Parliament accepted accepted Henry’s ‘Reformation’ and recongized him as King

·        Gaelic lords who submitted to the king were confirmed in their lands, given English titles and expected to lead peaceful ‘English’ lives

·        Queen Elizabeth 1 (1558-1603), Protestantism became firmly established in England and was adopted as the state religion. Few Catholic Bishops remained in Ireland.  England was committed to a policy of repression. Four Archbishops, 8 Bishops and 13 nobles started a milestone in history by condemning the schismatics Henry VIII, Edward VI and Elizabeth.  The renounced their authority and signed a document which was remarkable counter-revolution and gave the rebellion the character of a religious war supported by the Church

·        Between 1570 and 1603, 76 people were put to death on religious grounds including priests, monks and laymen.

·        1580 – the Bishops made overtures to Spain.  In September a small papal force of 600 Spaniards and Italians landed in Ireland.  They were cut off by the British and surrendered unconditionally.  Lord Grey then slaughtered 500 in one of the most infamous massacres in Irish history. There followed exterminations in Southern Ireland and a terrrible famine then gripped the land.  A most rich beautiful country of corn and cattle was reduced to wretchedness.  

·        The great majority in Ireland, by contrast, ramained faithful to Catholicism

·        Tutors efforts to impose English laws and customs sparked Irish revolts

·        1600 – April, Pope Clement VIII issued an address to the Irish people proclaiming a war against Elizabeth and granted a plenary indulgence to anyone who helped O’Neill in the war

·        1603 – Catholics owned 90% of the land

·        1603, the defeat and surrender of O’Neil and his Spanish allies resulted in Elizabethan subjugatioin of Ireland

·        1603 Elizabeth died and James VI took over.

·        James VI of Scotland became James 1 of England – the Scots and English waged war on each other- the King and Parliament came into fatal conflict

·        1605 – the Government banished Catholic priests and ordered everyone to attend Prostestant churches under a fine of 12d.

·        1607 O’Neill fled and Ulster was taken over by the English and Scots Protestants.  Catholics were elimated from Ulster.  The newcomers received most of the high quality land.

·        1607 – September - Northern Ireland was claimed by England the land rezoned and divided.  The face of Northern Island was changed and would last to the present day.  100 000 Scots and English were encouraged to migrate and many Irish left the country.  The Catholic Church continued with home masses instead of Church masses.

·        1613 – 18 of the 232 members of Parliament were Irish.

·        By 1625 priestly vocations peaked, monasteries revived to their former glory

·        1641 – discontent among the Ulster Catholics flared into a revolt that spread over the rest of Ireland.  Protestants were killed or driven from their homes.  Catholics had 59% of profitable land.

·        This promted a civil war betweeen King Charles 1 and the English Parliament in 1642 which gave the Irish rebels a breathing space.

·        1649 resulted in a victory of the English Parliament over the King.  He was executed and Oliver Cromwell landed in Ireland with an army to avenge the maccacres of 1641.  This was a swift, ruthless campaign.  Cromwell was the one who took the land from the Catholics.

·        1653 land settlement.  Disloyal Catholics landowners were ejected in favour of English entrepreneurs.  In this way, the property owning class in Ireland became overwhelmingly Protestant, while the peasantry remained Catholic

·        Cromwell died in 1658

·        Charles II, a Catholic, was restored King in 1660 in England but the situation in Ireland remained unchanged.  The King soon fled into exile to Ireland where the Catholic majority rallied to him

·        1660 – Catholics only had 8% of profitable land.  The rest had been confiscated and given to Protestants.

·        Around Limerick, Catholics still owned 20% of the land – Protestants were more on the East side of Ireland.

·        The Irish Paliament was entirely Protestant at this time except for one Irish Catholic who refused to take his seat.

·        1685 James II of England – he was encouraging to Catholics

·        By 1687 there was more tolerance and freedoms for Catholics and most started to sense the Catholic majority could take over Ireland.

·        1688 – Catholics owned 22% of the land.

·        Charles’ Prostestand daughter took over the throne on England.  Her husband was Dutch William of Orange (Hence, Irish Prostestants became Orangemen).  Charles II fled to France.  A bad time was ahead for Catholics after the previous optimism.

·        1689 – France wanted to invade Ireland and of course if Ireland fell, England would be next – so a war was on the cards with England involved too.

·        The new King of England – William III of Orange and the Irish Protestant morale gained enormously.  He won a famous victory in 1690 at Boyne.  King William defeated King James II – the French were defeated.  25 000 soldiers died.  There was a terrible effect on the population who suffered disease and lack of food.

·        1691 – resistance to William III’s army ended and the defenders of Limerick signed a treaty which allowed its soldiers to leave Ireland.  Many went to France and joined the French army to fight against the British.  The treaty of Limerick was not honoured by the British over the years in regard to land ownership and the free practice of their religion.

·        A series of Penal laws now deprived the Irish Catholic population of their remaining political rights, education and land ownership.

·        1691 – Catholics were discriminated against – they could not own a horse worth more that 5 pound.  They could not send their children abroad to be educated.  Hundreds of religious priests and Bishops were expelled.

·        1692 – a total Protestant parliament in Irelaned.

·        1695 – 14% of land held by Catholics

·        In 1700’s, the rich Anglicans built fine towns and country houses as the expense of the poor.

·        In early 1700’s, Mass was celebrated in ruined Churches or in open fields.  A Catholic chould not hold an office of the State, stand for Parliament, vote, join the army or navy or buy land.  A lease couled be held no longer than 31 years.  On his death, his land land was to divided among his children, unless one became Protestant, in which case he inherited the lot.  Severe limitations were placed on priests.  There was not a serious attempt to change Catholics to being Protestants.

·        1702 – Catholics owned 14% of the land.

·        1704 – no Catholic could purchase land except a lease and then only for 31 years

·        1707 – England and Scotland were united.

·        1714 – 7% of land held by Catholics.  Since Catholics could not own land they turned to trade and made great successes of this.  For example Edmund Rice’s uncle made a lot of money in Waterford in the shipping trade.  Catholics owned considerable wealth and thus exerted great influence in the towns.  So despite the harsh penal laws many Catholics prospered and gained interests overseas.

·        By 1732 the vast majority of households were still Catholic.  Around Limerick it was 90%  In practice religious observance was tolerated and the people became very close to their clergy.

·        1762 – Edmund Rice is born – received his education secretly at the local ‘hedge school’ in Callan and then attended the commercial academy in Kilkenny

·        1775 – many Catholics were emigrating to the US where there was more tolerance and less bigotry.  12000 were leaving Ulser each year by that stage.

·        1775 – Daniel O’Connell was born.

·        1782 - Catholics allowed to buy land

·        1789 – French revolution

·        1790’s – Britain was at war with France.

·        1791 – the Society of United Irishmen was founded in Belfast

·        1792 after a campaign, the Irish parliament was recognized as a separate and independent institution under the Crown.

·        1793 – the United Irishmen’s attitude was hardened and they favoured an alliance with France.

·        Most Catholics, even in the towns were labourers or poor farmers tilling the land for little more than a bare subsistence living.

·        1795 – The United Irishmen were committed to Republicanism.

·        1797 – Marshall law was introduced to quell unrest.

·        1798 – the radical, non-sectarian Society of United Irishmen attempted an

·        uprising – Ulster Presbyterians and southern Catholics were among the rebels.  The uprising was badly organised and was brutally put down.  There were atrocities on both side – 30 000 people were killed.  Much property was destroyed.  Many churches destroyed.  As a reaction to this uprising, Ireland became part of an enlarged British state called the United Kingdom for over 100 years.  Ireland’s parliament ceased to exist after an agreement was worked out – after all they were British puppets and Irish constituencies would elect MP’s to serve at Westminster.

·        1799 – Catholics only owned 5% of the land

·        1800 – the act of Union was passed and took effect in 1801.

·        By 1800 80% of exports went to Britain and 80% of imports came from Britain.

·        1800 – 1815, 150 000 Irish recruits joined the British army – it was a useful source of employment for landless peasants.

·        Early 1800’s the birth of John Keane father of Daniel Kane 1839

·        1802 – Edmund Rice started a Primary school for poor boys which was illegal in the eyes of the authorities.  At this time usually hedge schools in the open were the only education opportunities.

·        By 1803, there were 2086 Irish convicts in Australia

·        The first Mass was celebrated in 1803 in Australia

·        Daniel O’Connell, a brilliant lawyer, exploited this situation and created an organisation that made Catholics a political force and used peaceful mass meetings to further his twin aims of Catholic emancipation and repeal of the Union. . He was quite rich and was educated in France.  He did not support violence because he had seen that in France and did not support the uprising in Ireland in 1798.  He used the power of the people as his cornerstone.

·        By 1824 – Daniel O’Connell has organised the people to pay a 1d rent collected at the church with the permission and support of priests and bishops.  Soon 100’s of thousands were joining and paying – much like a union with lots of public meetings.  He used the funds for political purposes and priests were very important in the organization.  Many Irish has joined the British army and when they came back to Ireland, Daniel O’Connell could use them because they had skills and were well disciplined.

·        1828 – nearly three quarters of the Catholic parishes in Ireland held rallies demanding emancipation.

·        For the first time since the 1600’s, Daniel O’Connell dropped a bombshell and contested a parliamentary election.  He went to the election on one issue – TO RENOUNCE THE OATH REQUIRED BY LAW THAT THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS AND THE INVOCATION OF THE BLESSED MARY AND OTHER SAINTS AS PRACTISED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ROME ARE IMPIOUS AND IDOLATROUS.  It was clever move because it had the full backing of the priests and Bishops.  O’Connell won 67% of the votes – a famous victory which through down the gauntlet to the Government.

·        In 1828 – Daniel O’Connell was elected for Clare but as a Catholic was unable to take his seat.  This situation convinced the government that religious discrimination had to end and new legislation made it possible at last for Catholics and Dissenters to become MP’s and hold office under the Crown.

·        1829 - The Emancipation Bill was passed.

·        1838 – O’Connell managed to get rid of the tithe problem where poor people had to pay rent to landowners.

·        1844 – O’Connell led peaceful protests to repeal the union of Ireland with England.  He was subsequently put in goal for a year but was released after 6 months on appeal and support from the Bishops.

·        Daniel Kane born 1839 – many of those who emigrated after the famine brought with them a legacy of bitterness.   Illiteracy figures were appalling over Ireland where over 50%  were totally illiterate though some retained oral culture from previous generations.

·        Between 1841 and 1861 the population of Ireland was reduced by a third because of famine and emigration – In 1841 the population was 8 million – about 2 million left.  Most left for Britain, the US and Australia.  The part hit hardest was the West of Ireland around the Limerick area.

·        Edmund Rice died 1844

·        Ireland was devasted by the Great Famine of 1845 – 50

·        1848 – THE FOUNDING OF THE IRISH REPUBLICAN BROTHERHOOD (IRB) or more popularly – the Fenian movement. In 1858.  THE USE OF PHYSICAL FORCE TO ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE.

·        By 1851 only 25% spoke Irish.  Most who spoke Irish were on the Western side.

·        In the 1800’s the population was miserably poor because of British competition and the population of Ireland doubled in 50 years so that by the 1840’s it was 8 000 000.  Subsisting on tiny holdings and dependent on a single crop, the potato, the peasant masses were helpless when the pototo famine hit.  The British government did not handle the crisis well – over 1 000 000 perished and a million emigrated – many of them forming the nucleus of a bitterly anti-British community in the United States.

·        Daniel O’Connell (1775-1847) was jailed for legally agitating peacefully for the repel of the Union and Irish self-government.  He was released in 1844 but died in 1847.  O’Connell was largely responsible by Parliamentary means to reduce land tithes, extension of voting, National education.  He also fought to repel the union between Ireland and England.

·        Daniel Kane left Ireland in 1866.  He brought with him a book on the life of Daniel O’Connell the lrish liberator

·        1866 – THE (IRB) TRIED AN UPRISING IN DUBLIN WHICH WAS PUT DOWN.

·        The decline of the Irish population continued and the founding of the Fenians, or Irish Republican Brotherhood attempted an uprising in 1867.

·        1870 – only 3% of Irish household owned land.

·        1872 – SECRET BALLOT INTRODUCED MEANT TENANTS COULD NO LONGER BE INTIMIDATED BY THEIR LANDLORDS.

·        In 1870’s a large group of Irish National MP’s committed to Home Rule (that is self-government).

·        1879 – evictions and land wars.  The (IRB) was behind fighting landlords and supporting tenants.  Violence was endemic.

·        By 1881 it seemed successful that the tenants became the owners and not the landlords.

·        PARNELL BECAME A HERO AND PUT HOME RULE ON THE AGENDA.  HIS FUNERAL WAS IN DUBLIN.

·        The British bribed the Irish so they would forget about home rule by letting them purchase the land back from the landlords.

·        Home rule became an issue again after the great liberal victory of 1906.  Ulster became worried that they would be ruled by Catholics if home rule came in.

·        Home rule was passed but shelved when the First World War started.

·        By 1916 – the Irish owned 63% of the land

·        THE (IRB) BECAME THE (IRA) AFTER THE WAR AND NOW THE IRISH WERE WELL TRAINED BECAUSE OF WORLD WAR I.  A RUTHLESS WAR AGAINST THE BRITISH AND ITS SUPPORTER BEGAN

·        The Easter uprising in 1916 was not well organised.  Many failed to turn up and so only 2000 were involved.  At noon on Monday after Easter, a few dozen men with rifles marched down Sackville St. (present day O’Connell St.) and took possession of the Post Office.  Shortly afterwards, Peace went outside and proclaimed the setting up of a Provisional Government of the Irish Republic.  The GPO was fortified, barricaded and the streets were sealed off and snipers took up places on the rooftops.  Failing to realise what small numbers were involved the British reacted cautiously in their advance.  After 5 days Pearce surrendered with his followers.  Pearce and 14 others were court marshalled and shot.  To the British the dead men were traitors; to the Irish they became martyrs.  450 people died in total from both sides.

·        Conscription was imposed on Ireland which swelled the rising tide of republicism.

·        Post war election of 1918, the dominant Nationalist Party was swept away and the victor was a militant republic party – Sinn Fein (foundeed in 1905: meaning – ‘ourselves’).  It’s representatives refused to take their seats at Westminster, setting up their own assembly and administration in Dublin in defiance of the British government.  The stage was set for another confrontation.

·        There was a stand off between Sinn Fein and the British authorities and soon led to fighting.  A guerrilla campaign waged by Sinn Fein’s military wing – the IRA, led to ever more vicious round of atrocities and reprisals committed by both sides.  The British employed irregulars nicknamed the ‘black and tans because of their uncoordinted uniforms – khaki and black outfits, who became particularly notorious for uncontrolled violence.  1400 were killed in total from both sides.

·        Bloody Sunday 21^st November 1920 – total of 30 killed from both sides

·        1922 – the Public Records Office was destroyed – 700 YEARS OF RECORDS WERE LOST – ONE OF THE FINEST ACHIVES IN EUROPE – CIVIL WAR STARTED.

·        After 3 years of conflict, both side realised that the IRA could neither be defeated nor win so a treaty was signed in 1921 partitioning Ireland.  Six counties in the North remained within the United Kingdom and 26 became the Irish Free State – a self governing dominion that continued to owe allegiance to the Crown.

·        The leaders of the North did not expect partition to be permanent but the new arrangements proved surprisingly durable.  Norther was dominated by Protestant Unionists.

·        The North was much more industrialized and richer than the South.  The standard of living was much higher.

·        1925 – the IRA regrouped and claimed to be the real government of Ireland with the aim of achieving a united Ireland through the use of physical force but its membership fell from 15000 to 5000.

·        The IRA lost more support and was banned in 1936

·        1937 – Eire acquired a new constitution and became a republic in all but name.  Eire remained neutral during World War II while Belfast became heavily bombed.

·        The IRA made a deal with Germany in the Second World War but by 1940 the IRA was almost out of business.

·        After the War, Northern Ireland was the target the South was the base.

·        In 1949, Eire became formally a Republic and left the Commonwealth.

·        1956-62 IRA border campaign – 18 people died in total from both sides.

·        1969 began the civil right movement in Belfast – the IRA split into the Official IR (OIRA) which ceased military operations and the Provisional IRA (PIRA) with the aim of getting the British out of Northern Ireland

·        London bombings – 36 dead and 2000 injured from 1973 – 2001 in England excluding London: 71 dead and 600 injured from 1972 - 96.

·        The death toll in Northern Ireland in the worst years was 500 but many were civilians and British soldiers.

·        The IRA received arms from Libya and the USA.

·        The campaign reached its height in  1974/5

·        In the 35 years from 1969 to 2004, there were 3702 deaths – 56% were civilians.  Those responsible were brought to justice for only one third of the deaths.

·        THE IRA’S AIM OF A UNITED IRELAND ACTUALLY RESULTED IN STRENGTHENING THE PARTITION OF IRELAND.

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