Pressure for change 1832-46: Irish Radicalism Flashcards
What three main things were Irish discontent centred around?
- The church
- The land, as the economy was land based and couldn’t support a growing population
- National identity
When had issues been rumbling since?
The 1800 Act of Union
Why had successive government attempts to deal with the problems in Ireland made matters worse?
British politicians lacked a basic understanding of the problems and lacked sympathy for the sufferings of the Irish people caused by famine
What did Peel do in 1842?
Indicated that he would pursue impartial policies in Ireland in an attempt to get the Catholics onside and diffuse O’Connell’s campaign for repeal
What happened to O’Connell in 1843 and why was this not majorly significant for Irish radicalism?
He was arrested at one of his monster anti-union meetings. However, he was a spent force and a new young blood was taking up the cause of repeal
Why were O’Connell’s meetings referred to as ‘monster’?
Because of the number of people present - they had an average attendance of 100,000
What new radical group was developed in the 1840s?
Young Ireland - its aim was to repeal the Union
Explain the 1848 rising in Ireland
There were sporadic outbreaks of violence culminating in a rising in 1848, coinciding with renewed chartist agitation in Britain. The rising was swiftly put down by the police and extra troops were deployed to Ireland from mainland Britain
Why was the rising still useful despite being easily put down?
Because it marked the start of a new era for troubles for the British government in Ireland and increasing demands from several sections of Irish society for political independence and home rule from Ireland
Define home rule
A desire held by many Irish to repeal the Act of Union in order to establish full control and responsibility for domestic affairs
