Thomas Bartlett In the 200 years that have elapsed since the 1798 Rebellion the reasons for its failure have been frequently addressed by historians. That the rebels were unable to take Dublin at the outset of the rebellion has been seen as crucial by some historians, for this deprived the rebellion of a focus … Read more
Paul Weber By 1795, the United Irishmen’s hope of bringing about change in Ireland by peaceful means had been shattered once and for all. French assistance to an Irish independence movement seemed to be the only way out of the vicious circle of growing popular radicalisation and government counter measures. Revolutionary France had already developed … Read more
A plaque commemorating the founding of the United Irishmen was unveiled in Belfast’s Clifton Street cemetery on Saturday 7 October by Douglas Gageby, former editor of the Irish Times and Patron of History Ireland, who said that the United Irishmen ‘were above all good people, brave people, people with aspirations for harmony among the people … Read more
Jim Smyth We’ll fight to the last in the honest old cause,And guard our religion, our freedom and laws.We’ll fight for our country, our king and his crown,And make all the traitors and croppies lie down.As the television documentaries, radio programmes and newspaper features marking the bicentennary of the French … Read more
In the early summer of 1795 Russell, Neilson, Simms, McCracken and one or two more of us, on the summit of McArt’s Fort, took a solemn obligation—never to desist in our efforts until we had subverted the authority of England over our country. Tone, Autobiography. The Society of United Irishmen Commemoration Committee is organising a … Read more