1761 - 1770 AD

                                                                                                                                          White Boys -   Steel Boys - Defenders - Peep O Day Boys 

1761 AD May: Edmond Mac Namara, the grandson of Hugh Mac Namara of Corbally, died at 21 years of age, and was interred in the Quin Abbey in Co. Clare in the north - west of the Munster Province.  

October: The Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland was held in the premises of the present Bank of Ireland building in Dublin in the north - east of Southern Leinster, in which not one of the Catholic Irish were allowed to participate, and although its numbers remained outwardly the same as before, those who were now acting as M.P.s there, were by now well aware of the feelings that were flowing throughout Ireland, and it now also contained many non - Catholic lawyers, who had all been educated at Trinity College, including Henry Flood who became the unofficial leader of the Irish Patriots in the Parliament, who were now truly an opposition group, who began to put forward new demands on behalf of Ireland itself. This caused Bowes the new British Whig Conservative Government's appointed Viceroy / Lord Lieutenant in Ireland to report back to the British Whig Government that the grievances in Ireland were now not religious, but were Constitutionally based and Henry Flood was to continue to lead this individual opposition group of Irish Patriots over the next 15 years, during the reign of the German Hanoverian British King George 111 the new King of Britain.

    Dr. Charles Lucas a non - Catholic Anglo - Irish man, who had been highly educated and exiled because of his expressions of fairness and justice for all on behalf of the general Irish population had returned to Ireland, and he became a member in the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland for the Dublin area and together with Sir William Osborne, they were now both to be Henry Flood's closest allies among the unofficial Irish Patriot ranks in the Ascendancy Anglo House of Commons in Ireland, and with Lord Charlemont, who was in the Ascendancy Anglo House of Lords in Ireland, who was a hard - line anti Catholic. Although the Irish Patriots had no actual party as such, at this time they were pushing for a 7 year term only for the Anglo Parliament in Ireland instead of the lifetime of the English Monarch, and for a reduction of those persons who were on British Government Pensions in Ireland, and also for an Irish National Army and a Habeus Corpus Act, Security of Tenure for judges, and Constitutional Rights for Ireland itself, knowing full well that while the British "Undertakers / Placemen" still controlled the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland for the British Whig Government in England there would be no such reforms ever introduced in Ireland. 

   The fall of  William Pitt - the Elder the Earl of Chatham as the British Whig Prime Minister, occurred this year, and the Earl of Bute became the new Tory Prime Minister of Britain from 1762 AD until 1763 AD. 

   Charles O Brien Byrne, who was to grow up to become a giant, was born this year in Little Bridge near Derry in Co. Derry in the north - east of the Ulster Province.

1762 AD Edmund Ignatius Rice, who was to become the founder of the Christian Brothers teaching Order, was born this year in Callan in Co. Kilkenny in the south - west of Southern Leinster.  

   The "Oakboy" movement, which was a non - Catholic association of "tenant" farmers, was started up against the taxes that were now also imposed on the "tenants" on the Land Lord's Estates for the building of roads for the Land Lords themselves, and they were soon to become highly recognizable by the "sprigs of oak twigs" in their caps.

   William O Meara the Heberian Dal gCais Ui Bloid Ui Turlough Catholic Bishop of Clonfert who had been at Killaloe in Co. Clare in the north - west of the Munster Province, died.

   The British Imperial Conservative Tory Government declared War on Spain this year.  

1762 AD - 1831 AD During this period, Thomas Newenham the M.P. for Clonmel in Co. Tipperary in the north - east of the Munster Province, was one of those more farsighted M.P.s among the members in the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland that were advocating for the Catholic Irish population in Ireland to have the right to vote / Catholic Emancipation.  

1763 AD The "Whiteboys" movement, a previous well established Irish "tenant" farmers association also, now spread into the south of Co. Kilkenny in the south - west of Southern Leinster, in response to the enforced "Tithes" payable to the Ascendancy Episcopalian Church of England / Ireland by everyone in Ireland regardless of their beliefs, and the enclosure of common lands and grazing, which was further reducing the land area now available for the production of agriculture, and therefore disallowing a means to sustain the ability of the "tenants" on the Land Lord's Estates to also economically survive in Ireland.

     Theobold Wolfe Tone, who was of non - Catholic French Huguenot origins, was born this year, at what is now known as 44 Wolfe Tone Street in Dublin in the north - east of Southern Leinster, and was to grow up in Co. Kildare in Central Southern Leinster and would later on become the founder of the United Irishmen Society and Irish Republicanism.  

   The Peace of Paris was declared between France, Spain and the British Imperial Government, with Britain gaining Canada and other Colonial territories. 

   The Earl of Bute resigned as the British Prime Minister, and George Granville was to be installed in England to replace him as the British Conservative Whig Ascendancy Prime Minister until 1765 AD. 

    During this time there was great havoc being carried out in the agricultural areas in Co. Armagh, Co. Derry and Co. Tyrone in the Ulster Province, which was a strong Presbyterian area, by the previously mentioned "Oak Boys" (Hearts of Oak), which had since been brought on by the severe collection of the enforced "Tithes" to the Ascendancy Church of England / Ireland by certain ministers of that particular church, and by the Grand Juries who were made up predominately of the Ascendancy Land Lords themselves.  

1764 AD Crom Castle 5 mile west of Newtown Butler in Co. Fermanagh in the south - west of the Ulster Province was destroyed by fire this year.            

December: Two of the present British Whig Government "Undertakers / Placemen" in Ireland, who were also the appointed British Lord Justices in Ireland, included George Stone the Ascendancy Church of England Primate in Ireland, and Henry Boyle the first English Earl of Shannon, both died, within a few days of each other, and the "surviving" Lord Justice John Ponsonby was now solely in charge, as there was no appointed British Lord Lieutenant in Ireland at this time.

1765 AD February: George Grenville was out as the Conservative Whig Prime Minister of Britain and the Marquis of Rockingham became the new Whig Prime Minister there, and Bowes an Englishman, who had been acting as the appointed British Whig Lord Chancellor in Ireland, was now appointed to be their other Whig Lord Justice in Ireland, rather then having to appoint an Anglo - Irishman to ensure that the British Imperial Government continued to be the dominant force and hold on to overall control in Ireland.

      Father Sheehy a Catholic priest, was executed this year under the previously passed "Whiteboys Act. "

     The friars at the Franciscan Friary in Claregalway in Co. Galway in Southern Connacht had managed to continue on there, regardless of all of the previous ethnic and religious oppression throughout their particular region.

   The "Steel Boys" (Hearts of Steel) who were another"tenant" farmers association, now also began to act in the south of Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province on the Estates of Lord Donegal, when he introduced higher rents there on his Irish Catholic"tenants."

   A bounty was again put on exported grain, to try and further increase the growing of corn in Ireland. 

   The Irish Debt was now up to 2,000,000 pounds.

   An Act was passed to establish infirmaries in Ireland in each County within the next 10 years, except for Co. Leitrim in Northern Connacht and Co. Waterford in the south - east of the Munster Province, but even these were only available to "tenants" or servants of the Land Lords themselves who had subscribed to them.

    Stamp Duty was passed by the British Conservative Westminster Parliament in England and the British Whig Conservative Government introduced it in America and Ireland for German George 111 the Hanoverian King of Britain, which would eventually cost them their Colonial territories in America, and also change the overall complexion of British Imperial Empire domination over their World wide Colonies.

   The Viaduct was built near Sallis in Co. Kildare in Central Southern Leinster.

   Lord Charlemont who was from Cloonbannin in Co. Cork in Southern Munster, and other Irish Patriot Peers declared that Ireland was a separate kingdom, and once again put forward the proposition that Ireland should hold General Elections every 7 years, instead of having to wait for the death of the next British Imperial Monarch, to bring about reform in Ireland, and in a shocked response to the intention of this innovation, the British Whig Conservative Government now wanted their next appointed Lord Lieutenant in Ireland to permanently reside in Ireland, so as to completely hold their total control over the Ascendancy Anglo Government in Ireland, and the removal of the Lord Justices.

June: Lord Weymouth was appointed as their new British Imperial Whig Lord Lieutenant in Ireland, but despite their intention he never was to set foot in Ireland, so they then appointed the Marquis of Hertford to take his place, but he too only attended one session of the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland, and then left to return immediately to England.  

1766 AD October: The Marquis of Rockingham was out as the British Whig Conservative Prime Minister, and William Pitt - the Elder the Earl of Chatham was in again as the new British Conservative Whig Prime Minister until 1768 AD and Lord Townshend, the English Earl of Bristol, was appointed their new Whig Viceroy / Lord Lieutenant in Ireland to replace the Marquis of Hertford after discussions with Henry Flood, which publicly demonstrated his growing power in the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland, and it was their intention also that Lord Townshend should live permanently in Dublin to gain total overall control in Ireland. He too soon resigned in less then a year, and never ever set foot in Ireland again, but during his tenure in Ireland, he had appointed the flamboyant Frederick Hervey, under pressure from George Hervey his well connected brother in England, to the post of Ascendancy Church of England / Ireland Bishop in Cloyne, who would try and play a part in the scheme of things to bring about reform in Ireland.

   The walls around Limerick City in Co. Limerick in the mid - north - west of the Munster Province were now totally dismantled.

   Duties were imposed on their American Colony by the British Imperial Government, which would be their undoing.

   Walter Butler, another great - grandson of Walter the English eleventh Earl of Ormonde in Co. Kilkenny in the south - west of Southern Leinster became the sixteenth Earl of Ormonde (de jure) until 1783 AD.

   The Repeal occurred of the insidious Stamp Duty Act and Declatory Act by the British Westminster Parliament that had declared the British Imperial Government's right to tax their Colonies.

   Oliver Goldsmith wrote the "Vicar of Wakefield."

1767 AD - 1777 AD The "White Boys Act" came into effect against "illegal assembly," brought on by the activities of the ongoing oppressed "tenant" farmers in Ireland who were in that particular association, who had been trying to bring about reform in the only way that had been left open to them.

1767 AD May 31st: Frederick Hervey, who had previously been appointed the Ascendancy Church of England Bishop in Cloyne, at a remuneration of 7,000 pounds a year, under Lord Townshend who had been pressured to do so by Frederick Hervey's well connected brother, George Hervey the English third Lord of Bristol, was now appointed as the Ascendancy Church of England Bishop of Derry, receiving a remuneration increase to 20,000 pounds a year as the Ascendancy Church of England / Ireland Bishop there as Dr. William Barnard had died, (Frederick Hervey was to hold this position for the next 36 years, which was to make him a very, very rich man.) This all came about under the patronage of German George 111 the Hanoverian King of Britain, and his brother George Hervey the third Lord Bristol who was also to be appointed the British Conservative Whig Lord Lieutenant in Ireland, but who never came to Ireland at all, and also only held the position for a very short time. Frederick Hervey, the newly appointed Ascendancy Church of England / Ireland Bishop of Derry, was to be a standout flamboyant personage and really was not very religious at all, but he was to become notable in Ireland, as he was to support Catholic Emancipation during great religious discrimination carried out by the Ascendancy and he was also a public opponent of Caulfield / Lord Charlemont, who although involved in the cause of the Irish Patriots for independence for the Ascendancy Angl Parliament in Ireland, was another strong anti - Catholic hard - liner. Frederick Hervey the Episcopalian Ascendancy Church of England Bishop of Derry, because of his increasing wealth in Ireland was to go on to build 3 great Manor homes, including the one at Downhill above Loch Foyle in the Ulster Province, which was to become only a ruin by 1851 AD. He also built another at Loch Beg a few miles away at Bally Scullion, which cost him 80,000 pounds, (an absolute fortune then) which was a mass of windows and took 6 years to build, and it too was also eventually destroyed on purpose by his ancestors, who did not want to pay the window tax that was to be introduced at that time, while his third Manor House was a great home at Ikworth back in his home region of Suffolk in England were his wife lived.

August: Lord Townshend who was to remain the British Imperial Whig Government's Viceroy in Ireland until 1772 AD, had also been appointed due to the influence of his younger brother, Charles Townshend's personal connection to George 111 the German Hanoverian King of Britain and he was to arrive into Ireland in October, and remain for 5 years, with the intention of catering to the reforms of the Irish Patriots by firstly restricting the Pension List that had been imposed on Ireland by the previous German Georges and British Conservative Governments in England, and he also intended to hold regular Parliaments, and give security of tenure to the Irish judges, while always still anticipating to gain the overall control over the Ascendancy Anglo House of Commons in Ireland. At this time John Ponsonby, Richard Boyle, (Henry Boyle's son) who was now the second Lord Shannon, and John Hely - Hutchinson were now the ones who were actually controlling the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland between them, and he first tried to come to terms with them, and they agreed to co - operate with him, in return for certain personal favours to be granted to them and they advised him, that they could see that there was only one stumbling block, which was the British Conservative Government's need to increase their own numbers (Placemen) to gain an Irish Army for use as "cannon fodder" in their Imperial Wars in other Countries at the expense of Ireland. (This was similar to what was occurring at this same time in Scotland.) They then informed him that he would have to win over the support of the Irish Patriots, including their main men, Henry Flood and Sir William Osborne, and although he was to carry out all of his negotiations with them to his overall satisfaction the British Conservative Whig Government still rejected all of the agreements he had made with them. Because of this outright negative response to their personal ambitions, the British Imperial Government's "Undertakers / Placemen" then turned against Lord Townshend although he had offered them all of the favours, bribery and peerages they wanted, so he was then forced to remind the members (who were all mostly Land Lords) in the Ascendancy Anglo House of Commons in Ireland, that  their possessions in Ireland were only held by the courtesy and Military might of the British Imperial Ascendancy Government's continuing to have their hold over Ireland.

December: Lord Townshend then allowed the Ascendancy Anglo House of Commons in Ireland to pass Bills relating to 7 year elections, Habeus Corpus, and tenure for the judges, which were then forwarded over to England for the approval of the British Imperial Whig Conservative Government where they were once again delayed, and then returned unapproved, as the British Imperial Government wanted their Irish Army Bill to be passed first, for Irish troops to serve abroad in the British Imperial Government's interests only as further "cannon fodder," and also to be at Ireland's expense.

    The Duke of Grafton became the new British Conservative Whig Ascendancy Prime Minster until 1770 AD.

     The two Giants in Ireland, Charles O Brien Byrne 7' 9" and Patrick Cotter  7''10" were still alive at this date.          

1768 AD January: The Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland re - assembled, but the tables were finally turned against the British Imperial Whig Government "Undertakers" and their "Placemen," as the opposition had now gained further numbers in the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland, and therefore actual control of this Parliament in Ireland for the first time. 

February: The Bill to have regular elections was now returned by the British Imperial Government in England, that had also been altered to 8 year Parliaments instead of the 7 years in the original Bill, but it was nevertheless accepted as an actual gain.

April: Lord Townshend the British Whig Lord Lieutenant in Ireland, made a move on the Irish Army Bill to try and obtain more recruits for their conflicts in the many British Imperial Government Wars that were going on, and for these to be at the expense of Ireland only, and John Ponsonby, Richard Boyle the second Lord Shannon and Hely - Hutchinson came out against it.

May 2nd: The Irish Army Bill was rejected outright by the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland, and Lord Townshend wanted the British Imperial Government to dismiss all of the British Imperial Whig Government "Undertakers" immediately from their "appointed" offices, but the  instead they decided to bide their time and wait until the next General Election in Ireland and in the meantime do whatever they could to increase their "Placemen" in the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland instead. 

      William Pitt - the Elder / Earl of Chatham was out again as the Whig Conservative Imperial Prime Minister of Britain and the Duke of Grafton was in as the new Conservative Whig Imperial Prime Minister until 1770 AD. 

    The tomb in Quinn Abbey in Co. Clare in the north - west of the Munster Province originally erected by Mathew Mac Namara of Moohane in 1500 AD was repaired this year by his great - grandson, Mathew Mac Namara of Summerhill.   

    Coole Mansion was built this year as the home of Robert Gregory, when this particular English family arrived  into Ireland, in Co. Galway in Southern Connacht, south of the Tullira Castle, and in time it became the home to Lady Augusta Gregory nee Persse / Pearse who was to be instrumental in promoting the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in the north - east of Southern Leinster in the 20th Century AD.  

   Castle Bellingham was also constructed this year on the River Glyde in Co. Down in the south - east of the Ulster Province.  

   Laurence Sterne  who was born in 1713 AD who was a well known novelist, who as a child had fallen into a mill race and was then taken up and survived after which hundreds of people came to see him, died.         

1769 AD October: The Irish Patriot opposition in the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland now had a vast majority and they were able to reject the British Imperial Whig Government's Irish Army Bill / Augmentation Act for the second time, and also the British Government's Supply Bill and now that they had, had the opportunity to express their own power, which they now held in their Ascendancy Anglo House of Commons Parliament in Ireland and they decided to pass it, providing that a 12,000 Irish Regiment was maintained in Ireland at all times also, and it was also to be supported by Hely - Hutchison who was to switch sides against his fellow British Imperial Government "Undertakers / Placemen."

December: The British Imperial Whig Government gave orders to Lord Townshend to close down the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland, which he did, and it was not to be re - assembled again until February, 1771 AD and among the British Imperial Whig Government's "Placemen" to be dismissed this time was John Ponsonby from his profitable situation on the Revenue Board, and Richard Boyle the second Lord Shannon from the Ordinance Board, while another 6 of their members were also dismissed from the Privy Council, and in turn their own personal supporters also lost their places and their "pensions." New British Imperial Whig Government "Placemen" were then appointed to these positions, and for their compliance as requested they too were also to receive "positions" and "pensions"in the future if they were to perform as requested by the British Imperial Whig Ascendancy Government.   

    The Customs House was constructed in Limerick City in the mid - north - west of the Munster Province.  

    Peadar O Durneen / Ua Duirnin the Irish poet and hedge schoolmaster from Forkhill near Dundalk in Co. Louth in Northern Leinster, died this year and was interred at Urnea below Forkhill on what is now the "artificial border" separating what are now the 6 Ascendancy controlled Counties from the other 3 there  in the Ulster Province.

1770 AD The population in Ireland was to increase to 3,750,000 during the next decade and the Irish Regiment as had been agreed to was to be composed of 12,000 Irishmen at this time.     

     John Hobart the Earl of Buckinghamshire in England, was forced to concede Free Trade for Ireland, and the first measures of "relief" for Irish Catholics and "Dissenters" were introduced in Ireland, while the British Imperial Whig Ascendancy Government "freeloaders" and their "pensioners" were at this time still taking 100,000 pounds a year from out of the revenues of Ireland.  

   Glin Castle in Co. Limerick in the mid - north - west of the Munster Province was constructed west of Glin where for over 600 years the Fitz Geralds the Knights of Glin, had previously lived.

   The Hamiltons founded the town of Newton Hamilton in Co. Armagh in the south - east of the Ulster Province.  

   The Duke of Grafton was out as the British Whig Prime Minister and Lord North became the new infamous British Imperial Prime Minister until 1782 AD under German George 111 the Hanoverian King of Britain and the Boston Massacre occurred in the British Imperial American colony over the British Imperials imposed their taxes. 

   Edmund Burke the Anglo - Irish Statesman, produced his "Thoughts on Present Discontents" in anticipation of bringing about some "reform" in Ireland.

    The anti - Catholic Irish Penal Laws were now moderated bringing some "relief" in Ireland, but the potato crops were continuing to fail, while plans were also put forward to halt any further migration from out of Ireland, but they were not carried out, and 30,000 people were to migrate from Ireland up to 1774 AD with 20,000 non - Catholics alone migrating from the Ulster Province up to 1780 AD, with an average 12,000 a year also leaving from there thereafter, and by the end of the Century 100,000 people were to have migrated from out of Ulster. (N.B: Irish Catholics were still to be denied immigration to America until after 1815 AD.)            

    The extreme Land Lord, Lord Donegal continued to clear his confiscated Estates in Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province, by demanding heavy fines for any lease renewals from the " tenant farmers," which many were unable to pay, so he gave the land to others, including "merchants" from Belfast, and his continuing oppressive actions bought about the further growth of the non - Catholic "Steel Boys" (Hearts of Steel), who were to attack the cattle and the property of those taking over their farms there until 1773 AD, when most of them also decided to emigrate to America. They were to also try and take over the "tenant" farms held by the Irish Catholic tenants there, which was to eventually create their opposition group, to be known as the "Defenders," who were to try to protect the Irish Catholic "tenants" there. Those who carried out these raides on the Catholic Irish "tenants" became known as the "Peep - O - Day Boys," due to the time of their nefarious activities, who where in reality, armed Lowland Presbyterian groups. and this was to lead on to the Irish Catholics "tenants" retaliating there also by raiding their farms and houses, with another mitigating factor in all of this ongoing sectarian conflict was to be that non - Catholic "tenants" in Ulster were to have special provisions allowed for them there by the non - Catholic Land Lords, whereby they could not be evicted without compensation, and they were also able to sell their "tenant" right in their farm, and were also to be compensated for any improvements they had made. (This made their conditions there much better in comparison to the opposing deal that was handed out to the Irish "tenants" there.)

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