1777 - 1780 AD

                                                                                                                                                                 Reform - Right Boys - Irish Volunteers

1777 AD John Thomas Troy was now to succeed Bishop de Burgo / Burke as the Catholic Bishop of Ossory in Co. Kilkenny in the south - west of Southern Leinster until 1786 AD. 

January: John Hobart the English Earl of Buckinghamshire, the new British Imperial Ascendancy Tory Government Lord Lieutenant in Ireland arrived with his secretary Richard Heron, and both were to turn out to be very weak administrators, and the economic situation by this time was not too good as Ireland was near bankruptcy, due to the continuing British Imperial Conservative Tory Government's "mercantile oppression" under Lord North, and their continuing attempts to take every opportunity to load any further expenses they could onto Ireland's economy.

       A National Irish Volunteer force in the Ulster Province was also formed, on the basis of there being raids along the coastal region there, and this would further increase the pressure on both the Ascendancy British Imperial Tory Government and the Ascendancy Anglo Government in Ireland to introduce "reforms" for the overall population in Ireland, both non - Catholic and the Catholic Irish.  

June: The United Irishmen Society previously founded by Theobold Wolfe Tone, by now had sworn in 121,000 members in the Ulster Province.

1777 - 1779 AD During this period, Arthur Young was an agent for Lord Kingsborough on his confiscated Estates in Ireland.

1778 AD To make matters even worse by this time the "rents" on the "tenant farmers" on the Land Lords' Estates in Ireland had been doubled.

      John Hobart / Buckinghamshire the British Imperial Ascendancy Tory Government Viceroy / Lord Lieutenant in Ireland, borrowed 20,000 pounds from the banks to try and keep the British Imperial Government's Dublin Castle authorities in (The Devil's 1/2 acre) operating, to ensure their overall control over the administration in Ireland, but finally he was to have to appeal to the British Imperial Tory Government themselves to pay their own Military forces in Ireland to ensure their total control  continued.

February 3rd: Robert Stewart, who later on was to be appointed the British Marquis of Derry, (and who was to be the father of Lord Castlereagh in the future), was now one of the Ascendancy Anglo Parliamentary members for Co. Down in the south - east of the Ulster Province, and he bought forward the "real" financial position that was actually occurring in Ireland, for the attention of the Anglo Parliament in Ireland and a motion was moved to notify German George 111 the Hanoverian King of Britain as to the state of Ireland financially, but it was to still be defeated. With no other recourse now open to them, many more members in the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland were being edged towards the position held by the Irish Patriot Party led now by Henry Grattan, as the general run of the members themselves were now becoming more aware of "public opinion" in Ireland, as pressure from the Irish Patriots and the people outside of the Anglo Parliament in Ireland had been increasing since the 1760s. The Anglo Parliament in Ireland were to eventually pass a Military Act, but there were now no funds to bring it about.

     Due to the continuing crisis with the "American Rebellion" and the growing wealth of the Catholic Irish who were now operating a business, and who now had money to spend, as they had previously not been allowed to buy back any Irish land, pressure was now brought to bare to allow them to be able to purchase any "unwanted" Irish land, which was by this period in time mainly owned by the non - Catholics, who basically had nearly secured it all, and who otherwise could not find any other suitable buyers among their Ascendancy followers.

     Luke Gardiner, an Anglo - Irish M.P. introduced the first Irish Catholic Relief Act into the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland, due to the pressure brought on by the "American Rebellion," which was now also supported by both France and Spain, and as the British Imperial Tory Government under Lord North was in direct conflict with France and the American colonists, the committed Anglo - Irish also wanted greater "freedoms", so some further "reforms" were bought in for the Catholic Irish who were to take the Oath of Allegiance to the British Crown. The moves for this particular "reform" in the first instance for Irish Catholics had come directly from the British Imperial Tory Government themselves under Lord North their Conservative Prime Minister, who was by now  truly "a very worried man" with the French, the Dutch and the Spanish all now supporting the "American Rebellion" now in full swing by the American Rebel colonists there. The British Imperial Ascendancy Conservative Tory Government and the Ascendancy as a whole in Britain, under "Saville's Catholic Relief Act" were now forced to repeal the Popery anti - Catholic Act) of 1704 AD, which had been legislated under the English Ascendancy's Queen Anne Stuart while endeavouring to remove the Catholic Irish altogether out of Ireland. Naturally once again in their own interests, they only went as far as it related to Irish "land," and to this end only, and they then passed an Act, "To allow property rights to Irish Catholics with leases for life, or for any fixed term up to 999 years." This meant that the Catholic Irish were now also "allowed" to inherit or bequeath their own Irish land, the same as non - Catholics, and this measure actually abandoned the previous "harsh sectarian" measures, which had forced the Irish Catholics to break up their land holdings. (Another very important side effect was that this also removed any need for Irish Catholics to "conform" to the Ascendancy Church of England / Ireland to try and "survive.") Despite this the Irish Catholics  were still "not allowed" any representation in the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland, or to hold any Public Office in Ireland, and naturally once again, the Ascendancy "hard - liners" fought tooth and nail against any chance of Catholic Emancipation being introduced into Ireland, and it would only be achievable in the future by the hard work of Henry Grattan and his Irish Patriot Party members. The cause for "National Unity" in Ireland, was now well and truly tied up with religious equality, and Edward Bourke the Anglo - Irish M.P. and well - known Statesman, who had been educated in a Quaker school, was moved to publicly comment that, "He himself had an Irish Catholic mother and was a champion for Irish Catholic Relief, and informed Pery / Perry the Speaker in the Ascendancy Anglo House of Commons in Ireland, "That you are now beginning to finally have a Country." The Irish Catholics would now certainly be "encouraged," once again, to join the Irish Patriots in their struggle against the ongoing ethnic, sectarian and economic oppression of the various British Imperial Ascendancy Governments.   

     During this period 30,000 people from out of the population in Ireland went to the Continent looking for work, and because of the continuing British Imperial Tory Ascendancy Government's oppression on trade in Ireland, the economy was so bad, that the British Imperial Government themselves had to finally send another 50,000 pounds over to Ireland to pay for their own British Imperial Military forces to ensure that the population in Ireland remained "subjugated" to their will and agendas. 

April 24th: Captain John Paul Jones, in his ship the Ranger, with the American Flag flying, raided the coast of England and Scotland, then turned up in Belfast Loch opposite to Carrickfergus in the Ulster Province, and defeated The Drake the British Imperial Government's 20 gunner, which further benefited the situation in Ireland, as those in the Ascendancy in authority in Ireland acting on behalf of the British Imperial Ascendancy Conservative Tory Government appealed to their British Government Lord Lieutenant in Ireland for a British Imperial Military force to protect them, but there were none available. The bold action of Captain John Paul Jones, had bought home to those in authority in England that they now had America also, as well as France, who had by now entered the War, to contend with in their Imperial Colonial territories, while the position of their British Imperial Military forces in Ireland had been further weakened by the withdrawal of troops to fight the "American Rebel" colonists, and there was basically now no real defence for them in Ireland. This allowed the Irish Volunteers, which was this time becoming National, to be properly formed, and 40,000 had joined up in the Ulster Province, and they spread out from there, where the Presbyterians now also had great sympathy for their vast number of their colonial kinsmen who had migrated to America, but were also aware of a chance of " invasion," by what they still perceived as the Catholic French. Meanwhile in the Ascendancy Anglo Ascendancy Parliament in Ireland, Henry Grattan the M.P. and lawyer, who led the Irish Patriots now abandoned Henry Flood the strong anti - Catholic, who had since gone over to the British Imperial Conservative Tory Government's side as their "Placeman" with a non - job."Fixed Irish Catholic land rent," which previously had to be above a certain level was removed, along with a non - Catholic son's right to remove his Irish Catholic father from owning his own land.

     After all of the previous ongoing "repression" by the consecutive English and British Conservative Governments and their belligerent Ascendancies the Irish Catholics who had "survived" it all, were still in the "majority" at 75% of the overall Irish population, with up to 90% in some of the Provinces, and with the British Imperial Government's defences in Ireland now "wide open," the Irish Catholics and the Irish Volunteers became a "great worry" also to the precocious British Imperial Ascendancy Conservative Parliament and their other Ascendancy "lackeys" in Ireland who they were allways able to "manipulate" whenever they thought necessary to push their own political agendas. 

     During this time Frederick Hervey the flamboyant Ascendancy Church of England Archbishop in Derry, went off for a two year holiday to Italy, and while he was there his brother Augustus Hervey the English second Earl of Bristol died, and he now also became the English third Earl of Bristol. He had previously advocated "Repeal of the Religious Test Act," stating," Can any country flourish were two thirds of the inhabitants are still crouching under the lash of the most severe illiberal penalties that one set of citizens ever laid on another," while he also "opposed" the Irish Penal Laws, and even the "compulsory enforced Tithes," which always had to be paid by the Irish Catholics and the Dissenters (non - Conformists) to the Ascendancy Church of England / Ireland, although he was one of their most favoured "recipients."

     The present Bank of Ireland was still being used as the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament House in Ireland.

   John Wesley the Church of England preacher and eventual founder of the Methodists was once again in Ireland preaching on the Assembly for Fleshly Desires.   

   The "Treaty of Paris" was declared between France and America and another Treaty also was acheived between Holland and America, the British Imperial Ascendancy Conservative Government still under Lord North now really had a lot to be "worried" about.

1779 AD The Duke of Rockingham together with Shelbourne and their allies, who were in the "Opposition" in the British Imperial Parliament at Westminster in England, now took every opportunity to embarrass the British Imperial Ascendancy Conservative Tory Government under Lord North their Prime Minister, and pushed for the "easing" of trade restrictions on Ireland, while the Duke of Richmond in the British Imperial Ascendancy House of Lords in England, and his nephew Charles Fox in the British Imperial Ascendancy House of Commons, questioned their right at all to legislate for Ireland, but despite all of this pressure the obnoxious, belligerent and "very worried" Lord North still refused to act, and it was decided in Ireland to set up "associations" to campaign against the purchase of any British goods in Ireland.

Summer: John Hobart / Buckinghamshire  the British Lord Lieutenant in Ireland was still waiting on advice from the belligerent Lord North and the the British Imperial Ascendancy Tory Government after he had forwarded many reports and submissions to them, sent by their "Placemen," Hussey Burgh, Henry Flood and Hely - Hutchinson to remove the ongoing trade restrictions from off of Ireland.

August: Hussey Burgh told John Hobart / Buckinghamshire that he could no longer perform as one of their "Placemen" as the leader of public business in the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland backed up by Henry Flood, and they both refused to attend the British Imperial Government's Dublin Castle (The Devil's 1/2 Acre) advisory meetings to be told what to do.

 September: Lord North still refused to give the "trade restrictions" on Ireland any consideration, and the British Imperial Ascendancy Conservative Tory Cabinet put forward a proposal to bring about "unity" with Ireland such as had been previously immorally instigated on Scotland, and when the rumour of this intention spread to Dublin in Ireland the response that occurred there "frightened" John Hobart / Buckinghamshire the British  Lord Lieutenant in Ireland so much that the idea was then dropped altogether once again.  

Autumn: John Hobart / Buckinghamshire the British Tory Imperial Government's Lord Lieutenant in Ireland was by now facing the re - assembly of the new Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland with still no offers of "relief" from the British Conservative Imperial Government,  as Lord North had even "refused" to reply or even consider the many pleas made to him to correct some of the constrictions placed on Ireland.

October 12th: John Hobart / Buckinghamshire the British Lord Lieutenant in Ireland had to hold another Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland with out receiving any sign of "relief" still from Lord North and the British Imperial Conservative Government from any of  the Irish trade "restrictions," and Charles Fox from the British "Opposition" Whig Party, who supported Irish free trade, was to be in Ireland on a visit, and Henry Grattan representing the Irish Patriot Party and now feeling in a much "better position," moved for the removal of all "restrictions" on Irish exports, which was actually supported this time by Hussey Burgh, and it was carried, but the German George 111 the Hanoverian King of Britain's reply would not commit to it. The British Imperial Conservative Government and German George 111 the Hanoverian King of Britain had certainly "learnt nothing" from their troubles in America. 

November 4th: The Irish Volunteers were by now also more confidant, and they carried out a "public demonstration" surrounding the statue of William of Orange in front of the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Dublin, were they demanded, "Free Trade for Ireland or Else."

      Henry Grattan and the Irish Patriot Party who were in the political "Opposition" in Ireland were by now also feeling even more confidant, and they were urged on by it all, and because of this they renewed their attack in the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland and this then encouraged the Ascendancy Anglo House of Commons in Ireland, who had basically been consistently "rebuffed," and they decided to vote "supply" for only 6 months, and Hobart / Buckinghamshire the British Lord Lieutenant in Ireland was now really "desperate" for money to carry on with the overall control over Ireland, on behalf of Lord North and German George 111 the Hanoverian King of Britain. In desperation he now urged the British Conservative Tory Imperial Government to grant the "removal of the restrictions on Irish trade," and allow Ireland to regulate their own commerce.  

November 25th: The British Westminster Parliament convened in England, and the Whig "Opposition" there under the Earl of Rockingham and his nephew Charles Fox went on the attack again, against the British Imperial Conservative Tory Government there, who were still under the abhorrent Lord North, for "neglecting the affairs" of Ireland and heaped praise on the work of the Irish Volunteers, and stated that the British Westminster Parliament could do worse then follow the lead of the Anglo Parliament in Ireland by also following public opinion, which was the last thing the Conservative Imperialist Lord North and German George 111 the Hanoverian King of Britain wanted.

December 13th: Finally the pressure was so great that the staid Lord North was finally forced to relent, and he informed the British Imperial House of Commons at Westminster in England that it was his intention to do away with all the commercial "grievances" carried out against Ireland, and the "Restrictive Trades Act" that restricted the export of wool, woollen goods and glass from Ireland was finally repealed.  

      The Catholic Irish were still "forbidden" to bear arms, but wanted to give their support to the Irish Volunteer organizations, so a moderate relaxation of the anti - Catholic Irish Penal Laws was put forward, as Henry Grattan in the Irish Patriot "Opposition" in the Anglo Parliament in Ireland now openly championed the cause of Irish Catholic Relief / Catholic Emancipation, and 40,000 Irish Volunteers demonstrated for Irish Free Trade, which was now granted by the British Imperial Westminster Parliament, due mainly to all the "external pressures" of the War with France, the American War of Independence, and the general escalating public "discontent." British Imperial Military "Grants" were now refused by the Anglo Parliament in Ireland, and those in authority in Dublin Castle (The Devil's 1/2 Acre) on behalf of the British Westminster Imperial Parliament once again turned to their usual means of "bribery and corruption" to hold their Ascendancy position over the overall Ascendancy and because of this theirTreasury was soon empty. Then came reports of plans by the French to land at Cork in Co. Cork in Southern Munster, and also at Galway in Southern Connacht, and the Irish Volunteers were ready to repel them, but still had not lost sight of the continuing overall "oppressions" still being carried out by those in authority in the Dublin Castle in Ireland on behalf of the British Imperial Conservative Tory Ascendancy Government. In the meantime the Irish Volunteers were growing even stronger in numbers every day throughout Ireland, and were also now demanding "Constitutional Reform," and with Henry Grattan as the leader of the Irish Patriots, the actual future independence of the Anglo Parliament in Ireland.    

January: The British Imperial Conservative Tory Conservative Government now gave permission for the population in Ireland to "trade" with their British colonies in Africa and America.

February: The Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland met again under John Hobart / Buckinghamshire the British Tory Government's Lord Lieutenant in Ireland, who once more had been busy immorally handing out "Places," "Pensions" and English "Titles" to gain a majority for the British Imperial Conservative Government to continue to hold control over the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland, but the Irish Patriots in the political "Opposition" in the Anglo Parliament in Ireland in the mean time had been busy organizing "public opinion" throughout Ireland itself, biding their time to gain the "numbers" to bring about "Constitutional Reform" in Ireland. The British Imperial Ascendancy Conservative Tory Government by now were also involved in trying to "counteract" the growing popularity of the Irish Volunteers, so they first passed an Act to win back the "Presbyterian" vote by, "Repealing the Sacramental Tests on Dissenters."

March: The British Imperial Conservative Government now removed the prohibition on the export of "gold and silver" to Ireland from England, which had been in operation since Henry VII's time, which had crippled the fine arts trade during that long period, and they also allowed the "importation of hops" into Ireland, and Ireland was now finally allowed to trade with the whole World, except for those areas controlled by the British East India Company, but were not allowed to re - export any colonial products to Britain. 

April 19th: Henry Grattan the Irish Patriot leader in Ireland, put forward his Irish Parliament independence motion in the Ascendancy Anglo House of Commons in Ireland, but the British Imperial Tory Government had increased their "Placemen" who moved an "amendment" adjourning the question and it was carried by 136 - 97 votes, which gave John Hobart / Buckinghamshire the British Imperial Tory Government's Viceroy in Ireland, more time to deal with it by immorally once again increasing the numbers of "Placemen" further to suite.

      A magistrate who was committed to the cause of the Irish Patriots refused to "convict" any Irishman of the charge of "deserting the army," as he said there was no statute in Ireland compelling them to obey the British Imperial Military Law, and many others then followed his lead, so a "Mutiny Bill" was now put forward by the British Imperial Tory Government's "Placemen" on their behalf to counteract these actions in the Ascendancy Anglo House of Commons in Ireland and it was agreed to by John Hobart / Buckinghamshire the British Imperial Tory Government Viceroy in Ireland. They had limited it to only a "one year" term, but when it was referred to England it was returned changed to "Perpetuity," and there was no way, (due to the numbers of the British Imperial Government's "Placemen" that Henry Grattan could "stop" it from being accepted, when the Ascendancy Anglo House of Commons in Ireland went "against" public opinion, to support the British Imperial Conservative Tory Government's Dublin Castle (The Devil's 1/2 Acre.) authority on the issue.   

       The "Right Boys," who were made up of non - Catholic and Catholic Irish "tenant farmers" now came out against the auction of their tenant Leases in Ireland, the enforced "Tithes" to the Ascendancy Church of England / Ireland, and "imposed" taxes and were to continue the campaign until 1790 AD. 

      The Catholic Irish had previously finally gained the "right" to purchase and bequeath their own Irish land, and the Irish Catholic priests were now "allowed" to live in Ireland on "restricted terms" up to 1790 AD also, and the previous restrictions on Irish Catholic education were repealed.  

      Ulster Province was doing well in the linen and cotton trade, and the separate "Ulster Acts" banning Irish Catholics finally came to an "end," and although they had no property of their own, they were now making money and gaining some measure of importance as citizens in their own Country, especially in Co. Cork in Southern Munster, and despite their great lack of any opportunities over the previous years, by their numbers alone they were still the 75% majority of the population in Ireland, and still 1 / 3 of the population in Dublin, which meant that they were to be an effective "political lobby" particularly there.

Autumn: The Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland expired, and there was a General Election coming up in England, and John Hobart / Buckinghamshire the British Viceroy in Ireland, was now in trouble with the present British Imperial Ascendancy Conservative Tory Government under the ever obstinate Lord North, who was also not too happy with his performance over the previous 12 months on his behalf in Ireland. 

December: John Hobart the Earl of Buckinghamshire the British Tory Government's Viceroy in Ireland left Ireland and was succeeded by Frederick Howard the English Earl of Carlisle, whose secretary was William Eden who arrived with him.

     The Irish Volunteers, who were now mostly of non - Catholic Loyalist complexion, together with some Irish Catholics mounted a "campaign" to repeal Poyning's Irish Penal Laws and the "1720 Declatory Act," as at this time they wanted justice in the Law Courts for all the population of Ireland and for Habeus Corpus to be restored, with independent judges and British Common Law abandoned, and to this end Henry Grattan the Irish Patriot leader, put forward the proposition that," The non - Catholics in Ireland will never be free, until the Irish Catholics cease to be slaves," and also that, " Ireland should make its own laws."

     During this year the Mansion of Mount Juliet was constructed to the west of Thomastown in Co. Kilkenny in the south - west of Southern Leinster, were the famous racehorse The Tetrarch is interred.

    In a sign of things to come, there was now great "dissension" in the rural areas to the west of the River Bann, for the Catholic Irish "tenant farmers" on the confiscated Land Lord Estates there in the south - east of the Ulster Province, which was mainly due to the lack of any "retaliatory action," and the lack of any "political backing" by the non - Catholic magistrates and the Landed Gentry there, against those who were carrying out the attacks on the Catholic Irish "tenant farmers."

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