1793 - 1794 AD

                                                                                                            40 / - Freeholders Right To Vote - Sectarian Troubles develop further

1793 AD The Catholic Irish Relief Bill was passed and the Franchise in Ireland was widened to include Irish Catholic "leaseholders" on the confiscated Land Lords' Estates in Ireland for their "lives," and included Irish Catholic 40 / -  shilling freeholders, and now any of the "Land Lords" on whose Estates they worked who needed "extra votes" included one franchise qualifying for life, in the lease, they now made with their "Irish tenant farmers."

January 1st: Louis XV1 the Last the King of France was "executed" in France, and Daniel O Connell, who would later become "The Liberator" in Ireland in bringing about Catholic Emancipation, who had been receiving his formal education there in France now left for England.

January 10th: The Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland re - assembled and the British Imperial Tory Government Lord Lieutenant in Ireland expressed the view of the now very worried William Pitt - the Younger the British Tory Prime Minister and his Cabinet that serious consideration should now be given to "Catholic Relief" in Ireland and to this end, and realising the anti - Catholic "recalcitrant attitude" of his main "Placeman," John "Black Jack" Fitz Gibbon, two weeks after the execution of Louis XV1 the King of France, Lord Hobart, the British Government Chief Secretary in Ireland, introduced an " Irish Catholic Relief Bill," which came directly from England. The Catholic Irish were to be "allowed to vote" in future Municipal and Parliamentary elections, the same right as the non - Catholics already had in Ireland, but this was still subject to "holding property" in Ireland, with the last remaining restrictions on holding onto Irish land to be removed for Irish Catholics to do so, and also removed at this time was the denial of the "right to bear arms" and the right to enter all civil and military positions, except that of the British Lord Lieutenant, Lord Deputy, Lord Chancellor, Lord High Treasurer and Chancellor of the Exchequer in Ireland. Other exclusions that still remained were that the Catholic Irish where "not allowed to enter other high legal and administrative offices," such as the Provost - Fellow of the Trinity College, Commander - In - Chief or General on the staff and no allowance was allowed "for any representation in the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland" although they were still the "majority.". Despite this Daniel O Connell the Liberator had arrived on the scene at the right time as he was now in a position to utilise this new British Act to become a "barrister," which was another "rung on the ladder" towards Catholic Emancipation, as he was also to become the "most successful" one in Ireland.  

     John Foster who was born at Collon in Co. Louth in the north - east of Northern Leinster and who was to be the "last" Conservative Speaker of the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland "opposed" Theobold Wolfe Tone's Relief Bill for Catholics," which moved Theobold Wolfe Tone to comment that, "In reality he had been dead for 17 years anyway" and although John "Black Jack" Fitz Gibbon the hard - line anti - Catholic, who was still the main "Placeman" for the British Imperial Conservative Government in Ireland, was also "against it," he had to give ground on this occassion as he wanted to retain his British Imperial Government "position," and with the War with France creating further pressure, it was also to pass through the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland without too much trouble this time.

      The Catholic Irish Relief Act that was now put forward by Lord Hobart was to also give 40 / - Shilling Freeholders in Ireland some rights "to vote, " provided they "only" voted for non - Catholic M.P.s, as the Catholic Irish were still not allowed to represent, or be represented, in the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament in Ireland as the basis of the political system that was operating at this time was that the Land Lords "drove" the tenants who were on their confiscated Estates to the election sites, and then "instructed" them on how to vote for the non - Catholic M.P.s. to suite their agendas, and Theobold Wolfe Tone described the whole situation as a "disgrace to the Constitution." Previously he had contacted Henry Joy Mac Cracken in Belfast in Co. Antrim in the Ulster  Province, and they had founded the United Irishmen Society there to bring about real democracy in Ireland for the "whole population" in Ireland, and when he had later returned to Dublin "Napper" Tandy had also joined in with him there, with Simon Butler becoming their first Chairman. Also now due to the ongoing effects of the "French Revolution" occurring, other minor concessions were also gained, when hereditary revenue was bought under the control of the Parliament, and the previously corrupt Irish "Pension List" was curtailed. and a Place Act was also bought in to try and secure real freedom and independency for the Ascendancy Anglo House of Commons in Ireland, to try and reduce the influence of the British Imperial Conservative Governments and their Dublin Castle (The Devil's 1/2 Acre) authorities over the members in the Ascendancy Anglo House of Representatives  in Ireland. All those who held "Pensions" during the British German Hanoverian King's  pleasure, or for a fixed term, and any holders of Government "Places" under the British Imperial Crown after the Act became law were now "excluded" along with those Members of the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament  in Ireland who had accepted a "Position" of a "Place" for profit from the British Imperial Government, which was already in existence, would now have to "vacate their seat" and were to be subject to normal re - election.

     At the same time the British Imperial Tory Government also prohibited arms and ammunition from being imported into Ireland, except by license and a "Convention Act" was bought in to "prohibit" any further "assemblies,"  in Ireland, and also a Militia Act was brought in to increase the British Imperial Government forces in Ireland, which was aimed at trying to "withdraw support" from the Irish Volunteers, who had been the original catalysts for "reform" in Ireland, and further to this end they also blatantly produced another Act," To suppress the Irish Volunteers," outright who had basically brought about most of the previous Parliamentary "reforms" in Ireland, and they were then "disbanded." Once again the best laid plans of mice and men are not always as they are planned to be, as for every action their is a reaction, and in this case it was to encourage James Wilson from Co. Tyrone in Central Ulster Province to try and form the original "Orange Boys Secret Society" there.

February 1st: The French were now once again at War with England, and Holland was overrun, and the reality of all of this struggle and increasing success by the "Common Man" really put the pressure on the British Imperial Conservative Tory Government to bring in further Catholic "reform" in Ireland to try and ensure their "allegiance" to the British Imperial Crown, but despite this with their long running overall total Ascendancy control in Ireland and with their  "siege mentality" firmly locked in, the Ascendancy was still "against any type of reform" for Irish Catholics, while the United Irishmen Society were now more then ever looking towards France for assistance to bring about "real democracy" also in Ireland.   

     Due to the fear of the effects of the French Revolution of "Liberty, Freedom and the individual Pursuit of Happiness" on the young Irish Catholic priests being "educated on the Continent," the Conservative Imperial Ascendancy both in England and Ireland, now allowed St. Patrick's Catholic College at Carlow in Co. Carlow in Southern Leinster to operate, and when the Irish Catholic Archbishop Troy, who was in charge there was to eventually die and leave an estate to the value of 10 pennies it was to be compared to that of John Beresford the Ascendancy Church of England / Ireland Archbishop in Armagh who due to the enforced "Tithes" to the Church of England / Ireland had been receiving 20,000 pounds a year who when he died  was to leave an estate worth 130,000 pounds.

    During this year and the next a number of those who were seeking "democratic reform" still in Ireland who were the members of the United Irishmen Society were "charged with various offences" and "encouraged to emigrate" or else, including Simon Butler their Chairman.  

    The Irish Debt charges against the Anglo Parliament in Ireland by the British Westminster Parliament in England was now running at 2,250,000 pounds. 

    A meeting was held of all the Irish "harpists" in Ireland at Belfast in Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province and O Dempsey was among those who were to perform there.

     Napoleon's French forces were in Egypt, and some of his forces were also sent into Italy were Frederick Hervey the flamboyant English Earl of Bristol and the Ascendancy Church of England / Ireland Bishop from Derry who had previously pushed for Catholic Emancipation and became disheartened and left Ireland in disgust and was living there in Italy, was arrested and all his possessions were taken.

    Due to the continuing "agrarian troubles" this year, in Dundalk in Co. Louth in the north - east of Northern Leinster, 21 "tenant farmers" who were among the "Defenders" were "sentenced to death", and 37 to "Transportation and Imprisonment," and this also occurred nearby in Co. Armagh in the south - east of the Ulster Province, while the "Peep - O - Day Boys" who were a local group there, who were previously also Irish Volunteers. were highly active against the Irish Catholic "tenant farmers" on those confiscated Land Lord Estates there, who were continuing to state that they were only "carrying out the Catholic Irish Penal Laws."

1794 AD Any chance of "reform" for the Catholic Irish was always to be "short circuited" by the various Ascendancy vested interests, under the leadership of the British Imperial Conservative Tory Government's main "Placeman," John "Black Jack" Fitz Gibbon the hard - line anti - Catholic, but despite this constant negative "sectarian" interference, the Catholic Irish were now, for the first time since Elizabeth 1st's reign, statutorily entitled to attend the Trinity College University in Dublin if they could "afford it," were they would finally be able gain a degree in Ireland and mix with the rest of the educated population who attended there.  

March: John "Black Jack" Fitz Gibbon the hard - line anti - Catholic and British Imperial Conservative Tory Government's main "Placeman" in the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament  in Ireland, once again oversaw the "defeat" of another moderate Irish Catholic Reform Bill in the Ascendancy Anglo Parliament  in Ireland, where he was then to  continue to ensure that none of the 75 % of the "majority" Catholic Irish population were "not to be allowed to represent, or be represented therein."

April: The British Imperial Tory Government authorities in the Dublin Castle (The Devil's 1/2 Acre) were now concentrating on the United Irishmen Society members, who were still growing in great numbers and calling for "full democracy" in Ireland, and to this end they carried out an "arrest" in Dublin of what was "made out to be"  a person who was involved in "French revolutionary" activities in Ireland and this was to  cause great turmoil among the United Irishmen Society members and set back the momentum of their cause with some even so frightened of being arrested that they fled from Ireland altogether. Theobold Wolfe Tone was proud of what he had acheived in this regard and he openly admitted to his part in their cause to bring about Irish Freedom and he too was then requested to leave Ireland for "America," while another member, Archibald Hamilton Rowan was also arrested and tried for "Sedition" for also expressing his own personal views on their attempts to bring about Irish Freedom.

May: The British Imperial Conservative Tory Government now used this same ruse to try and "suppress" the United Irishmen Society altogether, and the result was that the members were now driven "underground" to continue to try and organize their goal of "self - determination" for Ireland, which now gave the advantage to those among them who would sooner engage in "revolutionary" means, as the various leaders of the United Irishmen Society were now naturally concerned about the consequences of it all, and they met in Dublin where they agreed that the British Imperial Tory Government had now left them "no democratic alternative," but to use conspiracy, as the only way to be left open to them to bring about "real democracy" in Ireland. To this end they were to make an agreement with the "Defenders" where it was intended from now on, to direct all their democratic frustrations towards the British Imperial Government's Dublin Castle  (The Devil's 1/2 Acre) instead of their own local authorities, and they were now forced to reconstruct the United Irishmen Society in "secrecy." Despite their intention of encompassing all of the ambitions of all of the population in Ireland, the United Irishmen Society was still mostly composed of non - Catholics, especially the "educated" Presbyterians from the Ulster Province who were now also fully committed to an "alliance" with the new order in France, as they wanted "complete separation" from the British Imperial Government, and were awaiting a French force to assist them to carry out their objectives in Ireland. Previously the Catholic Irish who did not have the "opportunity" that the Presbyterians had, had to their means of education, were not so readily involved, which was also due in part to the treatment handed out to the Catholic clergy in France during the initial revolutionary period there and Theobold Wolfe Tone had previously campaigned hard to bring about Catholic Irish "reform," due mainly to the ongoing oppression of their faith, as in reality, he was hoping that as they were the "real majority" in Ireland, to get them interested eventually in the "greater cause" of Irish Freedom from the overall oppression of the British Imperial Ascendancy Government. By now reports were also beginning to spread throughout the "rural areas" in Ireland, due to the "unrest" among the many effected"tenant farmers" on the confiscated Estates of the Land Lords, of the equality gained by the ordinary common people in France, which had been brought about by the French Revolution there against the long time hangers on and supporters of the Conservative Monarchists. 

    In England, the Earl of Portland had left the Whig Party and had joined up with William Pitt - the Younger the British Imperial Ascendancy Tory Prime Minister, and he put him in charge of Irish Affairs, planning to also remove Westmoreland another hard - line anti - Catholic, as soon as possible while Henry Grattan the leader of the Opposition Irish Patriot Party"" and the other members of the Irish Whig Club were now looking forward to an improved situation in Ireland, even to the possible removal of the real flies in the ointment, such as John "Black Jack" Fitz Gibbon and John Beresford the Church of England / Ireland Bishop of Armagh who was now the "richest" man in Ireland, who were both anti - Catholic hard - liners. The Irish Catholic Committee also were encouraged by the signs and they resumed their previous "political" activities, but in reality William Pitt - the Younger was now once again "against" any further Irish Catholic "reforms" on advice he had received from his most ardent "Placeman," John "Black Jack" Fitz Gibbon. Actual reform was nearly impossible under the continuing Conservative Governments in England, due to their Culture of "corruption," such as the likes of Charles Tottenham / Lord Loftus who was another anti - Catholic hard - liner, who was the British Marquis / English Earl of Ely who was eventually to be personally given 5 separate Peerages, which were worth 2 votes each in Ireland within a period of 15 years, for his continued commitment to their Ascendancy Conservative causes.

August: Due to the constant "night raids" being carried out by the "Peep - O - Day Boys" in the north - east of the Ulster Province, who "trashed" everything of any use inside the Irish Catholic "tenant farmers" cabins, which were themselves generally left untouched, with the intention of someone of their particular persuasion taking them over later on, and they also continued to leave a "paper note" stating Oliver Cromwell's previous demand, "To Hell or Connacht" and as the terrified Irish Catholic "tenants" were by now anxiously awaiting their harvests, with some even intending to go to America to escape the ongoing "sectarian turmoil" there, while others intended to go to Connacht, as requested. The whole situation was out of hand as the AScendancy Government "officials" who were in control there were still not really interested in doing anything to stop these ongoing attacks for "political and sectarian" reasons of their own.

September 8th: Due to the disposition of the local magistrates and those in control in the Ulster Province, who saw their main cause as that of their paymasters, the British Imperial Ascendancy Conservative Tory Government, against the interests of the "Common Man," there was to be no real interference in further agrarian troubles that also occurred in Lurgan in Co. Armagh in the south - east of the Ulster Province, as they knew full well that the "tenant farmers" would be too busy to become involved in "combining" their efforts and trying to gain further reforms in Ireland. This was a typical "planter town" founded by John Brownlow, who had been granted the region there in 1610 AD by James 1st the first Stuart English King as part of the confiscation of the 3,500,000 acres of the Heremonian Dal Cuinn "northern" Ui Niaill territories there, with the Irish "driven off" above the 600' level to starve to death, and their territory there to be used to install populations of "foreign" non - Catholic "planters." The "Defenders," who tried to take their part against this ongoing turmoil from the "Peep - O - Day Boys," had been organized previously by a dissenting clergyman trying to assist the Irish Catholic "tenant farmers" in Ulster against their "Paper" and "Wreck" attacks by those who continued to affirm that they were only carrying out the "Irish Penal Laws," but who in reality were involved in "ethnic and sectarian" cleansing to try and install "tenant farmers," who they believed, would be of their own persuasion. A group of "Defenders" near Portadown this year were to be tracked down by Captain Gifford and his Militia to Mullavalla, where 7 were caught and "imprisoned," while the "Peep - O - Day Boys" were allowed to continue to roam, to wreck and paper, and act at will, but despite this, due to this ongoing oppression the "Defenders" were to grow substantially in "numbers" over time, as the attacks continued to occur on their individual "tenant farms, and they had by now begun to become much more "organized," and the "Peep - O - Day Boys" only saw this "defence" as the Irish Catholics beginning to gain ground in the overall scheme of things.

     Due to the previous banning of the Irish Volunteers who the British Imperial Conservative Tory Government saw as a "threat " to their overall authority, James Wilson, from Co. Tyrone in Central Ulster had formed the "Orange Boys Secret Society" from among their particular groups there, who had continued to commemorate the victory of William of Orange in 1688 AD over James 11 the Stuart Catholic King of England at the Battle of the Boyne well over 100 years before, endeavouring to personally maintain the Ascendancy position in Ireland.  

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