1777 - 1780 AD

1777 AD John Thomas Troy was 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 Ascendancy Tory Imperial Government Lord Lieutenant in Ireland arrived with his secretary Richard Heron, and both were to turn out to be very weak administrators, and the situation by this time was not too good as Ireland was near bankruptcy, due to the continuing British Conservative Tory Imperial 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 Tory Imperial Government and the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Government 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 Ulster.

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

1778 AD By this time the rents on the tenant farmers on the Land Lords' Estates in Ireland had been doubled.

      John Hobart / Buckinghamshire the British Ascendancy Tory Imperial 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 operating, to ensure their control overall administration in Ireland, but finally he was to have to appeal to the British Tory Imperial Government themselves to pay their own Military forces in Ireland to ensure its continuation.

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 - Irish Parliamentary members for Co. Down in the south - east of the Ulster Province, and he bought forward the real financial position that was occurring in Ireland, for the attention of the Anglo - Irish Parliament and a motion was moved to notify German George 111 the Hanoverian King of Britain as to the state of the Irish Nation financially, but it was to also be defeated. With no other recourse now open to them, many more members in the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament were being edged towards the position held by the Irish Patriot Party, as the general run of the members were now becoming more aware of public opinion in Ireland, as pressure from the people outside of the Parliament had been increasing since the 1760s. (The Anglo - Irish Parliament eventually passed 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 merchants, who now had money to spend, as they had not been allowed to buy back any Irish land, pressure was now brought to bear to allow them to be able to purchase any "unwanted" Irish land, which was by now naturally 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.

     Luke Gardiner, an Anglo - Irish M.P. introduced the first Irish Catholic Relief Act into the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament, due to the pressure brought on by the "American Rebellion," which was now supported by both France and Spain, and as the British Tory Imperial Government under Lord North was in direct conflict with France and the American colonists, the Anglo - Irish wanted greater freedoms, so some further reforms were bought in for the Catholic Irish who took 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 Tory Government themselves under Lord North their Conservative Prime Minister, who was now  truly "a very worried man" with the French, Dutch and Spanish all now supporting the "American Rebellion" by the rebel colonists there. The British Conservative Tory Imperial 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 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 to conform to the Ascendancy Church of England / Ireland to survive.) Despite this they were still not allowed any representation in the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament, or to hold any Public Office in Ireland, and naturally once again, the Ascendancy hard - liners fought tooth and nail against its introduction, 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 - Irish House of Commons, "That you are now beginning to finally have a Country." The Irish Catholics would now certainly be encouraged, once again, to join them in their struggle against the ongoing oppression of the various British Imperial Ascendancy Governments.   

     During this period 30,000 people from 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 had to finally send 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. 

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 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 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 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" colonials, 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 joined in the Ulster Province, and they spread out from there, where the Presbyterians now also had great sympathy for their colonial kinsmen in America, but were also aware of a chance of invasion, by what they still perceived as the Catholic French. Meanwhile in the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Ascendancy Parliament, Henry Grattan the M.P. and lawyer, now changed sides against Henry Flood the strong anti - Catholic, who had since gone over to the British Conservative Tory Government's side as their "Placeman." "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 Conservative Governments and their belligerent Ascendancies the Irish Catholics who had survived, 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 Conservative Parliament and their Ascendancys. 

     During this time Frederick Hervey the flamboyant Ascendancy Church of England Archbishop of Derry, went off for a two year holiday to Italy, and while he was there his brother Augustus Hervey the English Earl of Bristol died, and he now also became the English 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." 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 - Irish Parliament House.

   John Wesley the 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 between Holland and America.

1779 AD The Duke of Rockingham together with Shelbourne and their allies, who were in the Opposition in the British Westminster Imperial Parliament in England, now took every opportunity to embarrass the British 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 Ascendancy British House of Lords, and his nephew Charles Fox in the Ascendancy British House of Commons, questioned their right at all to legislate for Ireland. Despite all of this pressure the obnoxious and belligerent Lord North still refused to act, and it was decided in Ireland to set up associations to campaign against the purchase of British goods in Ireland.

Summer: In Ireland, John Hobart / Buckinghamshire was still waiting on advice from Lord North and the the British Tory Government after the receipt of many reports and submissions received there, sent by their "Placemen," Hussey Burgh, Henry Flood and Hely - Hutchinson to remove the continuing trade restrictions from Ireland.

August: Hussey Burgh told John Hobart / Buckinghamshire that he could no longer perform as their "Placeman" leader of public business in the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament backed up by Henry Flood and they both refused to attend the British Government's Dublin Castle advisory meetings.

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

Autumn: John Hobart / Buckinghamshire the British Tory Imperial Government's appointed Lord Lieutenant in Ireland was by now facing the re - assembly of the new Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament with still no offers of relief from the British Conservative Imperial Government for Ireland, 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 had to hold another Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament with out receiving any sign of relief from Lord North and the British Conservative Imperial 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 had certyainly 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 - Irish 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 more confidant, and they were urged on by it all, and they renewed their attack in the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament and this encouraged the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish House of Commons, who had basically been rebuffed, and they decided to vote supply for only 6 months and Hobart / Buckinghamshire was now really desperate for money to carry on with the overall control in 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, and the Whig Opposition under Rockingham and Charles Fox went on the attack again, against the British Conservative Tory Imperial Government there under the obnoxious 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 - Irish Parliament in Ireland by also following public opinion, which was the last thing the Conservative Imperialist Lord North and German George 111 wanted.

December 13th: Finally the pressure was so great that Lord North was forced to relent, and he informed the British House of Commons that it was his intention to do away with all the commercial grievances carried out against Ireland, and the Restrictive Trades Act, to restrict 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 - Irish Parliament now openly championed the cause of Irish Catholic Relief, and 40,000 Irish Volunteers demonstrated for Irish Free Trade, which was now granted by the British Westminster Parliament, due 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 - Irish Parliament, and those in authority on behalf of the British Westminster Imperial Parliament once again turned to their usual means of bribery and corruption to hold their position over the overall Ascendancy and their Treasury 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 Conservative Tory Ascendancy Government. In the meantime the Irish Volunteers were growing 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 - Irish Parliament.    

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

February: The Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament met again under John Hobart / Buckinghamshire the British Tory Government Lord Lieutenant in Ireland, who once more had been busy handing out "Places, Pensions and English Titles" to gain a majority for the British Conservative Imperial Government to continue to hold control over the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament but the Irish Patriots in the political Opposition in the Parliament 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 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: They 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 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 Great Britain. 

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

      A magistrate belonging to the Irish Patriots refused to convict any Irish man of the charge of deserting, as he said there was no Irish statute 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 - Irish House of Commons and it was agreed to by John Hobart / Buckinghamshire the British Tory Viceroy. 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 Government's "Placemen" that Henry Grattan could stop it from being accepted, when the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish House of Commons went against public opinion, to support the British 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 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, and the restrictions on Irish Catholic education were repealed.  

      Ulster Province was also 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 75% majority of the population in Ireland, and still 1 / 3 of the population in Dublin, which meant that they were an effective political lobby particularly there.

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

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 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 buried.

    In a sign of things to come, there was now dissension in the rural areas to the west of the River Bann, for the Catholic Irish tenant farmers on the 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 Landed Gentry there, against those who were carrying out the attacks on the Catholic Irish tenant farmers.

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