1781 - 1782 AD 

1781 AD The Drought was so bad in Ireland that there was exceptional hardship in the rural areas, which defused the activities of the "Whiteboys" in the Munster  Province, and the only solution to the overall problem that was put forward by the British Tory Government's Dublin Castle authorities was to increase law enforcement on the population in Ireland.

    Henry Flood who had been a previous Patriot in the Anglo - Irish Ascendancy Parliament, and was now acting as a "Placeman" for the British Ascendancy Imperial Government in his non - job as Vice - Treasurer, was dismissed this year from this position by the British Conservative Tory Government.

    The Irish Volunteers were gaining further strength and importance in the overall scheme of things in Ireland as there was a renewed threat of invasion by the French.

October: The Anglo - Irish Ascendancy Parliament met this month with the British Imperial Government's Dublin Castle authorities still in overall control of Ireland. and any further attempts at Constitutional reform were continued to be resisted by them but despite this Frederick Howard / Lord Carlisle the British Tory Government's Viceroy allowed some modification of Poyning's Irish Penal Laws under pressure from the committed Irish Patriots in the Parliament and also advised the Parliament to confine themselves to making laws only for Ireland. Although he now offered them the suggestion that they should consider only independent Irish legislation, this advice was not followed, but he was still to obtain a Habeus Corpus Act from the British Tory Government as a concession for them. The defeat of the British Imperial Government's army at Yorktown in America by the American "Rebels"  quietened things down somewhat in the Anglo - Irish Ascendancy Parliament, as those in control there tried to demonstrate their support for the British Tory Government, which was now really in great trouble there, due to the actions of Lord North acting on behalf of German George 111 the Hanoverian King of Britain.

December: The Irish Volunteers held a meeting at Armagh in Co. Armagh the Ulster Province, were it was decided that a Convention of all the delegates from their organization should be held at Dungannon during the following year in 1782 AD, while a group of non - Catholics also took the opportunity to gather at the statue of William of Orange in Dublin to protest against the continuing restrictions that were still being being placed on Ireland by the British Tory Conservative Imperial Government.

   The resulting turmoil in America had meant that the British Imperial Government had been forced to send their Regiments to America to try and retain control there, while the British Imperial Navy was also in trouble with France and these two factors together were to eventually contribute to enable the Anglo - Irish Ascendancy Parliament to gain their Independence from the British Westminster Parliament, but unfortunately it would only last a short time. 

   Work on the magnificent Customs House on the River Liffey in Dublin in Co. Dublin in the north - east of Southern Leinster, which had also been designed by James Gandon, was begun, and it was to take 10 years to finally construct.

1782 AD This year and the next  further bad harvests occurred in Ireland, and Labourers wages during this period where still to remain at 6d a day, the same as they had been way back under Elizabeth 1st's reign, and 400,000 people from Ireland would still continue to emigrate mostly to France during the next Century to join in the Irish Brigades there, following on from those previously formed by the Wild Geese and also during this period they were to emigrate to Spain, Austria. Russia and England. 

     The Catholic priesthood was now legalised. 

   Tenant rent was to be paid twice yearly, and ended on the 1st May, and if late, a hanging gale.    

   Under the direction of Henry Grattan the Irish Patriot leader, and the conditions that were now prevailing, the Anglo - Irish Ascendancy Parliament finally convinced the British Imperial Tory Government to give the Anglo - Irish Ascendancy Parliament independence, but in name only which allowed the British Imperial Regiments to be withdrawn from Ireland to fight the "American Rebels," while the British Imperial Navy was also till in conflict with France.

February 15th: 250 delegates from the Irish Volunteers representing the 25,000 Volunteers in the Ulster Province and their comrades throughout the rest of Ireland held their previously proposed Convention at Dungannon, where their main discussion centred on the resolutions drawn up by Caulfield / Lord Charlemont and the Irish Patriots, which now also included both Henry Grattan, and the redundant Henry Flood who had been dismissed as a "Placeman|" from his British Tory Government position in Ireland, and had returned to the fold of the Irish Patriots. The resolutions put forward at this Convention by Henry Grattan and various others, called for Legislative independence for Ireland, the removal of the powers exercised by the two Privy Councils under Poyning's Irish Penal Laws, which were really unconstitutional, removal of the Perpetual Mutiny Act against the Irish army forces, security of tenure for judges (similar to those allowed in England). Also included among these resolutions was a proposal for a limited approval of religious equality for the Catholic Irish inserted by Henry Grattan whose consistent actions always showed him out to be a true Statesman. All of the resolutions at the Convention were accepted and were referred on to the full Irish Patriot Party Opposition members in the Anglo - Irish Ascendancy Parliament, who at this time were still the minority party in the Anglo - Irish Parliament under the leadership of Henry Grattan, for them to put them forward in the Anglo - Irish Parliament. 

February 22nd: The Anglo - Irish Ascendancy Parliament was held once again under the supervision of Frederick Howard / Lord Carlisle the British Lord Lieutenant in Ireland acting for the British Conservative Tory Government's Dublin Castle administration.

     Henry Grattan the leader of the Irish Patriot Party in Opposition now called for an Independent Irish Parliament a second time, but it was deferred once again by 137 votes to 68 votes, due to the British Tory Government's numerous "Placemen" still in the Parliament and their continuing control over affairs in Ireland but despite this Howard / Carlisle, the British Viceroy, was now well aware that the time was also running out for any further concessions to be gained by the Anglo - Irish Parliament and he advised the British Conservative Tory Government that the Anglo - Irish Parliament members would no longer be content to be ruled by the British Westminster Parliament. He was now finding it nearly impossible to compel obedience, on behalf of the British Imperial Government, from their "Placemen" for them to go on continuing their outright overall control in Ireland as had been previously the case.

     Meanwhile another important meeting was held in Co. Clare in the north - west of the Munster Province, which supported the recent Anglo - Irish Ascendancy Parliament resolutions, essentially those allowing their House of Commons in Ireland to make its own Laws for Ireland, as they had considered that, "It was only right that the King, the Anglo - Irish Lords and the Anglo - Irish House of Commons should be the only ones to make any of the laws for Ireland." (During this particular period there was continuing upheavals in the rural areas and attempted risings in other areas, but none in Co. Clare).  

March 14th: Frederick Howard / Carlisle the British Tory Lord Deputy in Ireland sent the Anglo - Irish Ascendancy Parliament into recess to try once again to get his act together and retain the number of " Placemen"  to act on behalf of the British Imperial Government.

March 24th: Lord North the British Prime Minister resigned in England and German George 111 the Hanoverian King of Britain was reluctantly forced to put in the Marquis of Rockingham again who was the Opposition Whig Party leader, whose allies in Ireland at this time were the Irish Patriot Party under the leadership of the Stateman and free thinking Henry Grattan and Frederick Howard the Duke of Carlisle was dismissed immediately as the British Lord Lieutenant in Ireland and the Duke of Portland, was appointed the new British Whig Viceroy in Ireland in his place together with Richard Fitz Patrick as his Chief Secretary.

April 16th: The Anglo - Irish Ascendancy Parliament's House of Commons met again in Dublin, were Henry Grattan the leader of the Irish Patriot Party moved for the third time, but now with greater confidence, for a declaration of an Independent Irish Parliament, which was approved, as by now there had been a big shift in loyalties by the previous British Government's "Placemen," and it was sent off to German George 111 the Hanoverian King of Britain for his approval but in reality the Whigs in England themselves, had not really desired to give any parliamentary independence to Ireland, but instead just wanted to form a committee to discuss Irish relations, but they found that James Caulfield / Lord Charlemont and Henry Grattan would not budge in the matter. Rockingham and Charles Fox who were the Whig leaders were upset by this turn of events, as they were now controlling the British Whig Imperial Government, but the Duke of Portland, their representative in Ireland, advised them to yield to the request or abandon Ireland forever.

May 17th: Charles Fox, who was one of the British Whig leaders, announced in the British Westminster Parliament's House of Commons that Ireland was to be given all rights requested, and the 1720 Declaratory Act used to usurp Irish authority in Ireland was also repealed, which was the repulsive 6th Act previously introduced by German George 1st, and it was now removed and gave the sole right to the Anglo - Irish Parliament who were now enabled to legislate for Ireland themselves, while giving the final jurisdiction in these matters to the Anglo - Irish House of Lords. Barry Yelverton an Irish Patriot M.P. also moved a motion to completely alter Poyning's Irish Penal Laws of 1495 AD, where the British Chief Governor and the Council had the right to alter any Irish Bills before being sent to the British King for confirmation, as these now had to be returned unaltered, although they still retained the right to suppress them. The Perpetual Mutiny Act that had been introduced against the interest of Irish soldiers inducted into the British Imperial Militia was replaced by a biennial act, Irish judges were also granted the same tenure as those in England, and jurisdiction of the Irish courts were establishedbut unfortunately despite these improvements the overall administration of Ireland it was still left in the hands of the British Whig Lord Lieutenant, who could only be appointed by the British Imperial Government and would therefore still owe loyalty only to them. Henry Grattan the Irish Patriot leader had achieved an Independent Irish Parliament for the first time, but not an independent Irish Government and he refused to accept any public office personally for himself, but received a payment of 50,000 pounds, while Hussey Burgh was appointed the Chief Baron of the Exchequer, and Barry Yelverton the Attorney General. On the other hand, Henry Flood due to his prior defection as a British Government  "Placeman" was given no office or reward, which made him even more jealous of Henry Grattan, and true to his character he was to now seek every opportunity to undermine him.  

       Henry Flood and James Caulfield / Lord Charlemont who were both staunch anti - Catholic Anglo - Irish Ascendancy members in the Patriot Party had always  opposed Henry Grattan's proposal to give Irish Catholics their full civil liberties, as Caulfield / Lord Charlemont believed Catholic Emancipation was a threat to the liberty of non - Catholics and also vetoed this section of the Ulster Irish Volunteers reform package and because of their continuing negative attitude to this important reform, those who were for the introduction of this resolution had instead arranged for Frederick Hervey, the flamboyant Ascendancy Church of England / Ireland Bishop in Derry, to put forward their case for Catholic Emancipation. Although Henry Grattan was now responsible for giving equal rights to 600,000 of the population in Ireland he felt ashamed for not being able to extend it to the 2,000,000 Catholic Irish, while Henry Flood was also adamant that he would not consent to allow Catholics the right to vote for any representation in the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament, so land in the parliamentary boroughs was excluded from the Catholic Irish. Despite this Henry Grattan had still won the day for some common sense and justice for the majority in Ireland, and at least given them some hope for the future, but both Henry Flood and Caulfield / Lord Charlemont the two anti - Catholic Ascendancy Anglo - Irish members were all out for parliamentary reform as long as it did not include the Catholic Irish. Like a true "Statesman," Henry Grattan, because of the Patriot Party being the Opposition in government wanted the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament to bring in the reforms democratically, while Henry Flood and Caulfield / Lord Charlemont wanted the Irish Volunteers, due to their strength of numbers to compel the Anglo - Irish Ascendancy Parliament to do so. Henry Flood seeking his opportunity went about spouting to one and all that Ireland would never be free until the British Imperial Government formally renounced its claim of superiority over the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament, and to this end he began a campaign drawing in the members of the National Irish Volunteers until he was also able to turn public opinion against Henry Grattan for not going far enough and Henry Grattan's reply to this, was that Henry Flood really wanted the population to be dissatisfied with their new found freedom, because he was not the one who had brought it about.   

     Irish Catholics were to gain some further rights to vote when Luke Gardiner introduced his 2nd Relief Act for Irish Catholics, by repealing or modifying the Act in the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament, and they were now also allowed to work land outside of the Boroughs, and even have valid marriages and gain an opportunity for an education, and there was also residency allowed for the clergy with registration for the Catholic Irish priestsand these reforms were also bought about by the pressure of the many British Imperial Wars. It seemed that things were now on the up and up as the Privy Council in England had lost it's power to alter the Irish Parliamentary Bills or so it seemed.

     In a further bid to also win over Scotland the "ban" on their heritable Gaelic leaders and the "Tartans" was revoked, as the British Imperial Empire from now on would need all the "cannon fodder" it could muster for it's ongoing Imperial Wars. 

July: Fate stepped in once again as the Marquis of Rockingham the British Whig Prime Minister, died, and as a consequence the Earl of Portland resigned his position in Ireland, because he would not serve under his replacement, the Earl of Shelburne, and after only 3 months in Ireland, he too was succeeded by Henry Temple who later on was to become the Marquis of Buckingham who arrived into Ireland to take up his position in September.        

1783 AD January: Henry Temple, who was now the new British appointed Lord Lieutenant in Ireland, advised Shelburne the new British Whig Prime Minister to make further concessions to the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament, and to this end the British Whig Government passed the Renunciation Act, which gave the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament complete legislative autonomy and judicial independence over Ireland forever, never to be questioned, but the British Dublin Castle Government authorities were still to retain administration over Ireland.  The Ascendancy in Ireland, which included the many Land Lords in the Anglo - Irish House of Commons, and those in the Anglo - Irish House of Lords, believed that they were now well and truly in control of the Irish Parliament with the National Irish Volunteers still looking forward to further parliamentary reforms, and the Catholic Irish to eventually have the right to be represented in their own Parliament as the real majority of the population in Ireland and were now looking forward to gaining the right to representation or at the very least the right to vote.

     In the territory in the Ulster Province to the east of the River Bann the population there was composed of non - Conformists, and to the west of the River Bann the population there were Irish Catholics and they both competed individually for the right to be tenant farmers on the Land Lord's Estates there, and any jobs there in between these two positions but in the meantime in England those who were now among the Catholic minority there had been refused any reforms at all, as by now being only 1 in 14, they represented no numerical threat to the Ascendancy there in Britain, so things did not also look too good for further reform in Ireland were they were actually the majority.

     Henry Grattan the leader of the Irish Patriot Party excited by the changes in Ireland, informed the National Irish Volunteers that Ireland was now a Nation in it's own right, and voted for 100,000 pounds to raise 20,000 Irish men to serve in the British Imperial Navy and began to push for full Catholic Irish voting rights, but was once again over ruled by the British Ascendancy Whig Government and the Ascendancy generally in Ireland but in the meantime the Earl of Shelburne wh was the current British Whig Prime Minister was overthrown from his position by the Whig leader, Charles Fox and the resolute Tory Conservative Lord North who had both combined to form a new British Coalition Government based on a somewhat shaky alliance, due to their particular opposing outlooks on life.

March: Henry Temple resigned as the British Lord Lieutenant in Ireland, and left Ireland in June after being held up for 3 months due to the political problems now well and truly occurring in the new British Coalition Government who then put in Lord Northington to replace him, and although Thomas Pelham was now the British Chief Secretary in Ireland, he was to remain in England mostly, and then retire due to ill health and John "Black Jack" Fitz Gibbon the extremely hard - line anti - Catholic was to become their new right - hand "Placeman" in Ireland, who was told to stop any chance of further reform in Ireland, and always acted on their behalf, continuing to maintain the Ascendancy position as he was appointed to the post of Attorney - General in Ireland.

     During this year and the following year, petitions were to be presented to the Anglo - Irish Ascendancy Parliament for duties to be increased on British imports, while the British Imperial Government excluded Irish goods from England where they had placed high duties on the goods coming in from Ireland. 

October: Following on from the petitions Legislation was now introduced to protect Irish goods by increasing the duty on goods from England, but it was defeated as there was no way Ireland could win commercially against the interests of the merchants in England if a price war should develop.

November 10th: Frederick Hervey the flamboyant English Earl of Bristol and the Ascendancy Church of England / Ireland Archbishop in Derry arrived at the Dublin Royal Exchange with his band of Dragoons under the command of his nephew, George Robert Fitz Gerald who had only recently been released from jail, and he was there to attend the National Irish Volunteer's Convention still outfitted with diamonds on his shoes and on his knees, seeking to obtain the position as their President and to bring about further Catholic reform in Ireland. Caulfield / Lord Charlemont on the other hand was already the Chief of the Irish Volunteers, and he did not want any further reform for the Catholic Irish and it was he who subsequently obtained the position of President, instead of Frederick Hervey, and was to thwart any further liberal measures that were put forward. He even resorted to using a bogus letter, supposedly to be from Lord Kenmare, who was a Catholic, purportedly stating that the Catholic Irish did not want anymore concessions and the intrigue widened as Richard Lovell Edgeworth also supported Caulfield / Charlemont, and the other staunch anti - Catholic Henry Flood watered down the Bill against Lord Charlemont's wishes, who was supported by Frederick Hervey / Bristol who wanted the Irish Volunteers to appear in uniform at the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament to push their case. Frederick Hervey wanted to get the message across publicly that the Irish Volunteers really meant business, but it was considered that it was too dangerous an outward act to pursue and the flamboyant Hervey who had always advocated unity for Irish non - Catholics and Irish Catholics, which alarmed those in the British Dublin Castle authorities who even gave thought to arresting him and charging him with "Treason," and from now on the young Duke of Rutland the British appointed Lord Lieutenant in Ireland kept his eye on him. The Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament was also in session at this very same time.

November 29th: After 3 weeks of discussions the Irish Volunteer Convention had agreed on their reform plan, which was put up by Henry Flood who took it immediately to the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament to present it as a Bill where Barry Yelverton the Irish Patriot M.P. opposed his motion, as he considered it was being presented under the duress of the nearby Irish Volunteer Convention, as they were still in session also, and they were also well aware that the Convention was awaiting an immediate answer. John "Black Jack" Fitz Gibbon the barrister, who was in reality acting as the main "Placeman" only on behalf of the British Imperial Government's Dublin Castle authorities, knew the British Ascendancy Parliament were against any further reforms in Ireland, and he worked against it and it was defeated by 157 - 77 votes. Henry Grattan the leader of the Irish Patriot Party in the Opposition in Ireland had voted for it, but the British Ascendancy Government controlled Parliament had won out again and the National Irish Volunteers, who were still under the control of Caulfield / Lord Charlemont was now a certain failure, and their reform movement was now brought to an end. Henry Flood the hard - line anti Catholic had also succeeded in playing his part in opposing any Irish Catholic Relief and also getting the Ascendancy to reject the Irish Volunteer's intention to bring in further Parliamentary reforms.

     Meanwhile, Lord Northington, who was now the British Lord Lieutenant in Ireland, on the other hand endeavoured to work in with Henry Grattan the leader of the Irish Patriot Party in Opposition, and he persuaded the British Coalition Government to appease the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament further by allowing annual, instead of biennial, sessions of their Parliament.

     Over 100 English Land Lords, who had their main properties in England, were also able to vote in the General Elections for Ireland, and this enabled the British Coalition Government to over ride any Irish policies, which were carried out as directed by their Dublin Castle authorities acting as the agents (Placemen and Pensioners) for the British Imperial Coalition Government, as they had in their character no untoward feelings of dishonour of public life, no embarrassment or lack of public honour that offended them, and they made up half of the Ascendancy in the Anglo - Irish Parliament. 

December: The British Coalition Government under Charles Fox and Lord North finally came to an end in England, and despite the long time siege fear of the Ascendancy as to loss of their illegally held properties in Ireland, at last the population in Ireland were beginning to make some ground, as changes now began to occur and this was to add to the ingrained "siege fear" further among those in the Ascendancy in authority in England who were becoming alarmed at the small reforms being gained  in Ireland.

     This month the Bank of Ireland was established by the Anglo - Irish Parliament and the Irish Catholics were able to contribute 10% to the capital.  

    At this time, once again to try and further increase the number of the non - Catholic population in Ireland 1,000 Swiss Huguenots from New Geneva were encouraged into Ireland by Lord Temple, who was now the 2nd Viscount Palmerston, who was to become the father of the German British Queen, Victoria's favourite Minister in the future, with 50,000 pounds paid by the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Government towards this venture.

    Between 15% to 20% of the overall number of Land Lords by now had secured 95% of the land in Ireland with only 5% still in the hands of the Catholic Irish.                     

    Britain and America now made a Peace Treaty, which further reduced the "pressure" for any further reform in Ireland.

    Tenant Leases were now for 11 months only on Conacre land so as not to give the tenant farmers in Ireland any security of tenure, while their homes were really only cabins, and poverty was so bad that the women kept one fingernail long enough to peel the potatoes. 

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