1793 - 1794 AD

1793 AD The Irish Catholic Relief Bill was passed and the Franchise in Ireland was widened to include Irish Catholic leaseholders on the Land Lords' Estates in Ireland for their lives, and Irish Catholic 40 / -  shilling freeholders, and any of the Land Lords on whose Estates they worked needing extra votes now included one franchise qualifying for life, in the lease, they 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 who would to bring about Catholic Emancipation, who had been receiving his formal education there left France for England.

January 10th: The Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament re - assembled and the British Tory Government Lord Lieutenant in Ireland expressed the view of the now very worried William Pitt - the Younger the British 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 now 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 for Irish Parliamentary representation by Ireland's majority in their own Irish Parliament. Despite this Daniel O Connell "The Liberator" was now in a position to utilise this new British Act to become a barrister, which was another rung up 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 in the Anglo - Irish Parliament opposed Theobold Wolfe Tone's Relief Bill for Catholics," which moved 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 Conservative Government in Ireland, was also against it, he had to give ground as he wanted to retain his British Government position, and with the War with France creating further pressure, it was also to pass through the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament without too much trouble this time.

      The Irish Catholic Relief Act that was now put forward by Lord Hobart also gave,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 their own Irish Parliament as the political system that was operating at this time was that the Land Lords drove the tenants from their Estates to the election sites, and then instructed them on how to vote for the non - Catholic M.P.s., 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 - Irish House of Commons, to try and reduce the influence of the British Conservative Governments and their Dublin Castle authorities over the members in the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish House of Representatives. 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 Crown after the Act became law were now excluded along with that Members of the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament who had accepted a "Position" of a "Place" for profit from the British 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 Irish "assemblies," and also a Militia Act was brought in to increase the British Imperial Government forces, which were both 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 Irish Parliamentary reforms, 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 Conservative Tory Government to bring in further Irish Catholic reform to try and ensure their allegiance to the British 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 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 that of John Beresford the Ascendancy Church of England / Ireland Archbishop in Armagh, due to the enforced Tithes to the Church of England / Ireland who 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 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 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 was living and he was arrested there 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 farmer who were among the "Defenders" were sentenced to death, and 37 to "Transportation and Imprisonment," and this spread nearby into 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 Irish Volunteers. were highly active against the Irish Catholic tenant farmers on the Land Lord Estates there, 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 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.  

March: John "Black Jack" Fitz Gibbon the hard - line anti - Catholic and British Conservative Tory Government's main "Placeman" in the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament, once again oversaw the defeat of another moderate Irish Catholic Reform Bill in the Ascendancy Anglo - Irish Parliament, where he was to  continue to ensure that none of the 75 % of the majority Catholic Irish population was to be allowed to represent, or be represented therein. 

April: The British Imperial Tory Government authorities in the Dublin Castle were concentrating on the United Irishmen Society members, who were by now 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 while Theobold Wolfe Tone was to openly admit to his part in the cause to bring about Irish Freedom and he too was then requested to leave Ireland for America. Meanwhile 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 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 left them no democratic alternative, but to use conspiracy, as the only way 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 Corporation / 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 they 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 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 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 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 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 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 Patriots 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, 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 the continual corruption involved, such as the likes of Charles Tottenham / Lord Loftus who was another anti - Catholic hard - liner, who was the British Marquis / 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 cause.

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, "To Hell or Connacht" and 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, and others to Connacht, as requested. The Government "officials" who were in control there were still not really interested in doing anything to stop these ongoing attacks for political 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 Conservative Tory Government, against the interests of the Common Man, there was to be no real interference in further agrarian troubles that 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 gaining 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 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 defend the Irish Catholic tenant farmers in Ulster against their "Paper" and "Wreck" attacks who continued to affirm that they were only carrying out the Irish Penal Laws, but who in reality were involved in ethnic and religious cleansing to try and install tenant farmers, who they believed, would be their of own persusain. A group of "Defenders" near Portadown this year were 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 and act at will, but due to the ongoing oppression the "Defenders" had grown substantially in numbers over time, due to the previous attacks 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 as the Irish Catholics beginning to gain ground in the overall scheme of things.

     Due to the banning of the Irish Volunteers by the British Conservative Tory Government, James Wilson, from Co. Tyrone in Central Ulster had formed the "Orange Boys Secret Society" from among their particular groups, 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 maintain the Ascendancy position in Ireland.  

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