The Irish Catholic Clergy

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews the history of the Act of Union that created a new political entity known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Union was established to ensure Protestant ascendancy in Ireland, a move that was deeply distrusted and resented by the Catholics. The paper also investigates a series of campaigns for the sanctioning of the Catholic Emancipation bill for which Catholic priests, who previously had a very limited part in politics, took leading roles. The paper relates that, from being the prime movers of Ireland's largely Catholic population, these clergymen were booted out of politics and electioneering not by will, but by gradual changes in the different sectors of the country.

From the Paper:

"The influence of the clergymen extended into the 1860s and 1870s. During elections, they canvassed, spoke at public forums, endorsed candidates, and brought voters to the polling places. However, their success had been limited due to their division. There were generally two camps: one was headed by Cardinal Cullen of Dublin, who supported liberals and the other was led by Archbishop MacHale of Tuam, who favored extreme candidates. This division worked greatly in favor of the conservative camp, which had more candidates elected to parliament."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Boyce, D.George. Nineteenth Century Ireland: The Search for Stability, 58-74.
• Butler, David and Ranney, Austin. "Chapter on electioneering in England," in Electioneering: a comparative study of continuity and change, eds. (Oxford, 1992).
• Fitzpatrick, David. "Ireland and the British Empire." The Oxford History of the British Empire, Vol. 3: The Nineteenth Century, 494-521.
• Jupp, P. J. "Irish Parliamentary Elections and the Influence of the Catholic Vote, 1801-20." The Historical Journal, Vol. 10, No. 2, 183-196. 1967
• Kinealy, Christine. Ireland: Politics and Administration, 1815-1870, retrieved 5 November 2007, at http://multitext.ucc.ie/d/Ireland_politics_and_administration_1815ndash1870

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