o’connell

O’CONNELL

REPEAL OF THE ACT OF UNION

REFORM OR REPEAL?

Claimed his ultimate aim was always repeal

For church and Catholic middle classes the priority was reform

New Whig government’s priority was the restoration of law and order

Through the 1830s he worked with the Whigs to achieve considerable measure of reform in Ireland, eg education, Poor Law

CHANGE OF TACTIC

Broke alliance with the Whigs in 1840In 1840 formed the National Repeal

Association1840 the Tories came to power under

Peel

REPEAL CAMPAIGN

Repeal rested on the support of the peasantry and the Catholic Church

Had little support this time from the middle classes

Had support of small group of radicals, Young Ireland

Financed by the repeal rentOrganisation of peaceful monster

meetings

END OF REPEAL

In 1843 Peel banned the monster meeting planned for Clontarf in October

In spite of the wishes of some of his supporters, O’Connell acquiesced

This marks the end of repeal

WHY DID IT FAIL?

Absence of middle class Catholic supportDifferences with Young IrelandDisenfranchisement of 40 shilling

freeholdersUnited opposition of Irish and English

protestantsPeel in position of strength, in contrast to

his position during emancipation crisis

O’CONNELL’S LAST YEARS

Went into permanent decline after 1843Split with Young IrelandPriority given to dealing with famineDied in 1847

VERDICT

Succeeded in gaining Catholic emancipation and thus undermining the Protestant Ascendancy

Succeeded in mobilising popular support for political ends

Made possible the existence of a powerful Irish party at Westminster

Failed to gain repealIntroduced sectarianism into Irish politics