The French Revolution in 1789 was probably the bloodiest overthrow of any monarchy in then modern history and established the beginnings of the new French republic. The success of “Madame Defarge” et al and Mme. Guillotine, instilled a new fervor and ambition into many of the peasant populations across Europe and by 1791, the new French government was gleefully offering its assistance (including military aid) to any revolutionary group wishing to remove its monarchy and established a similar republic-like rule in their own particular country.

The suggested aid and the stunning success of the French citizens against their hated aristocracy, became a cause for great concern in the neighboring monarchies of the rest of Europe and especially in England, where nationalism among the Scots, Welsh and Irish had been brewing for years.

At the same time of the European upheaval, a new organization was constituted in Ireland and quickly began growing in favor with the nationalist-minded Irish. This new group called “The United Irishmen”, was made up of both Protestants and Catholics who were greatly in favor of “Home Rule”, separating control of Ireland from the vagaries of the English supplanters and their puppet-masters in London. One of the most important declarations of this group was their belief in a peaceful future for Ireland in which Protestants and Catholics could live together in peace and harmony with both religious and political equality for all men.

Their goal, like the French peasants in Europe and elsewhere, was to set up a French-styled republic in Ireland, totally independent of England and the English throne. The organization quickly gained support, although a small minority in the newly formed Orange-Order set about to preserve Ireland’s ties to the monarchy.

Since the English throne was now really a “constitutional monarchy” in which the King or Queen did not hold absolute power, the Lords regarded the country as already democratic and therefore anyone seen to be advocating or supporting French Republicanism could be held for treason, since at this time England was at war with France. It ought then to be no surprise therefore that the leadership in England saw the United Irishmen as a threat to national peace and security and should therefore be disassembled and banned from further recruitment. The leader of the organization, Wolfe Tone, was subsequently tried for treason, sentenced, but rather than allow the English to use his hanging as a threat to Ireland and the Irish, he chose to commit suicide.

In 1798, the English began an all-out attack against known United Irishmen, and in the process willfully murdered thousands of innocent people, slaughtering (both “legally” and in underhand ways) large numbers of Protestant and Catholic UI members and others who may or may not have been sympathetic to the “cause”. After a number of smaller skirmishes, a large rebellion began in the spring of that year and was focused in the counties of Down, Antrim and Wexford and in which several bloody battles took place at Antrim, Ballynahinch and Saintfield.


The United Irishmen were finally defeated at the Battle of Vinegar Hill in County Wexford in what could only be described as a miserable failure for the UI in which almost all of the then current members were slaughtered or taken prisoner.

The new French government however was not neglectful of the strategic placement of Ireland against England and in late 1798 reinforcements were sent to Ireland landing at Mayo on the West Coast. These quickly gained popular support among the local peasants and UI supporting gentry, who, grasping at straws, took this as a final opportunity for total independence. The French and their new Irish allies tried to take a foothold in Sligo but again were soundly defeated by the more experienced English armies.
The French conscripts (perhaps better called mercenaries) were taken prisoner while the local Irish were massacred as a punishment for treason.

Although the rebellion had been quelled, the leadership in England failed to understand that Republicanism in Ireland could not be so easily ignored and the resulting centuries have shown that in Ireland (and indeed elsewhere throughout the world), resentment against the English and all things British is still a simmering cauldron, waiting to spill its deadly contents when the fervor against what down-trodden people see to be a tyrannical government, boils over once more.

The sad truth is that not only do individuals fail to learn form the past, but usually neither do governments. Brute force and bullying tactics have not won the Irish over to British thinking in the past, and only “blind” men and women see such tactics as the way to solve the “Irish” problem once and for all. The Irish may be a nation of fighters, but we can also be reasonable when presented with a workable solution. Maybe one of these days we’ll stop seeing “politicians” trying to resolve the Irish question, and instead a few great “Statesmen” will arise and lead us to the place where all decent men and women can live in peace and harmony without fear of having to deny their faith or heritage.