Irish Unionism From 1800 to 1900
A Level History- Irish History- Ireland Under The Union (1800-1900)-
Revision Notes
The Campaign Against Catholic Emancipation
● The Irish Unionists failed to prevent Catholic Emancipation, which was
delivered with the 1829 Roman Catholic Emancipation Act.
● The Brunswick Clubs were established in 1827 with the intention of
resisting Catholic Emancipation by force. However, they failed and
faded out of existence by 1829.
● It should be noted that many Protestant Unionists supported Catholic
Emancipation but opposed Daniel O’Connell’s campaign to repeal the
1801 Act of Union.
The Campaign Against Repeal- Growing Support for the Conservatives
● During the 1830s and 1840s, O’Connell campaigned to repeal the 1801
Act of Union. The main aim of Irish Unionists was to prevent this repeal.
● Since the Unionists were a political minority, they associated
themselves with the Conservative Party. During O’Connell’s campaign,
the Unionists pushed to increase support for the Conservatives in
Ireland to increase opposition to repeal in Ireland.
● In 1831, the Irish Protestant Conservative Association (IPCA) was
established to boost support for the Conservatives. They achieved little
success. In the 1832 general election, the Conservative Party only won
30 seats in Ireland (whilst the O’Connellites won 39 seats).
● In 1836, the Irish Metropolitan Conservative Society (IMCS) replaced
the IPCA. The IMCS had considerably more success. In the 1841
general election, the Conservatives won 40 seats in Ireland (whilst the
O’Connellites only won 19 seats). The IMCS was closely associated
, with the Protestant churches, and Reverend Henry Cooke (a
Presbyterian minister) was a leading figure.
● The Conservative Party played a significant role in resisting O’Connell’s
Repeal Campaign, which ultimately failed.
The Campaign Against Repeal- Reverend Henry Cooke
● Reverend Henry Cooke was a leading figure of the Irish Metropolitan
Conservative Society and one of the most vital opponents against
O’Connell’s Repeal Campaign.
● In October 1834, Cooke held a Unionist rally at Hillsborough to resist
the repeal campaign. 40,000 people attended the rally, indicating that
Cooke was capable of crafting a mass Unionist movement in Ulster. At
the rally, Cooke warned against the “growing onslaught of the Catholic
threat” (Cooke). Cooke’s success in resisting O’Connell earned him the
name “the Cooke who dished Dan”.
● In 1841, Cooke focused on the economic benefits of the Union by
urging the audience to “look at Belfast and be a repealer if you can”
(Cooke).
● Cooke created a “Protestant political consciousness” (Rees), uniting the
different Protestant denominations behind Unionism and the
Conservative Party. His success represents the significance of the
Protestant churches in political Unionism in Ireland.
The Church of Ireland
● The Protestant Unionists, despite protests, failed to prevent the
disestablishment of the Church of Ireland with Gladstone’s 1868 Irish
Church Act.
● However, the Church of Ireland helped to link the “scattered minority”
(Buckland) of Irish Unionists in the Southern provinces even after it was
disestablished.
A Level History- Irish History- Ireland Under The Union (1800-1900)-
Revision Notes
The Campaign Against Catholic Emancipation
● The Irish Unionists failed to prevent Catholic Emancipation, which was
delivered with the 1829 Roman Catholic Emancipation Act.
● The Brunswick Clubs were established in 1827 with the intention of
resisting Catholic Emancipation by force. However, they failed and
faded out of existence by 1829.
● It should be noted that many Protestant Unionists supported Catholic
Emancipation but opposed Daniel O’Connell’s campaign to repeal the
1801 Act of Union.
The Campaign Against Repeal- Growing Support for the Conservatives
● During the 1830s and 1840s, O’Connell campaigned to repeal the 1801
Act of Union. The main aim of Irish Unionists was to prevent this repeal.
● Since the Unionists were a political minority, they associated
themselves with the Conservative Party. During O’Connell’s campaign,
the Unionists pushed to increase support for the Conservatives in
Ireland to increase opposition to repeal in Ireland.
● In 1831, the Irish Protestant Conservative Association (IPCA) was
established to boost support for the Conservatives. They achieved little
success. In the 1832 general election, the Conservative Party only won
30 seats in Ireland (whilst the O’Connellites won 39 seats).
● In 1836, the Irish Metropolitan Conservative Society (IMCS) replaced
the IPCA. The IMCS had considerably more success. In the 1841
general election, the Conservatives won 40 seats in Ireland (whilst the
O’Connellites only won 19 seats). The IMCS was closely associated
, with the Protestant churches, and Reverend Henry Cooke (a
Presbyterian minister) was a leading figure.
● The Conservative Party played a significant role in resisting O’Connell’s
Repeal Campaign, which ultimately failed.
The Campaign Against Repeal- Reverend Henry Cooke
● Reverend Henry Cooke was a leading figure of the Irish Metropolitan
Conservative Society and one of the most vital opponents against
O’Connell’s Repeal Campaign.
● In October 1834, Cooke held a Unionist rally at Hillsborough to resist
the repeal campaign. 40,000 people attended the rally, indicating that
Cooke was capable of crafting a mass Unionist movement in Ulster. At
the rally, Cooke warned against the “growing onslaught of the Catholic
threat” (Cooke). Cooke’s success in resisting O’Connell earned him the
name “the Cooke who dished Dan”.
● In 1841, Cooke focused on the economic benefits of the Union by
urging the audience to “look at Belfast and be a repealer if you can”
(Cooke).
● Cooke created a “Protestant political consciousness” (Rees), uniting the
different Protestant denominations behind Unionism and the
Conservative Party. His success represents the significance of the
Protestant churches in political Unionism in Ireland.
The Church of Ireland
● The Protestant Unionists, despite protests, failed to prevent the
disestablishment of the Church of Ireland with Gladstone’s 1868 Irish
Church Act.
● However, the Church of Ireland helped to link the “scattered minority”
(Buckland) of Irish Unionists in the Southern provinces even after it was
disestablished.
