TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > Daniel O'Connell and Catholic Emancipation Act
How important was the election of D O'C in getting the Catholic Emancipation Act passed in 1829?
- Factors included things like Peel being a 'liberal Tory' (The Tories traditionally supported the Anglican church), the threat of civil war in Ireland (or so wellington+peel believed). Also Wellingtons 'bullying' of the House of Lords so that they accepted the bill. Catholic Emancipation wasn't a for gone conclusion just because a Catholic won the ballot in Co.Clare
- The Test and Corporations Act 1828 gave other religious and ethnic minorities in the UK equal political rights as Protestant, they could sit in Parliament etc- also a catalyst for the 1829 act.
- The actual election wasn't a normal election. It was only a single seat because Fitzgerald (the MP in county Clare) had been promoted to President of the Board of Trade and legally had to stand again for election. This put a spotlight on this single seat, hence everyone knew about O'Connell's audacity in standing up for election.
- O'Connell had the power of the Catholic Association which was unique at the time it was the single biggest political movement in Ireland at the time. Ultimately O'Connell had their support, hence the perceived threat.
- O'Connell willingly exploited this fear via a policy of brinkmanship (pushing events as far a possible without backing down)
- If O'Connell had been refused the seat there would have been uproar from Ireland, but it must be seen within the context of his mass support. If he had not had this the 1829 Catholic Relief Act would never have come about.
- I Believe that the 1793 Catholic Relief Act unwittingly let Catholics stand for election as a MP, despite still denying them the right to hold this position.
- The Conservatives were in a minority government outnumbered by the more open to reform Whigs
- Peel and Wellington saw emancipation as better than civil strife, although they most likely did not support it
- Daniel O'Connell was a hugely significant individual for a number of reasons. Firstly he was a figure head for the Catholic community in Ireland; the Catholic Association gave him a platform to raise his profile and the County Clare by-election did this to an even greater extent.
- However, although O'Connell's position in the public eye is important it does no adequately explain the passing of Catholic Emancipation.
- For that we have to look at Peel and Wellington. Firstly they were both afraid of large scale civil unrest in Ireland which they thought that the Catholic Association could orchestrate. Secondly, the fact that the people of County Clare would not be adequately represented Leif the government open to the accusation of taxation without representation.
- Wellington, despite on the less-liberal end of the Tory party was, above all, a pragmatist and so felt the necessity of the measure in order to quell the potential popular unrest in Ireland. It's important to remember that in the time both just before and after the 1801 Act of Union Ireland had seen a certain degree of unrest.
- O'Connell's election was the catalyst that was needed for the passing of the Act.
Comments
These notes are aimed at history students.
Originally written by Lucien Roach, [Daniel O'Connell and Catholic Emancipation Act Chiron] and others on TSR Forums.
