Popular Laws Articles

The establishment of Éire in 1937

Although Eamon de Valera had fought for an Irish republic during the rising of Easter 1916 and later during the War of Independence 1919-1921 and on the anti-treaty side during the Civil War 1922-1923, he was able to ascend to power within a twenty-six county Free...

The Act of Union 1801

The Act of Union came into effect on January 1, 1801, joining Ireland to Great Britain, creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. At the beginning of the 19th century, England was still at war with France, and there were fears that Ireland would once...

The Effects of the Penal Laws Upon Irish Society

As the 18th century progressed, the anti-Catholic penal laws were strengthened and had a profound effect upon all aspects of Irish society. The great Gaelic lords were gone and the clans beat and subdued. The Catholic Old English were totally excluded from all the...

Daniel O’Connell (1775 - 1847)

Daniel O’Connell was born in 1775, into an affluent Catholic, Gaelic family from County Kerry. He was educated in France and was one of the first Catholics called to the Irish Bar in 1798. His experiences of revolutionary France and of the United Irishmen rebellions...