The near miss of the French invasion horrified the governments in Dublin and London. They quickly took steps to destroy the United Irishmen and their network.
• In late 1796, General Lake landed in Ulster, where his soldiers went from town to town demanding any weapons or information that people had. They burned houses and flogged, beat and tortured suspects. Some were given half-hangings (where they were hanged until they were nearly dead). Others had pitch-cappings: the soldiers poured tar on a person’s head and set it on fire. When the tar cooled they ripped it (and the top of the scalp) off. These horrific measures were designed to terrify people and reduce support for a rebellion. They were repeated throughout Leinster.
• Part-time armies were set up: the militia for loyal Catholics and the yeomanry for loyal Protestants.
• The Orange Order was created to encourage unity between Anglicans and Presbyterians in opposition to Catholics.
Captain Swayne pitch-capping the people of Prosperous, Co. Kildare
• Spies inside the United Irishmen passed on information that led to the arrests of most of the leaders around the country. Most significantly, the main planner of the Dublin rebellion, Lord Edward FitzGerald, was captured in May 1798. The remaining leadership decided to go ahead with a rebellion a week later, on 23 May 1798.
The Orange Order in modern times
The arrest of Edward FitzGerald CHECKPOINT!
1. How was Tone influenced by the French Revolution? 2. What pamphlet did he write and what did he argue in it? 3. What were the original aims of the United Irishmen?
4. How did the governments respond to concerns over (a) Catholics’ loyalty and (b) plotting between France and the United Irishmen?
5. What help did Tone get from France? 6. How did the British government respond to the failed invasion at Bantry Bay? Give two examples.
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I understand the founding of the United Irishmen and the events leading up to the 1798 Rebellion.
