Irish Oppression

Jared Sutton

English 1101

Mr. Jones, M.A.

November 3, 2010

Irish Oppression

Although it is clearly established that the people of Europe hold a firm understanding and connection to their cultural and historical roots, few Europeans do to such a degree as the Irish. I myself am of Anglo-Irish descent that I have traced back to the hills of Northern Ireland. And to the people of British Northern Ireland, this history plays a part of their every day lives; the political, class, culture and ethnic divisions run every bit as strong today as throughout Irish history. But why have these divisions hardened over time? Many European states manage religious and ethnic differences with tensions to a minimum. In my understanding of reading the history texts, these tensions are the consequence of suppression of the Roman Catholic majority of Protestant ruling elite for several centuries, which has left lasting implications on the modern class structure. The Irish Catholics never accepted rule from London, immediately upon union with England, Daniel O'Connell, an upper class catholic lawyer began lobbying for amendments to the Acts of Union, a pair of Parliamentary Acts in 1707 and 1800. He was in firm belief that the Catholics of Ireland would be loyal subjects to the crown if granted the same rights as their Protestant compatriots. The Protestant politicians of the day were not monolithic, there were pro Catholic emancipation candidates, and in the 1826 general election a large number of Catholics defied their landlords and voted for them. This sent a strong message to the Protestant Oligarchy in Ireland, one of inevitable reform. The cry for home rule could be heard clearly throughout all of Ireland. And to the English crown, Ireland was becoming more