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A Popular History of Ireland V2 From the earliest period to the emancipation of the Catholics

Chapter 5 THE CATHOLIC CONFEDERATION-ITS CIVIL GOVERNMENT AND MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT.

Word Count: 3208    |    Released on: 06/12/2017

be assumed throughout the narrative, that the success of the new Confederacy was quite as much to be attributed to the perverse policy of its enemies as to the counsels

ny. There were present O'Reilly, Archbishop of Armagh; Butler, Archbishop of Cashel; O'Kealy, Archbishop of Tuam; David Rothe, the venerable Bishop of Ossory; the Bishops of Clonfert, Elphin, Waterford, Lismore, Kildare, and Down and Conor; the proctors of Dublin, Limerick, and Killaloe, with sixteen other dignitaries and heads of religious orders-in all, twenty-nine prelates and superiors, or their representatives. The most remarkable attendants were, considering the circumstances of their Province, the prelates of Connaught. Strafford's re

to every one. The previous months had been especially fertile in events, calculated to rouse their most serious apprehensions. In March, the King fled from London to York; in April, the gates of Hull were shut in his face by Hotham, its governor; and in May, the Long Parliament voted a levy of 16,000 without the royal authority. The Earl of Warwick had been appointed the Parliamentary commander of the fleet, and the Earl of Essex, their Lord General, with Cromwell as one of his captains. From that hour it was evident the sword alone could decide between Charles and his subjects. In Scotland, too, events were occurring in which Irish Catholics were vitally interested. The contest for the leadership of the Sco

, hearing of Ormond's approach at the head of 4,000 fresh troops, he hastily retreated northward. On receiving this report, the Justices recalled Ormond to the capital; Sir Henry Tichburne and Lord Moore were despatched with a strong force, on the rear of the Ulster forces, and drove them out of Ardee and Dundalk-the latter after a sharp action. The march of Ormond into Meath had, however, been productive of offers of submission from many of the gentry of the Pale, who attended the meetings at Crofty and Tara. Lord Dunsany and Sir John Netterville actually surrendered on the Earl's guarantee, and were sent to Dublin; Lords Gormanstown, Netterville, and Slane, offered by letter to follow their example; but the two former were, on reaching the city, thrust into the dungeons of the Castle, by order of the Justices; and the proposals of the latter were rejected with contumely. About the same time the Long Parliament passed an act declaring 2,500,000 acres of the property of Irish recusants forfeited to the State, and guaranteeing to all English "adventurers" contributing to the expenses of the war, and all soldiers serving in it, grants of land in proportion to their service and contribution. This act, and a letter from Lord Essex, the Parliamentarian Commander-in-Chief, recommending the transportation of captured recusants to the West Indian Colonies, effectually put a stop to these negotiations. In Ulster, by the end of April, there were 19,000 troops, regulars and volunteers, in the garrison or in the field. Newry was taken by Monroe and Chichester, where 80 men and women and 2 priests were put to death. Magennis was obliged to abandon Down, and McMahon Monaghan; Sir Philem was driven to burn Armagh and Dungannon, and to take his last stand at Charlemont. In a severe action with Sir Robert and Sir William Stewart, he had displayed his usual courage with better than his usual fortune, which, perhaps, we may attribute to the presence with him of Sir Alexander McDonnell, brother to Lord Antrim, the famous Colkitto

By the second part of this oath all Confederate Catholics -for so they were to be called-as solemnly bound themselves never to accept or submit to any peace "without the consent and approbation of the general assembly of the said Confederate Catholics." They then proceeded to make certain constitutions, declaring the war just and lawful; condemning emulations and distinctions founded on distinctions of race, such as "new" and "old Irish;" ordaining an elective council for each Province; and a Supreme or National Council for the whole kingdom; condemning as excommunicate all who should, having taken the oath, violate it, or who should be guilty of murder, violence to persons, or plunder under pretence of the war. Although the attendance of the lay leaders of the movement at

e townsmen to capitulate on his personal guarantee. But Willoughby, on the arrival of reinforcements, under the fanatical Lord Forbes, at once set the truce made by Clanrickarde at defiance, burned the suburbs, sacked the Churches, and during August and September, exercised a reign of terror in the town. About the same time local risings took place in Sligo, Mayo, and Roscommon, at first with such success that the President of the Province, Lord Ranelagh, shut himself up in the castle of Athlone, where he was closely besieged. III. In Leinster, no military movement of much importance was made, in consequence of the jealousy the Justices entertained of Ormond, and the emptiness of the treasury. In June, the Long Parliament remitted over the paltry sum of 11,500 pounds to the Justices, and 2,000 of the troops, which had all but mutinied for their pay, were despatched under Ormond to the relief of Athlone. Commissioners arrived during the summer, appointed by the Parliament to report on the affairs of Ireland, to whom the Justices submitted a penal code worthy of the brain of Draco or Domitian; Ormond was raised to the rank of Marquis, by the King; while the army he commanded grew more and more divided, by intrigues emanating from the castle and beyond the channel. Before the month of October, James Touchet, Earl of Castlehaven, an adventurous nobleman, possessed of large estates both in Ireland and England, effected his escape from Dublin Castle, where he had been imprisoned on suspicion by Parsons and Borlase, and joined the Confederation at Kilkenny. In September, Colonel Thomas Preston, the brave defender of Louvain, uncle to Lord Gormanstown, landed at Wexford, with three frigates and several transports, containing a few siege guns, field pieces, and other stores, 500 officers, and a number of engineers. IV. In Ulster, where the first blow was struck, and the first hopes were excited, the prospect had become suddenly overclouded. Monroe took Dunluce from Lord Antrim by the same stratagem by which Sir Phelim took Charlemont-inviting himself as a guest, and arresting his host at his own table. A want of cordial co-operation between the Scotch commander and "the Undertakers" alone prevented them extinguishing, i

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1 Chapter 1 JAMES I.-FLIGHT OF THE EARLS-CONFISCATION OF ULSTER- PENAL LAWS-PARLIAMENTARY OPPOSITION.2 Chapter 2 LAST YEARS OF JAMES-CONFISCATION OF THE MIDLAND COUNTIES-ACCESSION OF CHARLES I.-GRIEVANCES AND GRACES -ADMINISTRATION OF LORD STRAFFORD.3 Chapter 3 LORD STRAFFORD'S IMPEACHMENT AND EXECUTION-PARLIAMENT OF 1639-'41-THE INSURRECTION OF 1641-THE IRISH ABROAD.4 Chapter 4 THE INSURRECTION OF 1641.5 Chapter 5 THE CATHOLIC CONFEDERATION-ITS CIVIL GOVERNMENT AND MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT.6 Chapter 6 THE CONFEDERATE WAR-CAMPAIGN OF 1643-THE CESSATION.7 Chapter 7 THE CESSATION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.8 Chapter 8 GLAMORGAN'S TREATY-THE NEW NUNCIO RINUCCINI- O'NEIL'S POSITION-THE BATTLE OF BENBURB.9 Chapter 9 FROM THE BATTLE OF BENBURB TILL THE LANDING OF CROMWELL AT DUBLIN.10 Chapter 10 CROMWELL'S CAMPAIGN--1649-1650.11 Chapter 11 CLOSE OF THE CONFEDERATE WAR.12 Chapter 12 REIGN OF CHARLES II.13 Chapter 13 REIGN OF CHARLES II. (CONCLUDED.)14 Chapter 14 THE STATE OF RELIGION AND LEARNING IN IRELAND DURING THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.15 Chapter 15 ACCESSION OF JAMES II.-TYRCONNELL'S ADMINISTRATION.16 Chapter 16 KING JAMES IN IRELAND-IRISH PARLIAMENT OF 1689.17 Chapter 17 THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR-CAMPAIGN OF 1689-SIEGES OF DERRY AND ENNISKILLEN.18 Chapter 18 THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR-CAMPAIGN OF 1690-BATTLE OF THE BOYNE-ITS CONSEQUENCES-THE SIEGES OF ATHLONE AND LIMERICK.19 Chapter 19 THE WINTER OF 1690-91,20 Chapter 20 THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR-CAMPAIGN OF 1691-BATTLE OF AUGHRIM-CAPITULATION OF LIMERICK.21 Chapter 21 REIGN OF KING WILLIAM.22 Chapter 22 REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE.23 Chapter 23 ACCESSION OF GEORGE I.-SWIFT'S LEADERSHIP.24 Chapter 24 REIGN OF GEORGE II.-GROWTH OF PUBLIC SPIRIT-THE PATRIOT PARTY-LORD CHESTERFIELD'S ADMINISTRATION.25 Chapter 25 THE LAST JACOBITE MOVEMENT-THE IRISH SOLDIERS ABROAD- FRENCH EXPEDITION UNDER THUROT, OR O'FARRELL.26 Chapter 26 REIGN OF GEORGE II. (CONCLUDED)-MALONE'S LEADERSHIP.27 Chapter 27 ACCESSION OF GEORGE III.-FLOOD'S LEADERSHIP- OCTENNIAL PARLIAMENTS ESTABLISHED.28 Chapter 28 FLOOD'S LEADERSHIP-STATE OF THE COUNTRY BETWEEN 1760 AND 1776.29 Chapter 29 GRATTAN'S LEADERSHIP- FREE TRADE, AND THE VOLUNTEERS.30 Chapter 30 GRATTAN'S LEADERSHIP-LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE ESTABLISHED.31 Chapter 31 THE ERA OF INDEPENDENCE-FIRST PERIOD.32 Chapter 32 THE ERA OF INDEPENDENCE-SECOND PERIOD.33 Chapter 33 THE ERA OF INDEPENDENCE-THIRD PERIOD- CATHOLIC RELIEF BILL OF 1793.34 Chapter 34 THE ERA OF INDEPENDENCE-EFFECTS OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION IN IRELAND-SECESSION OF GRATTAN, CURRAN, AND THEIR FRIENDS, FROM PARLIAMENT, IN 1797.35 Chapter 35 THE UNITED IRISHMEN.36 Chapter 36 NEGOTIATIONS WITH FRANCE AND HOLLAND-THE THREE EXPEDITIONS NEGOTIATED BY TONE AND LEWINES.37 Chapter 37 THE INSURRECTION OF 1798.38 Chapter 38 THE INSURRECTION OF 1798-THE WEXFORD INSURRECTION.39 Chapter 39 THE INSURRECTION ELSEWHERE-FATE OF THE LEADING UNITED IRISHMEN.40 Chapter 40 ADMINISTRATION OF LORD CORNWALLIS-BEFORE THE UNION.41 Chapter 41 AFTER THE UNION-DEATH OF LORD CLARE- ROBERT EMMET'S EMEUTE.42 Chapter 42 ADMINISTRATION OF LORD HARDWICKE (1801 TO 1806), AND OF THE DUKE OF BEDFORD (1806 TO 1808).43 Chapter 43 ADMINISTRATION OF THE DUKE OF RICHMOND (1807 TO 1813).44 Chapter 44 O'CONNELL'S LEADERSHIP-1813 TO 1821.45 Chapter 45 RETROSPECT OF THE STATE OF RELIGION AND LEARNING DURING THE REIGN OF GEORGE III.46 Chapter 46 THE IRISH ABROAD, DURING THE REIGN OF GEORGE III.47 Chapter 47 O'CONNELL'S LEADERSHIP-THE CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION- 1821 TO 1826.48 Chapter 48 O'CONNELL'S LEADERSHIP-THE CLARE ELECTION-EMANCIPATION OF THE CATHOLICS.