Ballyhaise N.S.
Presents
A 5th/6th Class Production of
19th Century Ireland
Contents
The Act of Union (by Caitlin and Lauren)
Robert Emmet (by Ailbhe, Mark and Aiden)
Daniel O’Connell (by Rachel Smith and Conor Smith)
The Young Irelanders (by Jarlaith and Katie)
The Fenians (by Donal, Glory and Emma Colwell)
The Famine (by Emma Smith, Shauna and Michelle)
Michael Davitt (by Conor Greenan, Elaine and Cónall)
Charles Stewart Parnell (by Rachel O’Hanlon and Jade)
The Cultural Revival (by Eoin, Robbie and Martyna)
ACT OF UNION
1800
(BY CAITLIN AND LAUREN)
• The Irish Rebellion of 1798 brought the issue
of Ireland to the attention of the British
Cabinet and William Pitt the younger , the
British Prime Minister
• He decided that the best solution was a
Union.
• The Act of Union was passed in the summer of
1800.
• It united the Britain and Ireland to create the
U.K.
• The union came into affect on the 1st of
January 1801.
For the current union flag they
combined the English , Scottish and
Irish flags together.
• For most Irish, there wasn't a noticeable
difference, but it meant the Irish government
representatives could not pass laws on their
own.
th
19
Century Ireland
Robert Emmet
(by Ailbhe and Aiden)
Robert Emmet
• Robert Emmet was born in 1778.
• He came from a wealthy Protestant family
who sympathised with Irish Catholics.
• Robert was put in jail because of a rebellion
against the British in 1803.
Robert Emmet
• While he was in jail, Emmet wrote a letter to
his sweetheart ,Sarah Curran.
• He then gave it to a prison warden to post.
• But the warden gave it to the government.
That letter nearly cost Sarah her life.
Robert Emmet
• Robert and Sarah had dreamed of running
away together.
• However, Robert was found guilty of high
treason and he was given the death penalty.
• A day later, he was hung, drawn and quartered
in Thomas Street.
19th Century
Daniel O’ Connell
By Rachel Smith
and Conor Smith
6th August
1775-15th
May
The Liberator
Often referred to as “ The
Liberator” or “ The
Emancipator”, Daniel O Connell
was an Irish political leader in
the first half of the 19th century.
Personal details
Born – 6th August 1775 Caheriveenn, Ireland
Died -15th May 1847 [aged 71 ]Genoa, Italy
Resting place - Glasnevin Cemetery Dublin,
Ireland
Political party - Radicals Repeal Association
Occupation - Barrister , political activist
Personal
details
Wife - Mary O’Connell [m 1802]
Children - Maurice , Ellen , Catherine , Timothy James
, Elizabeth , John , Richard & Daniel jnr.
Religion – Roman Catholicism
EARLY LIFE
• Daniel did well at school and in
1790 his uncle sent him and his
brother to study in France
• Daniel experienced the violence
of the French Revolution and
this gave him a hatred of
violence
MID - LIFE
• In 1811 O Connell established
the Catholic Board , which
campaigned for Catholic
Emancipation , that is the
opportunity for Irish Catholics to
become Members of Parliament.
Achievements
As a result of his campaigning,
Catholics were allowed to become
judges as well as Members of
Parliament.
O’Connell Street in Dublin is named
after Daniel.
The Young Irelanders
By Jarlaith and Katie
The Young Irelanders
• The Young Irelanders - Irish nationalist
movement of the 1840s.
• Begun by a group of Irish journalists who
founded and wrote for the Nation newspaper.
The Young Irelanders
• The movement supported the study of Irish
history and the revival of the Irish (Gaelic)
language as a means of achieving
independence.
The Young Irelanders
• The Irish flag was first used as a symbol of the
Young Ireland movement.
• It is not known whether the flag was a gift
from France or whether the Young Irelanders
had been inspired by the French flag.
The Battle of Ballingarry
• The Young Irelanders rebellion took place on the
29th of July 1848 in the village of Ballingarry, South
Tipperary.
• The rebels took hostages but retreated after police
reinforcements arrived.
• The rebellion had failed.
The Aftermath
• These Young Irelanders were eventually caught.
• Seven Young Irelanders were eventually
imprisoned on Van Deimans Land [Tasmania].
• Four of them escaped to America and three were
allowed to return to Ireland.
The Young Irelanders
• The rebellion ended the Young Irelanders.
The Famine
By : Emma , Shauna , Michelle
Blight
• September 1845 - a strange disease struck
potatoes in fields across Ireland.
• Nearly half of the potato harvest was destroyed by
the strange disease known as “blight”.
• As a result, there was a lack of food and people
began to get sick.
Blight
• In the years after the Famine scientists discovered
that the blight was caused by a fungus.
• The worst period of disease was in 1849 when
cholera struck causing many more people to be
sick and die.
Emigration
• Many people left Ireland.
• Emigration caused the population to drop by 3
million.
Emigration
• People emigrated on coffin ships from Ireland.
• They were called coffin ships because many people
died on them.
• When people died, the crew threw them
overboard.
A Coffin Ship
Workhouses
• Workhouses were places where the very poor
lived
• Once they entered the workhouse, people had to
wear a uniform and were given a very basic diet.
A Workhouse
Workhouses
• The main food they were given was called
stirabout, which was similar to a weak oatmeal
porridge.
• Men, women, girls and boys were all forced to stay
in different parts of the building.
Soup Kitchens
• Summer 1847 - the government set up some soup
kitchens.
• By August 1847, 3 million people were being fed
each day.
Crimes
A large number of woman/children were
charged with begging and stealing food.
Cells were usually VERY crowded.
There were more crimes as people got fed
better in prisons.
The Famine : The Facts
 The Famine (also known as the Gorta
Mór) lasted from 1845 to 1849.
 90,000 evictions occurred during the
Famine and over 1 million people died due
to fever and starvation.
Fenians
19th century
(by Donal, Glory and Emma Colwell)
Secret Society
• The Fenians - a secret revolutionary society
organized in 1858 in Ireland and the United
States.
About the Fenians
• The Fenians were from Ireland. They were
mainly farmers and middle class people.
• The Fenians were also called the Irish Republic
Brotherhood (IRB).
James Stephens
• In Ireland the movement was led by James
Stephens (1825-1901).
• In 1863 Stephens founded the newspaper
‘The Irish People’ which promoted Fenian
ideals and helped to attract new recruits.
The Spread of the Fenians
• The Fenians spread throughout the country.
• From America, there came promises of
money and arms, but little arrived.
The Fenian Rising
• In February 1867, there was an unsuccessful
rising in Kerry.
• In March, other failed risings took place in
Cork City, Limerick and Dublin.
• The largest of these took place in Tallaght
where several hundred Fenians were involved.
Emigration
• As a result, vast numbers of embittered Irish
men emigrated to the United States, Australia
and South America where they redoubled
their agitation against England.
The Fenian movement.
• The Fenians movement continued until World
War 1, but its influence was largely drawn off
into new a organization - Sinn Féin (founded
by Arthur Griffith, a former Fenian).
(25 March 1846 - 31 May 1906)
Early Life
Davitt was evicted from his
home aged 9.
He was forced to leave his
home in Mayo and move to
Great Britain.
A Bad Accident
• When he was 11, he lost his right arm in a factory
accident.
Davitt in the Fenians
Davitt joined the Irish Republican
Brotherhood (Fenians) in 1860s.
They tried to start a revolution but it
failed badly.
Davitt in prison
 Davitt was arrested in London in 1870.
 He was jailed until 1877 and he then
emigrated to America.
Land League
• Michael Davitt founded the Land League in
Castlebar, Co. Mayo, along with Charles
Stewart Parnell on the 16th of August 1879
• Land League meetings were held every
Sunday.
Aims of the Land League
The “Three F’s” i.e.
• Fair Rent
• Fixity of Tenure (meaning that a tenant could
not be evicted if he had paid the rent) and
• Free Sale (that Irish owners be able to sell
their land to whom they liked for a fair price)
More Rights
• It was mainly through Michael Davitt’s efforts
that “the three F’s” were finally granted to
the Land League.
Death
• He died on 30th of May 1906.
th
19
Century
Charles Stewart Parnell
(by Rachel O’Hanlon and Jade)
(27 June 1846 – 6 October 1891)
Who was he?
• A Protestant landlord, Charles Stewart Parnell led
the Irish members of the British House of
Commons in the fight for an Irish parliament.
• He failed to win Home Rule, but his work helped
Ireland on its journey to freedom.
Who was he?
• He joined the Irish Parliamentary Party and
became its leader.
• The members of his party spoke for hours in the
House of Commons to keep the British leaders
from doing what they wanted.
Uncrowned King
• Parnell travelled to America to raise money for
the nationalist movement in Ireland.
• He raised £26,000 and many referred to
Parnell as the "Uncrowned King of Ireland".
Did you know?
Parnell’s friend, Joe Biggar MP (for Cavan) made
the longest speech EVER in the House of Commons
which lasted over 41 hours!
Lavey Joe Biggars GFC is named after him.
Downfall
In 1889, Parnell and his partner, Kitty O’ Shea were
involved in a divorce scandal in the newspapers.
Downfall
Some people thought that Parnell had not
behaved as he should have.
Not long after, he became ill and died (on the 6th
of October 1891).
Parnell
• Parnell brought the whole issue of Home Rule
to the attention of those in Britain.
• He helped to create a political party with
members working together as a team.
• He gained the support of
Britain's most important
politician at that time William Gladstone
Literacy
• The culture of
Ireland
underwent a
massive change in
the 19th century.
• Irish people could
only speak English
and speaking Irish
was prohibited.
Literacy
• This process was
started in the
1820’s.
• Irish nationalists
began a “Gaelic
Revival”, in the
late 19th century.
The Gaelic League
• In 1893 the Gaelic
League was established
to promote all aspects
of Irish culture and
dancing.
• Irish dance was taught
by Dance Masters.
The GAA
• The GAA began in 1884.
• It was founded on Saturday, 1st November,
in the Lizzie’s Mayes Hotel, Thurles,
Tipperary.
The Abbey Theatre
• The Abbey Theatre was founded in 1904 by
William Butler Yeats and Lady Gregory.
• Yeats encouraged Irish writers to write about
Irish life and traditions.
The Cultural Revival
• The cultural revival was a partial success.
• The GAA is still going strong today.
• The Gaelic League was not as successful in
persuading people to speak Irish.
The End