Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Dublin Declines, Catholicism Rises
Constant migration from the countryside into Dublin meant that, by the end of the 18th
century, the capital had a Catholic majority, most of whom lived in terrible conditions in
ever-worsening slums. Inspired by the Enlightenment and the principles of the French Re-
volution of 1789, many leading Irish figures (nearly all of whom were Protestant) began to
question the quality and legitimacy of British rule.
Rebellion was in the air by the turn of the century, starting with the abortive French inva-
sion at the urging of Dubliner Wolfe Tone (1763-1798) and his United Irishmen in 1798.
The 'Year of the French' resulted in defeat for the invaders and the death of Tone, but in
1803 the United Irishmen tried again, this time under the leadership of Robert Emmet
(1778-1803), which also resulted in failure and Emmet's execution on Thomas St, near the
Guinness Brewery.
It was only a matter of time before Dublin's bubble burst, and the pin came in the form
of the 1801 Act of Union, which dissolved the Irish parliament (originally established in
1297) and reintroduced direct rule from Westminster. Many of the upper classes fled to
London, the dramatic growth that had characterised Dublin in the previous century came to
an almost immediate halt, and the city fell into a steady decline.
While Dublin was licking its wounds, a Kerry lawyer called Daniel O'Connell
(1775-1847) launched his campaign to recover basic rights for Catholics, achieving much
with the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829. The 'Liberator', as he came to be known, be-
came the first Catholic lord mayor of Dublin in 1841.
In 1745 when James Fitzgerald, the Earl of Kildare, started construction of Leinster House he was mocked
for his move into the wilds. 'Where I go society will follow', he confidently predicted. He was right; today
Leinster House is the seat of Irish parliament and is in modern Dublin's centre.
