 |
 |
Catholic Association
Daniel O'Connell returned in the political arena in 1815 as a leader of the Catholic Emancipation Movement. Daniel O'Connell, who had kept a low profile since the United Irishmen Rebellion of 1798, opposed against armed rebellion as a method to archive a liberated Ireland. In his opinion the only way to obtain political and religious equality was using the Parliamentary system.
Reform Act
In 1823 Daniel O'Connell, Richard Lalor Sheil and Thomas Wyse founded the Catholic Association. The Catholic Association campaigned against the Act of the Union.
Despite O'Connell's aversion from violence the Catholic Association did not hesitate to threat with a civil war by warning the British over and over again that the Irish started listening to councils of violent men.
Slowly, but steady, the methods of the Catholic Association took effect. Daniel O'Connell was elected as member of the House of Commons in 1826, but being a Catholic he was not allowed to take his seat. In 1829 the Roman Catholic Relief Act passed the British Parliament, allowing O'Connell to take his seat in the House of Commons.
The expectations regarding the 1832 Reform Act were high and the disappointment huge when turned out that the principle one man, one vote was not part of this act. In the years thereafter several other acts and bills passed the Parliament, including the Irish Poor Law which became an obstacle during the Great Famine.
All those acts did not really improve the situation of the Irish Catholics. Disappointed Daniel O'Connell left the House of Commons and became the first Catholic Lord Major of Dublin in 1841.
O'Connell remained active in the Catholic Emancipation movement but was unable to archive any progress and in the 40's of the nineteenth century, during the Great Famine, Young Ireland emerged and abandoned the non-violence ideals of Daniel O'Connell.
During a pilgrimage to Rome Daniel O'Connell died due to illness on 15 May 1847.