Catholic Relief Acts

Catholic Relief Acts (1774–93), a series of enactments partially dismantling the penal laws. Historians disagree over how far Irish Protestant attitudes to Catholicism changed during the second half of the 18th century. The long period of peace since the Williamite War undoubtedly encouraged greater confidence, and Jacobitism quickly declined after 1745. Yet the execution of Nicholas Sheehy revealed the continued strength of anti‐Catholicism, and patriots remained divided as to how far their rhetoric of liberty extended to the Catholic majority. Recent accounts stress the initiative taken by British government, concerned particularly to tap the large reserve of potential military manpower in Ireland. The revived Catholic Committee further added to pressure for concessions.

Bishop Hervey's act of 1774 introducing a new oath of allegiance prepared the way for change. The Relief Act of 1778, introduced by Luke Gardiner but promoted by the government, enabled Catholics who had taken this oath to bequeath land to a single heir. However, MPS rejected Gardiner's proposal to allow the purchase of land. Instead the act permitted Catholics to take leases for up to 999 years, which conferred none of the political rights attached to freehold. Two further measures introduced by Gardiner in 1782 allowed Catholics to buy land, except in parliamentary boroughs, and removed most of the restrictions affecting Catholic education and the Catholic clergy.

Following the French Revolution British government looked to further relief legislation to prevent any alliance between Catholics and radical Presbyterians. Sir Hercules Langrishe's act of 1792 allowed Catholics to practise law. Following continued pressure from the Catholic Committee, an act of 1793, introduced by Chief Secretary Robert Hobart and forced through by government influence, gave Catholics the right to vote and to hold most civil and military offices. The violent anti‐Catholic rhetoric of the bill's opponents, and the resentment of Protestants at this perceived betrayal by British government, contributed significantly to the growth of religious conflict.

After 1793 Catholics were still barred from sitting in parliament, from the offices of lord lieutenant, chief secretary, and chancellor of the exchequer, and from other senior political positions. They could not be king's counsel, judges or governors, sheriffs or sub‐sheriffs, and could not hold higher military rank than colonel. Hopes for further relief were briefly raised under Fitzwilliam, and again at the time of the Act of Union. But it was not until 1829 that the last Catholic Relief Act (see catholic emancipation) removed these remaining disabilities.

Bibliography

Bartlett, Thomas , The Fall and Rise of the Irish Nation (1992)