Irish Confederation

Irish Confederation, established 13 January 1847 by the Young Irelanders who had seceded from the Repeal Association. Smith O'Brien hoped to work for the reform of the association and eventual reunion, but in practice the split within the nationalist movement was formalized. The confederate clubs emerged from summer 1847 to defend confederation meetings from O'Connellite attacks; they spread in Irish cities and larger towns and amongst the Irish immigrant communities in Britain, and became the focus of militancy within the movement, but made little impact in the countryside. In early 1848 the confederation split as John Mitchel and his associates resigned in protest at the social conservatism of O'Brien and Duffy. The French revolution of February 1848 encouraged the Young Irelanders to agree on the desirability of a rising, but divisions over strategy continued. In July the confederation reunited with the O'Connellites in the abortive Irish League, while at the same time forming a secret war council to plan a rebellion. The clubs were suppressed by government proclamation on 26 July, just before the abortive rebellion of 1848.

Peter Gray