The Rising of 1798
The insurrection long delayed in the hope of the promised aid from
France, now broke out under the worst possible conditions. for success. Left without
leaders, it is astonishing that it should have been confined to only a portion of the
country and that the efforts of the counties that ‘rose’ were speedily
suppressed. Between 24th and 27th May there were engagements with the military at Naas,
Clane, Prosperous, Kilcullen and Monasterevin in Kildare, at Dunboyne and Tara in Meath,
at Baltinglass in Wicklow, at Lucan, Rathfarnham and Tallaght in Dublin. The only other
important engagements in Ulster were at Saintfield and Newtownards, where the insurgents
were successful, and at Ballinahinch where Monroe and his United Men were defeated by
General Nugent. News of those events came in due time to Tone in France, and made him
frantic with anxiety and impatience to be with his comrades in Ireland. Tone was called to
Paris to consult with the Ministers of War and Marine in the organisation of a small
expedition. Wolfe Tone accompanied eight frigates under Commodore Bompard and 3000 men
under General Hardy to Ireland. However they were set upon by the English fleet. Tone was
not recognised at first but his disguise was soon upturned. He made a gallant figure as he
stood before his judges in the uniform of a French Colonel, making his last profession of
faith in his principles to which he had devoted all that was his to give. "From my
earliest youth I have regarded the connection between Ireland and Great Britain as the
curse of the Irish nation, and felt convinced, that while it lasted, this country would
never be free or happy. In consequence, I determined to apply all the powers which my
individual efforts could move, in order to separate the two countries. that Ireland was
not able, of herself, to throw off the yoke, I knew. I therefore sought for aid wherever
it was to be found.......Under the flag of the French Republic. After such sacrifices, in
a cause which I have always considered as the cause of justice and freedom - it is no
great effort at this day to add the sacrifice of my life".
Tone is buried at Bodenstown alongside his brother who had died for the same glorious
cause a few weeks earlier.
And there, side by side, those two mangled bodies - each broken so cruelly in the
conquerors murder machine - await the Resurrection - in the ‘green grave’ which
Ireland cherishes as the most precious thing she owns.
Everybody knew that the war between France and England, to which the
peace of Amiens had put a temporary cessation, would soon break out again; and it was
common belief likewise that when the war did break out, an invasion by Bonaparte either of
England or Ireland would be attempted. The United Irishmen, both on the continent and in
Ireland therefore were prepared to sacrifice their just resentment against France for her
failure to keep her engagements with them in ’98 and enter into a new alliance with
her. The Agent of the United Irishmen in Paris, was Thomas Addis Emmet, who left Brussels
for the French Capital early in 1803, to act in that capacity on definite instructions
from the Provisional Government in Ireland. In the first place there was an absolute
promise on the part of the French of a large expeditionary force to aid the Rising in
Ireland. In the second there was an understanding with, and guarantees of co-operation
from the revolutionary societies in England and Scotland. In the third, there were pledges
from men of the highest social, military and political standing in Ireland to aid the
movement with money, moral and other backing. If ever an effort for Irish Liberty seemed
destined to succeed, it was that to which Robert Emmet found himself committed when he
returned to Ireland, after his ‘Grand Tour’ on the continent, in the Autumn of
1802. His primary object was to get the country organised and armed, ready to co-operate
with the French landing. Emmets own work was mainly confined to Dublin, but he was in
close touch with the men of Carlow, Wicklow and Wexford. On the 16th July an explosion
took place in a house in Patrick Street, which Emmet had taken as a depot for arms and
explosives. This event, which made him regard the discovery of his plans as imminent,
caused him to fix an early date for the Rising without waiting for the promised French
help. Assurance came from all over the country that if Dublin rose the rest of Ireland
would speedily follow. Saturday, the 23rd July was the day arranged for the Rising. But on
the day appointed it was discovered that only a small fraction of the men expected to help
had turned up. The romantic sequel of Robert Emmets story has given to the occurrences of
the 23rd July an importance which the men who organised the conspiracy of which they were
only an incident, did not recognise. One part of the plan, the Rising in Dublin, had
miscarried, through no fault of Robert Emmets; but if the French had been true to their
plighted word the rest of the country would have risen later, according to the plan, and
the dream to which the gallant youth sacrificed fortune, life and love, might yet have
come true. But the French failed their Irish allies once more, and Thomas Addis Emmet,
though he still continued for a time his negotiations with the agents of the First Consul,
had at length to convince himself that ‘Bonaparte was the worst enemy Ireland ever
had’. As for his brother, Robert, when he saw the blood of Lord Kilwarden, he
dispersed his followers and was determined to do nothing more until the promised French
aid had arrived. To expedite its coming he sent Myles Byrne to France with an urgent
message to his brother, Thomas Addis. Before Myles Bryne had arrived in Paris, Robert had
been arrested at Harolds Cross, to whose dangerous neighbourhood he had been drawn by an
overpowering desire to see once more his ‘bright love’ the exquisite Sarah
Curran. On the 20th September the sacrifice was consummated. The brave youth was publicly
beheaded on a Dublin street.
Throughout almost the first half of the nineteenth century Irelands
history is reflected in the life of Daniel O’Connell. In Dublin he associated with
the United Irishmen and shred their national sentiments. When the Emmet alarm burst on the
country in 1803, he flew to arms to preserve the Constitution. He was one of the Lawyers
Corps that was formed for defence of the realm against the assault of French principles.
It was in 1808, that O’Connell first got marked prominence in Irish affairs. When in
’13 those Protestant champions of Catholic Emancipation, Grattan and Plunkett, had
introduced in Parliament a Catholic Relief Bill which had every chance of passing, and
which had the approval of the Irish Catholic aristocratic party and the English Catholics,
O’Connell aroused Ireland against it because it was saddled with the objectionable
veto and also gave to the British the right to supervise all documents passing between
Rome and the Roman Catholic hierarchy in these islands. The passion of O’Connell, the
people, and the prelates had the desired effect. The rights of the Irish church were no
longer to be considered a negotiable security at Rome.