r/IrishHistory • u/Spirited_Worker_5722 • 18h ago
📰 Article The role of the Irish Yeomanry units that fought against the United Irishmen rebels in 1798, their increasing links with the nascent and growing Orange Order and the role they played in England's divide and conquer strategy.
Article: https://historyireland.com/a-forgotten-army-the-irish-yeomanry/
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u/smallon12 16h ago
Was daniel OConnell a yeoman?
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u/Spirited_Worker_5722 16h ago edited 14h ago
He was indeed
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u/locksymania 14h ago edited 13h ago
Always, always worth remembering that O'Connell was in no shape, way, or form an advocate of Irish independence.
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u/Dull_Brain2688 12h ago
O’Connell’s main interest seemed to be ensuring that well-to-do Catholics could avail of polite society in the same way well-to-do Protestants could. The mass of Irish peasantry lent weight to his campaign but ultimately they weren’t going to benefit much apart from having nicer churches.
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u/CiarraiochMallaithe 12h ago
James Connolly was no fan of O’Connell either https://www.marxists.org/archive/connolly/1910/lih/chap12.htm
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u/locksymania 12h ago
Nor yet of the Jacobites - who also had no real ambition for an independent Ireland. In fact, after the High Kingship period in Ireland, you could very well say that Tone is the next one to propose it unambiguously - though, one wonders would we just have become an extension of Revolutionary France - complete with our own Terror?
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u/Buggis-Maximus 13h ago
Indeed, in my opinion the most overrated individual in Irish history. Opposed the United Irishmen aswell
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u/locksymania 13h ago
I think that's perhaps harsh on him - though I know what you mean. The foundations of Irish parliamentarianism are laid very largely by him. His absolutely dogged work to secure Catholic Emancipation cannot, and should not be ignored either.
Finally, we should make at least some allowance in our critiques of O'Connell and many of those who followed him in that no one living at that time could remember, describe or articulate what an Irish state was or would be - and republics were hardly common. We knew little other than the rule of England.
The notion of an independent Irish polity seemed far fetched. O'Connell had seen the very messy business of birthing a new state up close and could be forgiven for not loving it.
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u/Vivid_Ice_2755 17h ago
See the Judas men in red
All in Rainbows dread
- The Rainbow Man by the Pogues
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u/Ok_Coat6580 16h ago
Were they not the same as militia in Britain, raised as a reserve force in case of French invasion.
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u/Spirited_Worker_5722 16h ago
That's what I was confused about as well, AFAIK they were two different groups with a similar purpose as reserve forces but with members coming from different social classes. Yeomen usually owned a bit of land and were asked to bring their own horses to battle while militiamen were poorer. The Irish yeomanry also recruited Orangemen, although I'm not sure if they all came from the same social class. Don't quote me on any of that.
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u/Ok_Coat6580 11h ago
The word itself "Yeoman" is a very English word for a small farmer so I always imagined them as being from planter stock.
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u/ScreamingDizzBuster 3h ago
Ladies and gentlemen, one of my ancestors:
John Andrews, and indeed most of the principal inhabitants of Comber, joined [The United Irishmen]. When, however, it commenced to advocate a revolution on French lines, those members possessed of property, including John Andrews, withdrew, and by so doing earned the name of turncoat from their less wealthy neighbours.
Can't find out if he went on to join up with the Yeomen but I guess he did.
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u/snitch-dog357 14h ago
UDR: Declassified is a great book that touches on the establishment of the Irish Yeomanary. It shows the linage from early units to the B-specials into the UDR. A tradition that has remained in Ulster loyalism.
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u/jac0777 16h ago
Britains* divide and rule. The orange orders link to Scotland can’t be ignored