The Defenders were a militant agrarian secret society in 18th century Ireland, who were involved in the 1798 rebellion. This period in Irelands History was marked by the dominance of the so-called Protestant Ascendancy. ...

Origin

The Defenders originated in county Armagh in Ulster in 1784, to protect Catholics from attack by the Protestant "Peep O'Day Boys". Sectarian conflict had arisen out of the entry of Catholics into the linen producing business and their being blamed for the downturn in the market, although the actual cause was the increasing industrialization of the business which was steadily eroding the previous largely cottage-based nature of the industry. Violence continued until the battle of the Diamond in 1795 saw the "Peep O'Day Boys" emerge victorious. This victory was marked by the foundation of the Orange Order and the waging of a campaign of ethnic cleansing in mid Ulster which forced thousands of Catholics to seek refuge in Connaught and Leinster, and in many cases, bringing the Defender organisation with them. County Armagh (Contae Ard Mhacha in Irish) is a county in Ulster, Ireland. ... Statistics Area: 24,481 km² Population (2006 estimate) 1,993,918 Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Sectarianism is an adherence to a particular sect or party or denomination, it also usually involves a rejection of those not a member of ones sect. ... Linum usitatissimum L. - Flax Torn linen cloth, recovered from the Dead Sea Linen is a material made from the fibers of the flax plant. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Ethnic cleansing refers to various policies or practices aimed at the displacement of an ethnic group from a particular territory. ... Mid Ulster is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... Connaught redirects here. ... Statistics Area: 19,774. ...

The Forkhill Disturbances

For some time Defender violence in south Armagh increased and it was at the small village of Forkhill that perhaps its most notorious incident took place. In January 1791 the home of the local schoolmaster a Mr Barclay was called upon by a body of men. Recognising one of the group Barclay let them into his home. The crowd rushed in where upon they strangled Barclay until his tongue came out which they then cut off along with three of his fingers. The same treatment was then given to Barclay's wife - her tongue removed along with a thumb and four fingers - and her brother who had his calf removed. Why such was horrific treatment dealt to the Barclays by the Defenders? Tension had been rising in the area following a controversial will which had been interpreted as not allowing Catholics to buy land or renew their leases. Secondly Barclay was a Protestant and had refused to allow the local Gaelic speaking children to speak anything but in English, and to only say Protestant prayers. He had been given the job by the local landlord Edward Hudson who sought to improve the area, largely by removing the local tenantry and as such was very unpopular. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Forkhill is a small village in South Armagh close to the border with Louth in the Republic. ... January is the first month of the year and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1791 (MDCCXCI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Gaelic as an adjective means pertaining to the Gaels, whether to their language or their culture. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

The Defenders in 1792

The strife that had begun in Armagh had now spread into the neighbouring counties but it was around the town of Rathfriland in county Down that the next flashpoint occurred.The sectarian conflict that plagued south Ulster intensified around the town of Rathfriland in the early part of 1792. In May in the neighbourhood of Banbridge and Rathfriland these animosities were reported to be carried to a new height. In June a meeting of magistrates declared that the conflict between the Defenders and Peep o' day boys now affected a considerable part of the Baronies of Upper and Lower Iveagh. The violence was to reach new levels in the Battle of Ballynappoge on the 6th May. The problems in the area seem to have been running for some time and there is an account of one presbyterian from Ballynappoge firing shots into the Defender quarter of Islandmoyle every night. The latest spark appeared to have been the funeral procession of a Catholic schoolmaster to a graveyard at Drumballyroney. The procession was hooted, insulted and pelted with dirt, by the presbyterians: but when they arrived at the grave-yard, and the priests began to chant the requiem of the deceased, they were attacked by the presbyterians with stones and clubs, and compelled to fly, leaving the corpse unburied. It would appear that both the Defenders and the Peep O'Day Boys had been preparing for conflict merely awaiting an excuse, and the funeral was to provide just that. Two days of violence followed and by Tuesday an army was assembled, consisting of many thousands and everything ready for blood and carnage. Through the efforts of the Reverend Samuel Barber and some others articles of agreement were drawn up and these were agreed upon by both sides. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Rathfriland is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Downpatrick Area: 2,448 km² Population (est. ... Statistics Area: 24,481 km² Population (2006 estimate) 1,993,918 Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... Rathfriland is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Look up May in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Rathfriland is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

Despite this tension again rose through the summer and series of meetings that helped to shape the politics of the 1790s took place. Amongst those who met the Defenders that summer in an effort to restore peace were the United Irishmen Wolfe Tone, Samuel Neilson, John Keogh, Thomas Braughall, Alexander Lowry as well as Thomas Russell who was also visiting this region. These meetings are the first substantial links between the Defenders and the United Irishmen a link that was to culminate in the rebellion in 1798. The Society of the United Irishmen was a political organisation in eighteenth century Ireland that sought independence from Great Britain. ... Theobald Wolfe Tone Theobald Wolfe Tone, commonly known as Wolfe Tone (20 June 1763 - 19 November 1798) was a leading figure in the Irish independence movement. ... Samuel Neilson (1761-1803) was one of the original members of the Society of United Irishmen and the founder of its newspaper the Northern Star. ... John Keogh (1740 - 1817) was a leading Irish rights campaigner who stuggled to get Irish Roman Catholics the right to vote and the repeal of the penal act. ... Thomas Russell (1762-1788) was an English poet born at Beaminster early in 1762. ... The Society of the United Irishmen was a political organisation in eighteenth century Ireland that sought independence from Great Britain. ... The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (Éirí Amach 1798 in Irish), or 1798 rebellion as it is known locally, was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against the British dominated Kingdom of Ireland. ...

Defenders and the Militia Act 1793

The Catholic Relief Act of 1793 had removed some the penal restrictions imposed upon Catholics, who were now allowed to vote and join grand juries. However, the declaration of war by revolutionary France against Britain in February 1793 was also followed by the passing of the Militia Act which was a form of partial conscription. Although the terms of the Act stipulated that conscripts would serve in Ireland, it was widely believed that men would be sent abroad and the resultant opposition saw thousands taking the Defender oath. Members were usually sworn in catechisms, one such oath went: The Penal laws in Ireland refers to a series of laws imposed under British rule that sought to discriminate against the majority native Catholic population but also against Protestant dissenters in favour of the established Church of Ireland which recognised the English monarchy as its spiritual head. ... The period of the French Revolution in the history of France covers the years between 1789 and 1799, in which democrats and republicans overthrew the absolute monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church perforce underwent radical restructuring. ...

The French Defenders will uphold the cause. The Irish Defenders will pull down British laws.

The Defenders did not have a centralised leadership but were organised in loosely connected local cells and the growth in membership was limited by their lack of firearms. They sought to rectify by launching raids on the big and small houses of the Ascendancy. In January 1793 the 'Annual Register' reported that 40 farms had been raided for weapons near Dundalk, Co. Louth. However county Leitrim saw the most Defender activity with raids on Carrick-on-Shannon and Manorhamilton before eventual defeat at Drumkeerin in May 1793. Despite the ensuing wave of repression, the Leitrim Defenders again rose in open rebellion in 1795 and hundreds of soldiers had to be poured into the county to defeat them. The Defenders retained enough strength to rise in support of the French during the the 1798 rebellion, with strong Defender contingents present at the defeats at Granard, Wilsons Hospital and Ballinamuck. // Background Ascendancy is a 4X science fiction turn-based strategy computer game for DOS. It was released in 1995 by The Logic Factory. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Leitrim (Irish: Liatroim) is one of the counties in the west of Ireland and is part of the province Connacht. ... Carrick-on-Shannon (Irish: Cora Droma Rúisc) is situated in County Leitrim in the Republic of Ireland on the County Roscommon border. ... Manorhamilton (Irish: Cluainín) is a small town in County Leitrim, Ireland. ... The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (Éirí Amach 1798 in Irish), or 1798 rebellion as it is known locally, was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against the British dominated Kingdom of Ireland. ... Granard (Gránard in Irish) is a town in the north of County Longford, Ireland and has a traceable histroy going back to 236AD. It is situated between three rivers, the Shannon, the Erne, and the Inny. ... The Battle of Ballinamuck was the last land battle of the 1798 Rebellion in Ireland. ...

Defenders and United Irishmen

The United Irishmen had early identified the Defenders as potential allies and leading members such as James Hope had regularly travelled throughout the country organising cells and distributing propaganda such as the Northern Star newspaper. Defender cells were easily transformed into United Irish cells and those who held dual membership were often referred to as being "up and up". The precise role of the Defenders as an organisation during the rebellion is therefore hard to assess but Colonel Foote, commander of the British force and one of its few survivors of the battle of Oulart Hill referred to the victorious rebels as "Defenders" as opposed to United Irishmen in his official account of the defeat. The Defenders of County Down withdrew support before the battle of Ballynahinch as their leader John Magennis had received good local information on the size and placing of the British forces.^{[citation needed]} The Society of the United Irishmen was a political organisation in eighteenth century Ireland that sought independence from Great Britain. ... James Hope (1764-1847), was one of the leaders of the Society of the United Irishmen who fought in the 1798 and 1803 rebellions against British rule in Ireland. ... The Northern Star was the newspaper of the Society of United Irishmen, which was published from 1792 until its suppression by the British army in May 1797. ... Battle of Oulart Hill 27th May 1798 The battle of Oulart Hill took place on 27th May 1798 when a rebel gathering of 1,000 annihilated a detachment of militia sent from Wexford town to stamp out the spread of 1798 rebellion in county Wexford. ... The Society of the United Irishmen was a political organisation in eighteenth century Ireland that sought independence from Great Britain. ... Ballynahinch is the name of at least two towns in Ireland: Ballynahinch, County Down in Northern Ireland Ballynahinch, County Galway in the Republic of Ireland This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

The Defenders were usually depicted as subject to residual sectarianism, ultra-Catholic, guilty of anti-Protestantism and having only paid at best lip service to the non-sectarian ideals of the United Irishmen. While this was undoubtedly true of a proportion of Defenders, Catholic priests were not immune to their wrath as in Athlone in 1793 where a priest who preached in favour of the Militia Act was almost hanged to death. ^[1] Anti-Protestantism is an irrational opposition to Protestantism which is primarily emotional and akin to the irrational hatreds of racism and and anti-semitism. ... The Society of the United Irishmen was a political organisation in eighteenth century Ireland that sought independence from Great Britain. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ...

The fortunes of the Defenders were closely tied to the United Irishmen by the outbreak of the rebellion in 1798 and they did not survive its failure; however their influence endured in the later formation of similar groups like the Ribbonmen in the 1830s. The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (Éirí Amach 1798 in Irish), or 1798 rebellion as it is known locally, was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against the British dominated Kingdom of Ireland. ... Ribbonism, whose adherents were usually called Ribbonmen refers to the secret associations among 19th century lower class rural Irish Catholics, organised in opposition to Orangeism. ...

References

1. ^ J. Brady: Catholics and Catholicism in 18th century Press, (1965) p. 240

See also

• Peep O'Day Boys
• Whiteboys
• Ribbonmen
• Croppy

The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The Whiteboys were a secret Irish agrarian organisation in 18th Century Ireland which used violent tactics to defend tenant farmer land rights for subsistence farming. ... Ribbonism, whose adherents were usually called Ribbonmen refers to the secret associations among 19th century lower class rural Irish Catholics, organised in opposition to Orangeism. ... Croppy (sometimes spelt croppie) was a derogatory nickname given to Irish rebels during the period of the 1798 rebellion. ...

Sources

• Thomas Bartlett, Kevin Dawson, Daire Keogh, "Rebellion", Dublin 1998
• Liam Kelly "A Flame now Quenched: Rebels and Frenchmen in Leitrim 1793-98", Dublin 1998
• David Miller "Peep O' Day Boys and Defenders", Belfast 1990