The Penal laws in Ireland (Irish: Na Péindlíthe) refers to a series of laws imposed under British rule that sought to discriminate against 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.^[1] In the most general sense, penal is the body of laws that are enforced by the State in its own name and impose penalties for their violation, as opposed to civil law that seeks to redress private wrongs. ... The Church of Ireland (Irish: ) is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ...

Background

English attempts to govern Ireland had long been marked by the passing of various acts to secure its rule: in 1367, the Statutes of Kilkenny sought to prevent the Old English from any further adoption of Gaelic culture, and Poynings Law of 1494 made the Irish parliament subservient to the English one. These were approved of by the Holy See. But the English Reformation from 1535 under Henry VIII brought a new religious division to the relationship between Ireland and England, though he also persecuted Protestants. His son Edward VI (1553-57) was fully Protestant, and Queen Mary then supported Catholicism in 1553-58, while settling the new 'King's' and Queen's' counties in the midlands. During her reign it was agreed under the Treaty of Augsburg in 1555 that Europeans should follow their ruler's faith (in Latin, 'Cuius regio, eius religio'). She married King Philip II of Spain. The Statutes of Kilkenny were a notorious series of thirty-five acts passed at Kilkenny in 1367, aimed at curbing the alarming decline of the Hiberno-Norman Lordship of Ireland. ... The Old English were a wave of early medieval Norman, French, Welsh, English, Breton and Flemish settlers who went to Ireland to claim territory and lands in the wake of the Norman invasion. ... Poynings Law refers to the time when Sir Edward Poyning was sent as viceroy to Ireland by Henry VII of England. ... Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland, from 22 April 1509 until his death. ... Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) became King of England, King of France (in practice only the town and surrounding district of Calais) and Ireland on 28 January 1547, and crowned on 20 February, at just nine years of age. ... Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 6 July 1553 (de facto) or 19 July 1553 (de jure) until her death on 17 November 1558. ... The Holy See (Latin: Sancta Sedes, holy seat) is the episcopal see of Rome. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Tullamore Code: OY Area: 1,999 km² Population (2006) 70,604 Website: www. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Portlaoise Code: LS Area: 1,719 km² Population (2006) 69,012 Website: www. ... The Peace of Augsburg was a treaty signed between Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and the forces of the Schmalkaldic League on September 25, 1555 at the city of Augsburg in Germany. ... Cuius regio, eius religio is a phrase in Latin that means, Whose the region is, his religion. ... Philip II (Spanish: Felipe II de Habsburgo; Portuguese: Filipe I) (May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598) was the first official King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, King of Naples and Sicily from 1554 until 1598, King consort of England (as husband of Mary I) from 1554 to 1558, Lord...

Elizabeth excommunicated in 1570

The confused matter of religious loyalties in England and Ireland continued in the first years of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603). However, after 12 years the Papacy excommunicated her as a heretic in 1570. Decades of wars and tensions followed until her death in 1603. Her principal opponent, Philip II of Spain, encouraged Catholic rebellions in Ireland in the 1580s and was offered the kingship of Ireland by some important Gaelic chieftains in 1595, which he refused. Whenever they sought support in Europe, it was a hindrance that the important Irish Catholic families, whether of Gaelic or English descent, had never supplied Rome with a Pope or a Cardinal. Elizabeth I redirects here. ... The Holy See (Latin: Sancta Sedes, holy seat) is the episcopal see of Rome. ... Philip II (Spanish: Felipe II de Habsburgo; Portuguese: Filipe I) (May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598) was the first official King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, King of Naples and Sicily from 1554 until 1598, King consort of England (as husband of Mary I) from 1554 to 1558, Lord... The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group which spread from Ireland to many parts of Britain, specifically Scotland, the Isle of Man, Wales and Cornwall. ...

In Ireland, new laws were put into force from the late 1500s and coincided with a determined effort to bring all of Ireland under English government for the first time (see Tudor re-conquest of Ireland) and the colonisation of the country in the Plantations of Ireland. The Penal legislation had a pronounced effect over two centuries, disenfranchising in 1728 the richer part of the majority of the Irish population, who were Roman Catholic, and most Scottish settlers, who were Presbyterian, in favour of the much smaller official Church of Ireland - initially mostly composed of English settlers. Though the laws affected adherents of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (who were concentrated in Ulster), their principal victims were the wealthier, landed members of the Roman Catholic Church, whose co-religionists comprised over three quarters of the people on the island. The English had, intentionally or otherwise, punished the faith of the overwhelming majority of the "mere Irish" (this derived from the Latin 'merus', meaning 'pure'). There was no law forbidding Catholics from converting to the state religion, but few chose to do so. Little attempt was made to convert the poor. The Tudor re-conquest of Ireland took place under the English Tudor dynasty during the 16th century. ... Plantations in 16th and 17th century Ireland involved the seizure of land owned by the native Irish and granting of it to colonists (planters) from Britain. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... 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 Church of Ireland (Irish: ) is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ... Modern logo of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (or PCI) has a membership of 300,000 people in 650 congregations across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, though the bulk of the membership is in Northern 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. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic...

Stuart and Cromwellian rule

Initially, English monarchs were cautious about applying the Penal Laws to Ireland because they needed the support of the Roman Catholic upper classes to put down Gaelic Irish rebellion in the Nine Years War (1594-1603). In addition, a significant section of the Roman Catholic aristocracy was Old English who had traditionally been loyal to English rule in Ireland. However, the ascent of James I to the English and Irish thrones in 1603 and eventual victory in the Nine Years War saw a series of laws put into force. In 1605 the 'Gunpowder Plot' was planned by a tiny group of English Catholics, as James I was also a heretic, and this provided a further justification for laws restricting all Catholics in Ireland, Scotland and England. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group which spread from Ireland to many parts of Britain, specifically Scotland, the Isle of Man, Wales and Cornwall. ... The Nine Years War (Irish: Cogadh na Naoi mBliana) in Ireland took place from 1594 to 1603 and is also known as Tyrones Rebellion. ... The Old English were a wave of early medieval Norman, French, Welsh, English, Breton and Flemish settlers who went to Ireland to claim territory and lands in the wake of the Norman invasion. ... James Stuart (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scots as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

From 1607, Catholics were barred from holding public office or serving in the army. This meant that the Irish Privy Council and the Lords Justice - who, along with the Lord Deputy of Ireland constituted the government of the country, would in future be Protestants. In 1613, the constituencies of the Irish Parliament were altered to give Protestant settlers a majority. In addition, Roman Catholics had to pay 'recusant fines' for non-attendance at Protestant services. Roman Catholic churches were transferred to the Protestant Church of Ireland. Roman Catholic services, however, were generally tacitly tolerated as long as they were conducted in private. Roman Catholic priests were also tolerated, but bishops (who were usually trained in Roman Catholic Europe) had to conceal their presence in the country. In the 1630s the issue of the 'Graces' arose. Charles I, whose Queen was Catholic, levied a vast fee off Irish Catholic landlords to reform the laws, but once the money was paid he lost interest. Official standard of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (also known as the Viceroy or in the Middle Ages as the Lord Deputy) was the head of Englands (pre-1707) or Britains (post 1707) administration in Ireland. ... This article is about the legislature abolished in 1801. ... The Church of Ireland (Irish: ) is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. ...

Catholic resentment boiled over into the Irish Rebellion of 1641 which was marked by the massacre of Protestants and was eventually put down in the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649-53, which included the mass slaughtering of Catholic Irish including the town of Drogheda in which all 9000 inhabitants, men, women, and children were murdered. After the Act of Settlement in 1652, Catholics were barred from membership in the Irish Parliament, had most of their lands confiscated and were banned from living in towns for a short period. To the Cromwellians, all Catholics were, in turn, heretics. Catholic clergy were expelled from the country and liable to instant execution where found. Many had to attend their devotions at Mass rocks in the countryside. The Irish Rebellion of 1641 began as an attempted coup détat by Irish Catholic gentry, but rapidly degenerated into bloody intercommunal violence between native Irish Catholics and English and Scottish Protestant settlers. ... Combatants English Royalists and Irish Catholic Confederate troops English Parliamentarian New Model Army troops and allied Protestants in Ireland Commanders James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde (1649 - December 1650) Ulick Burke, Earl of Clanricarde (December 1650-April 1653) Oliver Cromwell (1649-May 1650) Henry Ireton (May 1650-November 1651) Charles... The Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652 was passed by the Long Parliament after the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, itself in response to the Irish Rebellion of 1641. ... A Mass rock (Carraig an Aifrinn in Irish) is a stone used in early eighteenth century Ireland as a location for Catholic worship. ...

1660-1693

Much of this legislation was rescinded after the English Restoration by Charles II. Following the decisions of the anti-protestant Patriot Parliament of 1688 in Dublin, a new and more comprehensive series of Penal Laws were passed after the Roman Catholic 'Jacobites' sided with James II in the Williamite war in Ireland 1689-91. At the European level, the Papacy supported William III's alliance against France, and on the news of the Battle of the Boyne a Te Deum was sung in thanksgiving at the Vatican. But from 1693 the Papacy supported James against William. King Charles II, the first monarch to rule after the English Restoration. ... The name Charles II is used to refer to numerous persons in history: Kings Charles the Fat (also known as Charles II of France and Charles III of the Holy Roman Empire) Charles II of England Charles II of Naples Charles II of Navarre Charles II of Romania Charles II... The Patriot Parliament of 1689 is the name of the Irish Parliament called by James II. James had landed at Kinsale in March with a small army comprised of French and Irish troops to launch his bid to win back the English crown. ... James II of England (also known as James VII of Scotland; 14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) became King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland on 6 February 1685, and Duke of Normandy on 31 December 1660. ... For the context of this war see Jacobitism and Glorious Revolution. ... The Holy See (Latin: Sancta Sedes, holy seat) is the episcopal see of Rome. ... William III of England (The Hague, 14 November 1650 – Kensington Palace, 8 March 1702; also known as William II of Scotland and William III of Orange) was a Dutch aristocrat and a Protestant Prince of Orange from his birth, Stadtholder of the main provinces of the Dutch Republic from 28... Combatants Jacobite Forces -6000 French troops, 19,000 Irish Catholic troops Williamite Forces -English, Scottish, Dutch, Danish, Huguenot and Ulster Protestant troops Commanders James VII and II William III of England Strength 25,000 36,000 Casualties ~1,500 ~750 William III (William of Orange) King of England, Scotland and...

Ascendancy rule 1691-1778

With the defeat of Catholic attempts to regain power and lands in Ireland, the new Protestant Ascendancy sought to insure dominance with the passing of a number of laws to restrict Catholics and Dissenters . The son of James II, the Old Pretender, was recognised by the Holy See as the legitimate king of Britain and Ireland until his death in 1766, and Catholics were obliged to support him. This provided a further political excuse for the new laws. Among the discriminations now faced by victims of the Penal Laws were: The term dissenter (from the Latin dissentire, to disagree), labels one who dissents or disagrees in matters of opinion, belief, etc. ... Prince James Francis Edward Stuart or Stewart (June 10, 1688 - January 1, 1766) was a claimant of the thrones of Scotland and England (September 16, 1701 - January 1, 1766) who is more commonly referred to as The Old Pretender. ...

• Exclusion of Catholics from most public offices (since 1607), Presbyterians were also barred from public office from 1707.
• Ban on intermarriage with Protestants
• Presbyterian marriages were not legally recognised by the state
• Catholics barred from holding firearms or serving in the armed forces (rescinded by Militia Act of 1793)
• Exclusion from membership in either the Parliament of Ireland or the Parliament of Great Britain from 1652, rescinded 1688, reinstated 1691;
• Disenfranchising Act 1728, exclusion from voting until 1793;
• Exclusion from the legal professions and judiciary;
• Education Act 1695 - ban on foreign education;
• On a death by a Catholic, a legatee could benefit by conversion to the Church of Ireland;
• Popery Act- Catholic inheritances of land were to be equally subdivided between all an owner's sons.
• Ban on converting from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism
• Ban on Catholics buying land under a lease of more than 31 years; repealed 1778.
• Ban on custody of orphans being granted to Catholics
• Ban on Catholics inheriting Protestant land
• Prohibition on Catholics owning a horse valued at over £5 (in order to keep horses suitable for military activity out of the majority's hands)
• Roman Catholic lay priests had to register to preach under the Registration Act 1704, but seminary priests and Bishops were not able to do so until the 1770s.
• When allowed, Catholic churches were to be built from wood, not stone, and away from main roads.
• 'No person of the popish religion shall publicly or in private houses teach school, or instruct youth in learning within this realm'. Repealed in 1782. [1]

This article is about the legislature abolished in 1801. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... The Disenfranchising Act was a British Penal law, passed in 1728, prohibiting all Roman Catholics from voting. ... The Education Act of 1695 was an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of Ireland passed in 1695, one of a series of penal laws, prohibiting Catholics from sending their children to be educated abroad. ... The Church of Ireland (Irish: ) is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ... A British Penal law, passed in 1704 and amended in 1709, requiring Roman Catholics to divide their land equally among all sons. ... A British Penal law, passed in 1704, requiring all existing Roman Catholic priests to register, pay two 50-pound bonds to ensure good behavior and stay in the county where they registered. ...

Analysis

The Penal laws were ostensibly passed to displace Catholicism as the majority religion in Ireland, and although the Book of Common Prayer was first translated into Irish in 1608 there was no real desire to convert the majority population to Anglicanism or to proselytise in Irish until the 19th century. The lack of effort by the Protestant Ascendancy to actively convert the bulk of the population to Protestantism, suggests an economic rationale; a greater number of poor Protestants would mean a loss of income as they would have to be supported from the local church tithes which were the source of income for most clergymen. For the novel by Joan Didion, see A Book of Common Prayer. ... Events March 18 - Sissinios formally crowned Emperor of Ethiopia May 14 - Protestant Union founded in Auhausen. ... The Protestant Ascendancy refers to the political, economic, and social domination of Ireland by Anglican landowners, Church of Ireland clergy, and professionals during the 17th, 18th, and 19th century. ... A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax or levy, usually to support a religious organization. ...

The main intended effect of the Penal Laws was to ease the conversion or dispossession of the landed Catholic population. In 1641 Catholics had owned 60% of land in Ireland and by 1776 Catholic land ownership in Ireland stood at only 5%. In the 1735 census some 30% of Irish declared that they were not Catholics, and it may have appeared that eventually most or all would conform, but in hindsight this was the Protestants' highest point. Conversion from Roman Catholicism to Protestantism occurred sporadically, especially among the gentry usually from material considerations converting to keep the family lands intact, the sincerity of such conversions often open to question.

Some large Catholic landowners such as the Earl of Antrim were untouched by the penal laws and still own their ancestral lands today. Others of Gaelic origin such as the Lords of Inchiquin, descendants of Brian Boru, saved their lands by converting to Protestantism. The Kings of Ireland have twice created the Earldom of Antrim in the Peerage of Ireland. ... A much later engraving of Brian Boru Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig (926 or 941[1] – 23 April 1014) (known as Brian Boru in English) was High King of Ireland from 1002 to 1014. ...

Historians disagree over whether the Penal Laws were a tool of political as opposed to religious repression. Some argue (for instance Eamonn O Ciardha) that they were intended to make Catholics in Ireland powerless and to place landed and political power in Ireland in the hands of an English Anglican settler class. Others (for instance Sean Connolly) argue that it was intended to convert the Irish en masse to the Protestant faith and that it should be likened to the Irish Government's efforts to revive the Irish language since Irish independence. The Government (Irish: ) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in the Republic of Ireland. ... Percentage of Irish speakers by county of the Republic; the six Northern Ireland counties have been considered as one. ...

Gradual reform and emancipation 1778-1869

In 1766 the Holy See recognised the Hanoverian dynasty, and so the main political excuse for the laws was removed and the slow process of Catholic Emancipation began with the repeal of the Penal Laws by the Catholic Relief Acts of 1771, 1778 and 1793. However, the long drawn-out pace of reform ensured that the question of religious discrimination dominated Irish life and was a constant source of division. An emerging Catholic middle class became more vocal, and in 1760 the surviving Catholic gentry founded the first Catholic Committee in Waterford to press for reforms. The House of Hanover (the Hanoverians) is a German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, the Kingdom of Hanover and the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... Catholic Emancipation was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the Penal Laws. ...

From 1782 reformist Protestant politicians like Henry Grattan and Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol, a Protestant bishop, added their voices in support, and in 1792 William FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster, the eldest brother of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, founded the 'Association of the friends of liberty' whose program sought Catholic members in the Irish House of Commons. They could not persuade most Protestant MPs to effect a bigger change than the reforms of 1793 where Catholics were now allowed to buy freehold land, become grand jurors and vote. Henry Grattan (July 3, 1746 - June 6, 1820) was a member of the Irish House of Commons and a campaigner for legislative freedom for the Irish Parliament in the late 18th century. ... Frederick Augustus Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol (1 August 1730–8 July 1803), known as The Earl-Bishop, was Bishop of Cloyne from 1767 to 1768 and Bishop of Derry from 1768 to 1803. ... Lord Edward FitzGerald (15 October 1763–4 June 1798) was an Irish aristocrat and revolutionary. ... The Irish House of Commons by Francis Wheatley (1780) The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from mediæval times until 1800. ...

Opposition to Catholic Relief ensured that when relief when granted it was often accompanied by what were seen to be unpleasant concessions to the system. Relief in 1793 was accompanied by a widely unpopular Militia Act which removed the ban on Catholics holding firearms to allow for their conscription into the milita, but not their admittance into the officer ranks. However, wealthier Catholics did not oppose this as it was further proof of their gradual inclusion into the establishment.

France declared war on Britain and Ireland in February 1793 and the war took priority over further reliefs. As the French government opposed the Holy See from 1792, and as Irish Catholic priests were often trained in France, the Prime Minister Pitt funded the establishment of St. Patrick's seminary in Maynooth in 1795. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ...

The slow pace of reform was one factor which led to many reformers despairing of peaceful change and the ignition of the failed 1798 rebellion. The subsequent passing of the Act of Union of 1801 was supposed to bring Catholic Emancipation, as power was moved from the hands of the Protestant Ascendancy to the London Parliament. This was agreed by most of the British Cabinet, including William Pitt, and they resigned when it was not effected. The personal opposition of George III ensured no change would be forthcoming during his reign. Depiction of the battle of Vinegar Hill 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. ... Act of Union can mean: United Kingdom The Act of Union is a name given to several acts passed by the English, Scottish and British Parliaments from 1536 onwards. ... Catholic Emancipation was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the Penal Laws. ... The Protestant Ascendancy refers to the political, economic, and social domination of Ireland by Anglican landowners, Church of Ireland clergy, and professionals during the 17th, 18th, and 19th century. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons The Right Honourable Michael Martin MP Lord Speaker Hélène Hayman, Baroness Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups (as of May 5, 2005 elections) Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats... William Pitt could refer to: William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham; Prime Minister of Great Britain 1766-1768; often known as William Pitt the Elder William Pitt the Younger; his son; Prime Minister of Great Britain (1783-1801) and (1804-1806) William Pitt, Comptroller of the Household to King James... George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. ...

In May 1823, Daniel O'Connell launched the Catholic Association and campaign for Catholic emancipation which was largely achieved in 1829, primarily benefitting the middle classes. However, the obligation of Catholics to pay tithes to the Protestant Church remained until its disestablishment in 1869 and Catholic Emancipation was quickly followed by a period of violent resistance known as the Tithe War. The Catholic Church became resurgent from the 1840s, uniting with the Protestant churches to oppose the integration of students of differing religion in the new primary or 'National' schools, and in the 1850s a debate arose over whether some proposed universities should be mixed or just for Catholics. Daniel OConnell Daniel OConnell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847) (Irish: Dónal Ó Conaill), known as The Liberator or The Emancipator, was Irelands predominant political leader in the first half of the nineteenth century who championed the cause of the down-trodden Catholic population. ... The Catholic Association was an Irish Roman Catholic organisation set up by Daniel OConnell in 1823 in order to campaign for Catholic Emancipation within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... Catholic Emancipation was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the Penal Laws. ... A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax or levy, usually to support a religious organization. ... The Tithe War in Ireland (1831-36) refers to a series of periodic skirmishes and violent incidents connected to resistance to the obligation of Roman Catholics in Ireland to pay tithes for the upkeep of the Anglican Clergy. ...

Continuing effect in 1920

In May 1920 Seán T. O'Kelly sent a memorandum to Pope Benedict XV which included: Sean Thomas OKelly (Irish name: Seán Tomás Ó Ceallaigh, pronounced ) (August 25, 1882 - November 23, 1966) was the second President of Ireland (1945-1959). ...

The position of Irish Catholics is a cruel one. We are enslaved by a Protestant power. The penal laws against our religion are not yet abolished in full. The injurious social and economic results of these anti-Catholic laws will not be overcome for generations. To the present day we suffer political injury inside and outside of Ireland, simply and solely because we are practicing Catholics. Sons of martyrs, we are known in every Masonic lodge and every anti-Catholic country as 'Papists', and par-excellence, the most devoted of all the children of the Holy See.[2]