Select Chronology 1
| 1789 | Storming of the Bastille, Paris, France and start of French Revolution |
| 1791 | United Irishmen established |
| 1794 | United Irishmen in Dublin suppressed |
| 1795 | United Irishmen reformed as oath-bound revolutionary organisation Orange Order established after Battle of the Diamond |
| 1798 | United Irishman Rebellion |
| 1800 | Irish Act of Union passed Board of Directors General of Inland Navigation formed |
| 1801 | Act of Union comes into effect William Pitt, Prime Minister resigns over royal veto on Catholic Emancipation |
| 1803 | Declaration of war on France by Britain General Synod of Ulster accepts scheme for augmentation and redistribution of regium donum (Royal grant or bounty) Robert Emmett’s Rebellion Influenza epidemic Grand Canal – main spur between Dublin and Shannon completed |
| 1807 | Insurrection Act passed Paving Board of Dublin established |
| 1808 | Christian Brothers established by Edmund Rice Rejection of Royal Veto by Catholic hierarchy |
| 1809 | Sir Patrick Dun’s hospital in Dublin opened |
| 1810 | Unlawful Oaths Act - against secret societies Belfast Academical Institution established |
| 1811 | George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales becomes Prince Regent Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in Ireland, also known as the Kildare Place Society, founded |
| 1813 | Catholic Relief Bill introduced by Henry Grattan, later withdrawn |
| 1814 | Peace Preservation Act – establishing Peace Preservation Force Revised Insurrection Act Congress of Vienna Apprentice Boys of Derry Club formed |
| 1815 | Battle of Waterloo Commission on Duties, Salaries and Emoluments in Courts of Justice in Ireland established – investigation of judicial system lasting 16 years Richmond Lunatic Asylum Act Charles Bianconi establishes a private coach service in Tipperary |
| 1816 | Potato famine Typhus (fever) epidemic begins - lasts until 1819 causing 50,000 deaths Dublin Harbour Act – Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire) Harbour commenced |
| 1817 | Unification of Irish and British Exchequers Poor Employment Act Asylums for Lunatic Poor (Ireland) Act - establishing asylums Grand Jury Presentments (Ireland) Act – office of county surveyor established and improvements to presentment system Royal Canal – canal between Dublin and Shannon completed Commissioners for the Issue of Money out of the Consolidated Fund established |
| 1818 | General Post Office opened Fever Hospitals Act – establishing fever hospitals and dispensary system Presbyterian Secession Synod formed Richmond General Penitentiary in Dublin opened |
| 1819 | Fisheries Act – establishment of Fishery Board and appointment of commissioners Ribbon disturbances |
| 1820 | Accession of George IV Bank failures Death of Henry Grattan Act for Lighting…Dublin with Gas |
| 1821 | Bill for Catholic Relief defeated in House of Lords Joint stock banks permitted outside Dublin George IV visits Ireland Census – population 6,801,827 |
| 1822 | Insurrection Act and habeas corpus suspended Poor Employment Act - in response to potato famine Fever epidemic Irish Constabulary Act – establishing new Irish Constabulary Stipendiary magistrates introduced ‘Second Reformation’ started by William Magee, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin |
| 1823 | Catholic Association founded by Daniel O’Connell and others Daniel Murray consecrated Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Unlawful Oaths Act Tithe Composition Act – fixed payments in lieu of tithes Burial Committee of Catholic Association founded Widespread failure of potato crop |
| 1824 | Acts establishing free trade between Britain and Ireland Weights and Measures Act – introduction of imperial weights and measurements Parliamentary report recommends complete survey of Ireland prior to a valuation Combination of Workmen Act - repeal of much of the anti-combination legislation Establishment of convict hulks in Kingstown and Cobh |
| 1825 | Catholic Rent established by Catholic Association Unlawful Societies Act - Catholic Association and Orange Order dissolved New Catholic Association formed Catholic Emancipation Bill rejected by House of Lords Boundary Survey established – Richard Griffith appointed head First report of Commission on Irish Education – critical of charter schools Currency Act – legislation for the assimilation of Irish currency with British currency Pro-cathedral in Dublin opened |
| 1826 | Valuation of Lands (Ireland) Act – Richard Griffith, Commissioner of Valuation, tasked with conducting a general valuation of land and tenements; initial valuation of land and substantial houses completed in 1840s; ‘Griffiths Valuation’ commenced in 1852 Prisons (Ireland) Act – reform of prison system leads to new buildings being built Church Rates (Ireland) Act – regulating vestries Clergy Residence Act – to promote residence of Protestant parochial clergy Waterford Election – Beresford interest rejected by Catholic freeholders in favour of emancipationist candidate Ordnance Survey commenced under direction of Thomas Colby Amalgamation of currencies commenced – exchange of Irish coinage Fever epidemic Drought causing poor harvest |
| 1827 | Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act – introduces reform of these courts |
| 1828 | Simultaneous meetings organised by New Catholic Association Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington appointed Prime Minister – advises King that Catholic Emancipation is essential Daniel O’Connell election victory in Clare by-election Abolition of Linen Board Brunswick Clubs founded Fever epidemic |
| 1829 | Henry Paget (Anglesey), Lord Lieutenant recalled over support for Catholic Emancipation Dangerous Assemblies (Ireland) Act - suppression of associations and assemblies O’Connell re-elected in Clare Roman Catholic Relief Act – granting of Catholic Emancipation Parliamentary Elections (Ireland) Act - disenfranchises 40s freeholders Reconciliation of factions in County Tipperary Doneraile Conspiracy – rumour of conspiracy to murder leads to high profile court case defended by O’Connell Remonstrant Synod secedes from Presbyterian General Synod |
| 1830 | O’Connell takes seat in House of Commons Accession of William IV |
| 1831 | National System of Education established – Board of Commissioners of National Education appointed; funding diverted from Kildare Place Society Public Works (Ireland) Act – establishes Board of Works Start of Tithe War O’Connell arrested Dublin-Kingstown railway authorized Sisters of Mercy established by Catherine McAuley British and Irish Post offices amalgamated Census – population 7,767,401 |
| 1832 | Cholera spreads though country Glasnevin Cemetery commenced Composition for Tithes (Ireland) Act Recovery of Tithes (Ireland) Act - relief to tithe owners Irish Reform Act – number of Irish MPs increased |
| 1833 | O’Connell’s National Council meets Irish Church Temporalities Act - rationalises Church of Ireland |
| 1834 | Catholic hierarchy resolve to discourage clergy from involvement in politics John MacHale appointed Catholic Archbishop of Tuam O’Connell introduces debate on repeal of the Union Kingstown to Dublin steam railway opened |
| 1835 | General Election and Lichfield House agreement between O’Connellites, Whigs and Radicals – O’Connell seeks municipal and tithe reform Select committee on Orangism report – critical of Orange infiltration of yeomanry/army Thomas Drummond appointed Under Secretary Irish Municipal Reform bills - first of six bills introduced Total Abstinence Society formed Final Insurrection Act imposed in Ireland |
| 1836 | Constabulary (Ireland) Act - incorporates existing police forces into Irish Constabulary and consolidates legislation Dissolution of Orange Order National Association for Municipal Reform founded by O’Connell Dublin Police Act - creates a reformed Dublin Metropolitan Police force Revenue Police reformed into a light infantry force Grand Jury Act Decommissioning of convict hulks |
| 1837 | Accession of Queen Victoria George Nicholls’, English Poor Law Commissioner, report into the provision of relief |
| 1838 | Poor Relief (Ireland) Act – creation of 130 poor law unions, with one workhouse and board of guardians each Tithe Rent charge (Ireland) Act – converting tithe to a rent charge Fr Mathew’s temperance movement founded Report of Irish Railway Commissioners |
| 1839 | ‘Night of Big Wind’ Roden Committee appointed to inquire into crime and outrage in Ireland since 1835 Unlawful Oaths (Ireland) Act – preventing the administering and taking of unlawful oaths |
| 1840 | Repeal Association /National Association founded by O’Connell General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland formed Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act – dissolved or reconstituted municipal corporations |
| 1841 | Dublin Protestant Operatives Association founded – opposed to O’Connell and Liberal politics Election of reformed Dublin Corporation – victory for liberals O’Connell elected Lord Mayor of Dublin Census – population 8,175,124 |
| 1842 | Capital Punishment (Ireland) Act – abolishes death penalty for many crimes Drainage (Ireland) Act Fisheries (Ireland) Act ‘The Nation’ first published |
| 1843 | O’Connell’s motion on Repeal in Dublin Corporation carried Monster repeal meeting at Tara; Clontarf meeting cancelled O’Connell arrested for conspiracy Devon Commission to inquire into land occupation |
| 1844 | O’Connell imprisoned for sedition – released in September Marriages (Ireland) Act – records of non-Catholic marriages to be kept |
| 1845 | Devon Commission report on land published Maynooth College Act – controversial act to increase grant to the seminary Queen’s Colleges (Ireland) Act - establishes colleges in Belfast, Cork and Galway Revival of Orange Order First signs of potato blight – import of Indian corn authorised by Robert Peel, PM Appointment of relief commissioners |
| 1846 | Public Works Acts – relief works under Board of Works Fever (Ireland) Act – to deal with fever Importation Act - repeal of Corn Laws; abolishes duties on imported corn and flour Change of government – Whigs, led by John Russell decide not to interfere in grain market Treasury closes food depots and public works Poor Employment (Ireland) Act – allows for Treasury loans for relief work O’Connell and Young Ireland group split over question of physical force First Ordnance Survey of Ireland completed |
| 1847 | Irish Confederation founded under William Smith O’Brien Employment of Poor, etc. (Ireland) Act Typhus epidemic peak and ‘relapsing’ fever outbreak Death of O’Connell Ulster Tenant-Right Association formed in Derry Poor Relief Acts – permits outdoor relief by Board of Guardians to specified classes of poor Poor Law Commission of Ireland –separate commission for Ireland created whose members included the Chief Secretary, Under Secretary and Chief Commissioner James Fintan Lalor forms a tenant league in Holycross, Tipperary |
| 1848 | John Mitchell, founder of ‘United Irishman’, withdraws from Irish Confederation – transported in June William Smith O’Brien and Thomas Francis Meagher advocate physical force at Irish Confederation meeting Uniting of Loyal National Repeal Association and Irish Confederation to form Irish League Habeas corpus suspended Young Ireland Rebellion – Smith O’Brien, Meagher and others charged with treason Encumbered Estates (Ireland) Act – facilitating sale of encumbered estates General failure of potato crop and return of cholera |
| 1849 | Young Ireland leaders transported to Van Dieman’s Land Dolly’s Brae – sectarian battle between Ribbonmen and Orangemen Second Encumbered Estates (Ireland) Act – Encumbered Estates Court facilitating sales Dublin Improvement Act and Dublin Corporation Act - Dublin Corporation assumes duties of Wide Street Commissioners and Paving Board Visit of Queen Victoria Queen’s Colleges opened |
| 1850 | Paul Cullen consecrated Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and convenes the Synod of Thurles – declared opposition to Queens Colleges Irish Tenant League formed Representation of the People (Ireland) Act - increases county electorate Reestablishment of Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales |
| 1851 | Ecclesiastical Titles Act – prohibits Catholic territorial titles of hierarchy Catholic Defence Association of Great Britain and Ireland established to oppose aforementioned act Census – population 6,552,385 |
| 1852 | Paul Cullen consecrated Catholic Archbishop of Dublin General Valuation of Ireland commenced - known as ‘Griffith’s Valuation’; extensive valuation at tenement level Independent Irish Party formed |
| 1854 | Crimean War commences – ends in 1856 Catholic University opened in Dublin under rectorship of John Henry Newman |
| 1858 | Irish Republican Brotherhood formed by James Stephens in Dublin |
| 1859 | Fenian Brotherhood formed in USA |
| 1861 | Census – population 5,798,967 |
- 1 Foster, Roy, Modern Ireland 1600-1972, p.603-608.
- Jackson, Alvin, Ireland 1798-1998, p.440-443.
- Fleming, NC and O’Day, A, Ireland and Anglo-Irish Relations since 1800: Critical Essays, Volume One, p.xxviii-xlvii.